The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-04-05
PUBLIC FEELING.

PUBl<lC FEELING.
ST. JOSEPH, April 4.-During the ex
animation before the coroner to-day, James
| wife and mother made quite scene, cah-
ing curses down upon Dick Little for con-
spring to betrsy his leader. The cor
oner returned verdict of murder in the
| first degree against Ford. The authori-
ties of Buchanan county refuse to give him
! up.
| There is great excitement in Western
Missouri over the affair, especially among
the farmers. Some denounce Ford as q
mercenary assassin, while others excuse
him.
The authorities will protect Ford from
the friends of the dead robber. Some
threats have been made by outlaws al
ready.
| MRS. sAMUELs.
| ST. JOSEPH, April 4.-Mrs. Samuels,
mother of the dead outlaw, arrived this
morning from her home in Clay county.
She is large woman, f1fty-seven years old,
with black hair well sprinkled with gray.
She was incredulous, upon her arrival,
about the dead man being her son, and was
not fully convinced until she reached his
late residence, where she met the widow,
| who embraced the old lady, and both man
| ifested great emotion Mrs. Samuels, Mrs.
James and the children were driven to the
undertaker's shop, where they viewed the
body of Jesse, and the scene was very af
fecting Mrs. Samuels said the body was
that of her son, and with great emotion
exclaimed: Would to God it were not I .
The mother then went to the court room
| to testify before the Coroner's jury.
THE INQUEST.
The jury assembled again this morning.
The room was crowded to overfiowing,
great numbers not being able to get in.
W. H. Craig, police commissioner of Kan
sas City, testified that the body corresponds
with the description of Jesse James. He
said: 81 know the Fords. Bob Ford as
sisted Sheriff Timberlake and myself
Ford was not commissioned. Robert Ford
acted through our instructions, while
Charles was not
Sheriff Timberlake testified he was ac-
quainted with Jesse James and recognized
the body. He saw him last in 1870. | know
his face He had finger off. told Ford
to get his brother to assist him.
Dick Little being sworn. identified the
body by the missing finger.
AS Mrs Samuels entered the room all
eyes were turned upon her, who, although
the mother of an outlaw, had the respect
| of everyone in the room. She moved with
a slow step and bowed head to the witness
| stand She is large woman with kind
ly face and eyes, and rather prominent nose
/ She was dressed in black, with her face
partially yelled. When she took the stand
her face had a resolute appearance, but as
| the examination progressed that disap-
| peared and she manifested great emotion
| She testified that she was the mother OF
Jesse James and that she had seen the body
/ but a moment before.
''Is that body your SOM asked the cor
1 oner.
| '.It is" she answered, "and would tC
God it were not" Placing her hands on
the heads of the little son and daughter OF
Jesse, who were standing in front, she
continued land these are his orphan chill
dren."
| Mrs James was requested to raise he
vail When she had dene this, Mrs. Sam
uels was asked if she recognized her. She
4 replied she did; that it was the widow ot
Jesse James.
4 Mrs. James testified that she recognized
the preceding witness as Mrs. Samuels.
4 AS Mrs. Samuels retired from the Cour
room
THRILLING INCIDENT
q occurred Dick Little was standing nea
Il the door. and as she entered she saw. him
Her eyes rested on him while. Then sh
turned upon him with the furiousness of
tiger Traitor traitor ''traitorP' sh
exclaimed. 'God win send vengence oil
J YOU for this. OIL you villainl | woult
rather be in my poor boys place, than il
yours" Little covered like a whipped
dog before the towering rage of the bereav
ed mother, and turned pale and red b
turns. 81 did not hurt him, he answered
'I thought you knew who killed him.
Mrs. Samuel's only reply was; 80 God! m
poor boy, my poor poy"
THE FoRps BOUND OVER.
{ She then returned from the room, an
, the jury withdrew. They soon returne
with the following verdict: I'VE the jurJ
find that the deceased is Jesse James, an
that he came to his death by shot from
pistol in the hands of Robert Ford" Th
Q Ford brothers are confined in Jail, charge
with murder, under warrants sworn out b
Mrs James. They decline to be inter
n viewed.
MURDERS AND ROBBERIEs.
Jesse James was born in Clay count,
. Mo, IN 1S45. He is the son of Rev. d
> James. He has had little education. Whe
& sixteen years of age he joined Quantrell
|. band of guerillas, and participated in I'll
butchery at Centralia. Me-, and the sael
ing and burning of Lawrence, Kan. L
was also connected with other events
the war of like nature. In 1855 he mao
his first robbery, which was at the bank
Liberty. Mo. In 1857 he robbed Il
If Russellviile, (Ky.) bank, and in 1868 Il
Huntington, Va, bank. During 1865 ar
1868 he was connected with stage robbie
u les in Texas. Frank James and Jesse,
: 1869, robbed the Gallatin, Mo-, bank, al
killed the cashier.
In 1872 he robbed the Kansas City ia
grounds, in broad daylight, of $4,000.
=. 1878 the ST. Genevieve bank was robbie
and in 1874 the Muncie, Kan, bank.
that year he robbed stage at Hot Sprini
s and also participated in his first train 70
a. berry on the Iron Mountain road. In 1S'
in the Minnesota bank was robbed at Mort
q field. Minn; the cashier killed three
- Jesse's gang. The Glendale train robbie
occurred in 1897; the Winston and Bll
Cut train robberies last year. Since tn,
officers have been in pursuit of the despe
sr ado. He was aided in all OF his exploi
s. by gang from his own neighborhood.
:. is estimated that his robberies amount
. nearly 81. 100000
:, BRIEF DESCRIPTION.
He was about five feet eight inches
height, well built, with woman viii