Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-10-13
JESSE JAMES, GANG.
One OF Them Tells How the Glendale
Train Robbery Was Managed.
ST. Louis Globe Democrat.

The trial of VIM. Ryan for participa-
ton in the robbery of the Chicago and
Alton express train at Glendale on Oct.
s. 1879, is going on in the Criminal
court. Tucker Basham. who pleaded
guilty to completely in the robbery
about year ago, and received sem
tence Of ten years, has been pardoned,
and was put upon the witness stand by
the State this afternoon lie made
detailed statement OF the entire tran
saction, duplicating Ryan and several
others. His testimony was, in sub
stance, rs follows:
about the middle of April, 1879,
Ryan came to me and proposed rob
bing train. refused to listen to him,
and he let me alone until the 9th of
October when he and Ed. Miller came.to
me and said that Jesse James com
manded me to assist them in robbing
the Chicago and Alton express train a.
Glendale. On the night of October Is
finally consented to go, and on that
evening met Jesse Jam es, Miller, Dick
Little, William Ryan, and man nam
ed Bob. They furnished me with arms,
and we went to Glendale, took possess
ion of the depot, and made prisoners
of everybody there. We compelled
the agent to stop the train, and Jesse
and Miller robbed the express car,
while the rest Of us stood guard over
the engineer and passengers. In the
melee Jesse James was shot in the leg
After we finished the robbery we went
to an old house about one mile from
the depot and divided the booty. We
got altogether over $4,000 but they
only gave me 5000. Jesse and Miller
and Little took the lions share"
! :. Basham's wife corroborated the story
in regard to Ryan's completely, and
states that she heard him admit hav-
ing been member of the gang several
times. The defence will attempt to
prove an abb, but they cannot produce
any testimony that will counteract the
damning evidence adduced by the state.
! Ryan is said to have told a fellow pris-
oner that he had everything fixed so
that, if he was convicted, Jesse James
and his gang will stop the train convey.
ing him to the penitentiary and iber-
ate him. Ryan's friends have threat
| ened the states witnesses with the ven
geance OF the gang if they testify against
| him, and have even gone so far as to
tell Mrs. Basham that if she or her
husband testified against him their
lives would not be safe. l.. W. Girls
ham, another important witness for the
prosecution, was notified tie be exceed
ingly careful what he swore to, or he
would be shot full of holes while on the
witness stand. The officers heard OF
these threats and took extra precautlon
to prevent their fulGlment, which prob
ably accounts for no demonstration be-
ing made. A night session of court is
being held, and an extra number of
guards have been placed in readiness
to prevent any meditated outbreak.
The town is full of men from the
Cracker Neck neighborhood, ard it is
| feared that a riot may ensue. Parties
have been heard TO say that if Ryan is
convicted there is no jail strong enough
to heep him. This afternoon unknown
men went to Tuker Basham's dwelling,
broke it open, and after throwing the
household goods out doors, set the
building on fire. The blaze was notic-
ed by some passers-by and extinguish-
ed, but not before it was almost en-
tirely destroyed There is no positive
clue to the identity of the scoundrels
who perpetrated the dastardly deed
but the officers feel positive that they
will be able to capture the right par
ties.