Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-11-07
THE JAMES BROTHERS.
A SurmIss That They Have Gone
West Many Friends In Mel
soma Thousand Men
Couldn't Capture
Them.
Jesse Wants TO XIII PinkertOn.


Special to the Courier-JOurnal,
BARDsToWN, KY, November B.
The reports of the movements Of the
James brothers in the Courier-Jour-
nal are the subject Of general remark,
but as the reports of the presence IN
Nelson county Of the notorious rob-
bers come with regularity, their sup
posed proximity at this time creates
no uneasiness here. 1t is said Jesse
James attended Dan Rice's circus last
spring in BardstoWn, and that his wife
visited friends in the county during
the summer, but these reports are de-
MED by Don Pence and other friends
of the James boys. 1t is impossible
70 gain anything like reliable informa-
ton as to their movements, and,
Judging from the past, the robbers are
now in the West, preparing Tor another
railroad or bank robbery, while the
ewes of the detectives r turned to-
ward Kentucky.
| am informed by a man who in
former years enjoyed the confidence Of
the james brothers that a goodly part
of their earnings is annually paid to
members of the police force Of st.
Louis, Kansas City and other places;
that they have spies at the headquar
tiers Of all detective agencies, and no
movement for their capture is I'M
known to them; that part Of their
programme is to raise a false alarm in
one State while preparing for a raid in
another. 1t is certainly true they
have many friends in this county,
where they spent several years
after the war. When Frank James
was shot in the mouth at Bran
denburg, KY, he rode to this county,
and was nursed until he recovered at
the residence of a well known citizen.
When Sheriff Pence, of this county,
belonged to QusRtrell's gang. he was
shot and his horse killed in a fight in
Meade county. In the face Of the fire
of a company of soldiers, Frank James
rescued Pence and brought him to
this county. Pence was but a boy at
the time, and since then has devel-
oped into a good citizen. He is but
one of a hundred friends of the James
boys in this county, and it is safe to
say that a thousand men could not
capture the outlaws if they chose to
remain in this vicinity. The lay of
the land is in their favor, and their
friends are many. The people here
abouts all believe that the James
boys will do nothing in this vicinity,
because such an act on their part
would bring the condemnation of the
citizens on those who have harbored
the bandits and would prevent them
from ever again making this section a
place of retreat. A lady friend Of the
James boys recently informed your
reporter that Jesse James told her he
intended to kill Pinkerton, the chief
Of Chicago detectives, and would do it
at the first opportunity, in retaliation
for the coEardly act Of Pinkerton's
men in throwing a shell into his
mothers room, which shattered her
arm and killeda step brother Of Jesse.
She also informed me that the reason
the boys" are not betrayed is that
they mix only with 'high-toned" peo-
pie in Kentucky and Missouri, who
would scorn to betray them for a
reward. She says the boys visit
only the residences of well-to-do peo-
pie, and associate mostly with the
officers of General Prices army, whose
acquaintance they formed during the
war, none Of whom could be induced
to lend assistance to their capture.