Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-05
THE JAMES BROTHERS.
SOME OF THE EXPLOITS OF THE GA

Correspondence N. Y. Sun.
KANSAS CRY, April 3.-This afternoon, as
soon as the news Of the killing OF Jesse James
was received here, Police Commissioner Craig
left for st. Joseph with a heavily armed posse
OF men to guard Jamess body and to give pro-
rection to the man who killed him. at the
police station it was learned that Bob Foad. a.
young man who had been hanging about the
station for several weeks past, was the person
who shot and killed Jesse James. Ford left this
city about week ago and joined James in the
vicinity OF st. Joseph. remaining with him until
an opportunity to kill was found. From the
police it is learned that Ford who is believed to
be member OF the gang. was under the control
of Craig, and has been used as an instrument
for James's destruction. Ford is about %
years Of age, and looks like a verdant youth
from the country. In appearance he IL q mere
boy, and is the last person in the world to be
taken as the slayer of the famous outlaw
Jesse James is the younger of the two James
boys. Frank, the older, Is understood to be
living In Texas under an assumed name
He is married and has abandoned his old ways
OF life. They were the sons Of Baptist clergy
man OF Kentucky, and were educated at
Georgetown College, Scott county. XIV. Jesse
the Rev. Mr.. James removed to Clay county,
Mo-. where he purchased a farm and performed
ministerial duties for a small Baptist congrega-
ton. In 1S49 he went to California and died
there. In 1857 his widow married DR.. Reuben
Samuels, physician Of Clay county, Mo.
When the war opened Jesse and Frank en-
davOred to enlist in the confederate army, but
were rejected as being too young for the ser
vice. 1t is stated that DR.. Samuels was once
terribly beaten by party Of Union men who
came to the house, and that it was desire for
vengeance that started the boys on their career
as desperadOes. At any rate they joined Guam
trell's guerillas, and took part in the murderous
work of the gang Jesse James has made a
brag of the number of people he killed at the
| sacking of the town of Lawrence In 1865
Quantrell was killed in fight with body of
federal troops, and the gang was broken up,
the James boys returning to their homes in Clay
county. Mo-, where they lived quietly.
In 1868, with the Younger brothers and George
Sheppard, who had been with them in Quantrelrs
band, the James boys went to the races at Lex.
ington, Ky. On their way home they visited
Russellville. in that state, robbed the bank Of
s14 600, and fled to Texas.
In December, 1862 they resumed criminal
operations, and robbed the bank at Gallatin,
and Others of their old associates in guerilla
warfare. Here they murdered several persons
and again went to Texas.
In May, 1870 the two brothers had fight
with some Texans at dance house. which re-
suited in several murders, the victims being men
they were compelled to fly for their lives. They
returned to their old home in Missouri, and
again resumed agricultural pursuits.
In the spring of 1870 together with the
Younger brothers, they made a raid into Iowa !;
entering the town of Corydon, where. in broad
daylight, they dashed up to the bank on their
horses, seven in number, dismOunted, entered
with drawn revolver, and finding the cashier
alone, demanded all the money he had. The
safe was open, and the cashier was totally pow
fnr fvinU IN1
lars into a sack, they quietly remounted their
horses and rode away. They were followed for
hundred miles or more by posse of citizens,
but disappeared, and were not seen again for
several months.
In the latter part OF the same year nS7O) the
ers again attended the races in Kentucky, and
there conceived the plan Of rObbing bank at
Columbus. In the afternoon. after spending the
day around the tavern in that town, the six men
mounted their horses, rode over to the bank,
which was only a few rods distant, leisurely dis
mounted and entered the building. where they
found the cashier. the president, and citizen
engaged in conversation. Without losing any
time, three of them levelled their reyOlvers upOn
the occupants Of the room. while the other three
unceremOniOusy commenced to empty the safe.
They gathered together all the money in sight,
and, after shooting the cashier, who made an
Outcry they mounted their horses and rode away.
An alarm was Immediately given, and they were
pursued by the sheriff and large posse of men,
but they reached the Cumberland mountains In
safety and there disappeared.
On the 26th Of September, 1872, they COM
mitted one of the most daring and amazing ex
plOits In the history of crime. They attended the
Missouri State Fair at Kansas City, where it is
the receipts at the gate were CORRESPONDENCE
large. They remained through the day; took
dinner on the fair grounds, attended the races
and about o'clock in the afternoon, while the
attention Of the crowd was drawn to famous
contest between Ethan Allen and another noted
horse they rode up to the office of the fair
association, where they found Mr.. Hall, the
treasurer of the fair, counting up the receipts
of the day, which amounted to nearly SO, COO
Mr.. Hall sat in the office with young man.
The gang put revOlvers to their heads, pock-
eted the money, and made their escape.
In the spring of 1873 they raided bank at St.
Genevieve, Mo. During the fight the outlaw
who had the bag of money in charge dropped
it, and the pursuit was so hot that they had to
abandon the booty. 1t was while they were
smarting under this disappointment that their
first train robbery was planned, which took
place on the Rock Island road in June Of the
same year. About seventy-fve miles east of
Council Bluffs they took up rail in a sharp
curve. An express train was thrown off the
track. The engineer and fireman were killed
and q number of passengers badly wounded.
The gang robbed the express car, carrying away
gold bricks, specie and notes to very large
AMOUNT. "A large reward was OuereQ Tor their
apprehension, but they found safe refuge in In
dian Territory.
After this affair they committed a number of
stage robberies, one of them on the route to Hot
Springs, Ark. In January, 1874, the gang made
its appearance at Gads Hill. a flag station on the
Iron Mountain road, in Wayne county, Mo. They
tagged the train, robbed the express car of
81 900, and plundered q number of the passen-
gers.
The railroad and express companies now de-
termined to hunt the gang down at any expense.
Pinkerton's agency took the case, and a corps Of
detectives were sent to Missouri under the COM
mand of Louis L. Lull, formerly lieutenant on
the police force of Chicago. One Of his detec-
tives, by the name Of Weicher. went to the rem
devious of the desperadoes in the garb of
German immigrant and applied for labor. On
the morning after he was found dead, with sew
eral bullet holes in his body. tied to tree near
the road, few miles from Mrs. Samuels' house, |
and also upon his person was found a card, say
ing:
This shall be the fate Of all of Pinkerton's detec-
tves who come into Missouri.
Soon after this Lull had q desperate fight in
the MOmgan woods, in southwestern Missouri,
with the Younger brothers, in which John
Younger, the acknowledged leader of the band,
was killed, and James Younger, his brother. was
seriously wounded. Daniels, the sheriff of st.
Clair county. was also instantly killed and Iufl