Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-10-19
sfoslRs ABOUT rHR JAuRs BROTHERS,


There arc two o. three men Ia indie
Mo, who perhaps would rec
ognise Jesse or Frank on sight but
there arc not mpre than that nlmber
Who know them, The boys could ride
through this county from one end lothe
other without meeting an acquaintance,
unless II might DO former member OF
Quanirel.'s guerilla band, Frank James |
elOped with and married Miss Annie
Ilalst0n, hhs Was an accomplished
yonng lady and tho daughter Of Samuel
llalstOn, q well-tO-do'farmer, residing
near Independence, The eonrtshlp was
80 skilmlly conducted that tho old gen |
tlelnan never sven snrmised that the
young people cared anything about
each other, Annie ilalston was . MI
cousin 81 Frank james. their mothefs
being sisters. hut Mr., iialslon never
found ont who his son'in,law was until
more than year AFTER the elopement-
Mrs ilalsiOn was IN tho secret, and, u ID
said, gave al implied consent 70 the
match, When tho truth became known
Mr., Ralsi0n was very wroth, aud threat
ened to eSteminate tbs whole James
family, Int 10 didn't, One day q eon'
sin OF Mr., lialstOn. an elderly geatle'
man named Hill. was visiting at tho
RalsiOn residence, Mr. lalsloh was
away irOn home, ut tho time, ana ~
Mr., ilill came into the yard from ride
to Independence he noticed q number
Of young people playing eroquet IN tho
front yard, One Of tho young men who
lad been introduced as "Mr, Patterson"
was heavily armed, The muzzlea OF u
brace Of large pistols could DO plainly
seen protruding from beneath his coat
tails, Mr.. llill noticed tho weapons AMI
thinking II strange that q young man
should carry them while playing GRO
auet with ladies'. went into tho house
and spoke 10 Mrs, iialsion concern,
ing the matter Mrs, lialaton assured
him that the young man was oil right,
that ho always wore hia pistols, and that
there wasn't tho least danger OF acct
dent or harm, She said tho yonng fel'
low waa proud Of his pistol, and they
always allowed him TO crafty His vanity
while visiting them, After tho young
people cloped Mr. Hill was informed
that Patterson" was no other than
Frank James, and II IL said that ho did
some Of tho tOllcst swearing ever heard
In this part Of the country, .
William Nolan. who lived about 200
yards from tho Ralatons, remember"
very distinctly night which Jesse
.Iames passed IN his house. II was IN
the dusk OF beautiful summer evening
that ilnc'looking, heavily armed man
rode into Nolan's yard on q magnificent
aprrcl charger llc told Mr., Nolan that
hc was completely worn out and could
40 no further lle requested the priyi'
lego Of staying MI night, with refresh
mcnts for himself and horse, Mr. No
Ian told him he could stay, OF course,
but on account Of the limited amount OF
room in the house hc would have to put
up with very meagcr accommodations.
al noticed" related Mr.. Nolan, "lhat
he was very anxious about his horse,
and took particular notice Of tho stall IN
which put him. | said TO him. That's
q mighty fine horse you've got Yes,
he replied, it's the best ! could buy /
do great deal Of riding, and have an
easy stopper When we got into the
house, saw the fellows pistols, and 80
did my wife, In spite of his good looks.
/ couldn't help thinking that no would
be had mar to fall ont with. My wife
flew around and got up the best supper !
she could. When the stranger sat down
to eat, he took ont his pistols and laid
them beside his plate. Good Lord!
don't think / was ever 50 badly scared
before; bu. kept still. My wife was
as nervous rs could be. and walked
around US cautiously as though in a
powder magazine. Between bites the
fellow asked me il l knew the James
boys. Bless me, no., said ], and !
don't know anybody rs does have
heard that they are very clever sort OF
follows, hut they reyer come into this
part of the country any more, I'm told,
This seemed to do the scamp power OF
good, for he ate with renewed vigor, and
smiled clear to the end of the meal.
Now, the only place / could put him to
sleep was M in the loft or attic; but
there was good bed up there, and
man could sleep very comfortably. 10
get to the attic ] had to take him
my own bedroom and let him
climb ladder. AS we went into my
room / said to him: You are my guest,
but / don't know you. Yot may be as
gentle as n lamb, but l haven't any
of knowing that. Now your
room is up there said |, pointing to the
hole in the ceiling and my wife and
are to sleep in this room, Now, If you
have any occasion to come down that
ladder during the night want you to
speak first, for I'm not going to run any
risks. Do you see that musket in the |
corner? Well, I'm going to load it full
of buckshot and keep it right at the side
of my bed all night. l tell You this
simply so that there be no mistake
We'll, sir, the fellow laughed right in
my face, and said that, being as he was
so tired, he guessed he would sleep very |
and wouldn't have occasion to
disturb me before morning.
CATER I got him safely up stairs my
wife said to me, Will, believe that's
Jesse James so do 1, said !; but for
the Lords sake wouldn't let him know
it, I tell you we were both woll.nigh |
scared to death"
"Before going to bed got my musket
md loaded it almost to the muzzle. l
the charge home with the iron |
ramrod, and was several minutes about
it. knew the stranger in the loft could |
hear me, and I wanted the fact of that
gun to be thoroughly impressed on his
mind. Imagine now that he was laugh.
ing to himself all the while, but at that
time was not going to take any chnces.
Along about 10 o'clock my wife and |
went to bed, but we didn't sleep wink
the whole blessed night. Every time
the window ratified with the wind rails
ed my musket so as to cover the opening
in the ceiling, expecting to see the
stranger starting down stairs to murder
us both. I held the gun in my hands
all night, and ii Jesse looked down
the hole he must be laughing
vet at the pict,lre he saw. NV wife |