Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-04
JESSE JAMES.
THE NOTED OUTLAW KILLED.
Shot Down I'm a Shanty in st. 10
sePh-Detalls of His Death-Great
Excitement In the Town.

ST. LOUIS, April ga dispatch from, st.
Joseph, Missouri, says: "Charles and Robert
Ford, who at one time belonged to the
James gang, and were engaged in the Win
ston and Blue Cut train robberies, have
been in St. Joseph for week for the pur-
pose OF arresting Jesse James, but being
afraid, as It is alleged, to make the attempt,
they shot him down at Thirteenth and
Lafayette streets to-day, and then sur
rendered to the authorities and were lodged
In jail. There is tremendous excitement
over the affair, several thousand people be-
Ing on the streets. The wife of the despe-
rado was on the spot few minutes after
the shooting and wept copiously over his
remains. The body was taken in charge by
the police. Considerable ammunition and
several weapons, including pistols and a
rope, were found in the house where the
outlaw had been stopping.'
ST. JOSEPH, Mo, April 3.-At first the
announcement that Jesse James had been
killed In this city was greeted doubtfully,
but as it began to be realized that such was
the fact excitement ran high, and the fol-
lowing details soon became public: In a
frame shanty, in the southeast part of the
city, on hill not far from Worlds Hotel,
Jesse James has lived with his wife since
some time Id November last. Robert and
Charles Ford, two of his gang, have their
headquarters at his house. Charles, 1t is said,
has lived with him in the sbanty ever since
November. Robert arrived about ten DAYS
ago, and the three have been making prep
arations for raiding expedition In which
they were to start tonight James and the
two Fords were in the front room together
about nine o'clock this morning. James
took off his belt and laid his pistols on the
bed, preparing to wash himself, when Rob-
ert Ford sprang up behind him and sent a
bullet through his brain, the ball entering
the back of his head at the base of the right
brain, coming out over the eye. The Ford
brothers at once made known what they had
done and gave themselves up. They are
now under guard at the court house.
The body of Jesse James was conveyed TO
an undertaker's, where It was prepared for
burial. and where photograph was taken.
James wife has telegraphed TO his mother
the news of his death. A number of men
have identified the body, and there is no
question about its being that of Jesse
James. The house where James lived and
in which he was killed, has the appearance
Of an armory. A number of guns and pis-
tols, including a repeating rife, a needle
gun and navy revolvers, with good store
Of ammunition, were found there.
Jesse was in the habit of wearing two
belts with brace OF very fine Ievolvers and
twenty-five extra cartridges. In a small
stable near the house were discovered sew
eral fine horses, the property of the Jameses.
The Ford brothers claim that they are de-
tectives, and that they have been on James
track for long time. It is believed that
they were with James in the Blue Cut train
robbery, and that they were Influenced into
killing him by the hope of getting the big
reward which has been offered for James,
dead or alive, by the Governor and by the
express and railroad companies.