Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1882-05-06
Jesse James-Wifely "reminiscences.

Jesse James relates the following story
of her husbands career as bandit.
She Is the daughter of highly-respected
Kansas City for over thirty years, and,
as she remarked, she mad lived here
ever since she could remember, until
she married Jesse" Their courtship
was highly romantic one They were
first cousins, and their betrothal was
bitterly opposed by her parents She
was sentimental, however, and express
ed her det rmination to follow Jesse's
fortunes wherever they might lead, and
to prevent an elopement the old people
consented to the engagement. This was
in 1869, just after Jesse had been made
an outlaw under the civil code and n
price set upon his person. Their court
ship lasted five years, during which
time Jesse frequently visited his inamo-
rata at the residence of her parents in
this city, and she several times went TO
his mothers, Mrs. SamueIs, at kcarney,
TO see him by appointment. During one
Of these visits the two were together in
the yard at the SamuclS residence when
a party offve men, led by one of pinker-
tons detectives, went to the house, and
all the time they were searching the.
place Jesse lay on the ground within
twenty feet Of the door under the
shadow Of rose-bush while his atiianc-
ed was secrcted in fence corner. Mrs.
James says that Jesse has frequently
said since that if he had killed a couple
Of those men it might have saved his
step-brother's life and his mothers arm,
but he refrained because he was afraid
his sweetheart might be injured in the
melee. They were married April -
1874, at the residence of the brides
sister. Mrs. w. Il. BrOwder, of Kearney,
the Rev. William James, cousin, offici-
a;ing and the following month they
went to sherman, Tx, where q sister
of Jesse lives. There Mrs. James passed
As cousin Of Jesse'5 sister, without Civ
ing any particular name, and he was in
he was fearful Of being followed by the
officers for the Hot SpringS robbery,
which was committed in January of that
year, and the Gad's Hill robbery, which
occurred in the same month. The first
of these he was not in, so Mrs James
Gays, but admits that nc was in the latter,
and, as both were charged to him, he
deemed it wise to act as though he really
had been there. At this point Mrs.
James took occasion to denounce the
reported estimate of Jesse's stealings,
which, if true, would have made him a
rich man at his death. She declares
that So far from having had at any one
time $500, 600 he never had that sum in
ali his life, putting every cent into the
calculation. The tiad's Hill affair netted
about $4,000, of which he received one
fifth, and upon that they went to Texas
for their honeymoon. Things grew hot
in Sherman, and they moved to Dallas
in September, where they remained un-
til the winter of 1874 and 1873, when
Mrs. James returned to Kansan City and
visited her sister, Mrs. Mcbride, and
Jesse went on scout 1t was about
this time that the Corinth, Miss, and
Muncie, Kan, robberies were committed,
in both Of which participated, but the
amount secured his wife says she does
not know. When he returned, however,
he had plenty Of money, and they then
moved to Edgefield, Tenn, a small
village near Nashville, and remained
there until the fall, when they removed
TO Baltimore. 1t was in Edgefeld that
the boy who now begins to look so much
like his father was born. and Mrs.
James declares the child was but DAYS
old when the Huntington, w. Va, rob.
berry took place, and that, instead OF
being there, Jesse was with her and the
baby in Nashville at that time, living
under the name Of j. ID. Howard. They
removed to Baltimore in November
1875, and remained there one year or al
least she did; but Jesse was away good
deal of the time, and she says she does
not know where, except that he was at
the centennial one week, where he saw
a great many people from Miss our
whom he knew very well, but who die
not know him. 1t was about this tim,
that the Baxter Springs, Kan, and Otter
vile, Mo-, robberies were perpetrated
but she dsclaims all knowledge O
Jesse's completely in them. In speak
| ing ofthe Huntingdon affair, Mrs. James
backs up the ASSERT on that Jesse was a
Edgington at that time, on the sta te
ment, which she says can be yerifie
that alb out that time he bought two car
loads Of flour from Nashville milleI
named o. L. O'Neil on speculation, ant
took it to Savannah, Ga, where he solo