Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-04-14
Inc End OF Jesse james

The End of Jesse James
New York SUM-
Jesse James was buried at Kearney,
Mo-, on Thursday. Mourning rela
tives, hosts of friends. officers of the
law in the vicinity and the reverend
clergy, all seem to have united in pay.
ing extraordinary honors to his re.
mains. Never before had Kearney
seen 80 grand funeral,
Among the pail bearers Of the dead
man were a Sheriff and a Deputy
Sheriff, and the coffin was followed to
the grave by an immense throng on
horseback, in wagons, and on foot.
The Rev. Mr.. Martin-by permission
of the afflicted family, assisted by the
Rev Mr.. Jones-conducted the re-
ligioIs services in the crowded church.
The hymns what a Friend | have in
Jesus and where Shall Rest be
Found2" were sung in the most sol
emn style, and Rev. Mr.. Martin
assuaged the grief of the mourners in
a funeral sermon full of comforting
language.
Jesse James was the son of a Bap.
fist minister of Kentucky, and at the
time Of his violent death was only
thirty-seven years Of age. Presumably
he had religious education, was sent
to Sunday. school, and listened to
exhortations at prayer meetings. At
any rate, he went to a Kentucky col
lege, we are told.
Jesse James, therefore, had far
better start in life than the great run
of boys. His natural equipment, too,
seems to have been much above the
average. He was strong physically.
OF good intellect, and of an. enter
prising disposition. He was a kind
husband, the reports say, and must
have been an afectionate son, for his
mother expects to meet him in heaven.
My dear boy, she said, as she stood
over the corpse at Kearney on Thurs
day, is bettcr off in heaven to day
than he would be here with us.
The first start in life made by jesse
James was in Quantrell's guerrilla
gang. Though mere boy of sixteen
or seventeen then, he showed great
enterprise and GOODNESS in killing
people. The war over, he set up
business with his brother Frank and
the Younger brothers as professional
robber, freebooter, and murderer. The
partv robbed the bank at Russellville.
KY, the bank at Gallatin, Mo-, the
bank at Corydon, Iowa, the bank at
Columbus. KY, the treasury of the
Missouri State Fair at Kansas City,
aud the bank of ST. Genevieve, Mo-
In September, 1876. Jesse james
killed the cashier Of the bank at
Mortified, MINI, in cold blood. The
business was a profitable one, and was
not attended with extraordinary risks.
In its course, however, Jesse james
and his confederates resorted to muir.
der whenever they thought it neces-
sary.
About ten years ago he and his crew
started the new business OF railroad
train robbery. They would either
throw the train off the track, careless
of the lives lost in consequence, and
then pillage the express car, or they
would murder the engineer or con-
ductor, or both, terrify the train hands
generally, overawe the passengers by
a display of loaded firearms, and carry
off the valuables in the express and
mail cars. Sometimes, too, they would
plumber the passengers, if they could
not get enough booty elsewhere in the
train, or could afford the delay.
The Younger brothers were finally
captured. They are now serving sem
fences in prison. Frank James, it is
said, gave up robbery as a profession,
but Jesse kept at it.
Finally, Jesse james YVES killed last
Monday by one of his gang, apparently
to get the reward offered for the
scoundrel's body, dead or alive. Hence
the lamentations Of Kearney on Thurs
day, the tears, the prayers, the sacred
songs, the antioipations of heavenly
bliss for the. deceased, the clerical
comfort for the bereaved family.
The honor paid to Jesse james
dead goes far TO explain the immunity
he enjoyed living. He could pursue
his career of plumber and murder un-
punished because Of the consideration
he enjoyed as hero, terrible in his
revenges.
Jesse James had the funeral Of a
saint. thanks to Rev. Mr.. Martin and
the Rev. Mr.. Jones. He had led a
life of comparative security, thanks to
the officers Of the law, two of whom
bore his corpse in honor to the grave
after he had been assassinated through
treachery. And that was the ending
of a most cowardly aud bloodthirsty
rufian in a civilized State of the
American Union. In all the records
Of brigandage and murder there is no
instance more astounding than this Of
jesse James. a1a