Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-05-27
Detective pINKERroN.
Discourses About Jesse James and nj.
Gang

ne
wax on his way home from Louisville. / met
him in the forenoon talking to Col. Lew Welt
EEL Col. Chas. Wappenstein and the Rev. Blacky
Edwards in front of the health office
We got to talking about Jesse James.
Wappenstein said: 81 wish that pistol that
was used to kill Jesse James had missed fire aud
jesse had killed both of the Ford boys"
81 don't know about that" chimed in Pink
erton. "That was no worse deal than Jesse has
given others. He ought to have been killed
get it. He killed little Ed. Miller while the boy
was asleep. Jesse James was brave man when
he had it his own way. but he was q coward
after all. 1t doesn't require any bravery to kill
people in their Sleep"
"1s it sure thing that Jesse James is deada"
asked Col. Weitzel.
"There is not doubt Of il, answered Pink
erton.
The conversation then turned on the subject
OF Jesse's antecedents.
He got all of his devilment from his mo-
ther," said Pinkerton. ''She is regular Tartar
1t would have been good thing if she had got
killed at the same time Jesse got his dose. She
has an idea that i led the party that killed that
child at her house when she got her arm blown
of. was witness in big criminal case that
was being tried at Chicago at the time of that
affair. The records of the court will show that:
the Judge, the Jury and the press know that
was in Chicago at the time, but the old woman
sticks to 1t that was present on the night Of
the attack on her house."
what do you know about that attack, any
hOw?" Bill was asked.
at was said you remember, that there were
some bombs thrown into the house." Pinkerton
went on to say. "But there were no bombs
there any more than there are here. It was
also stated you know, that there were some
men in the house, two or three Of them, and
that there was fight. There were no men in
the house and there was no fight There was
not pistol fred at any body. There was a
pistol fired In the air, but that was ALL.
GLOW did the child get killed then, and what
took Mrs. Samuels' arm OFF,"
GAS understand it, 1t was this way" con-
'tinued Bill. 'The night in question there was
snow on the ground, and 1t was moonlight,
Now, you know full well that if you were
that any body inside Of a dark house would
have thousand times the advantage of you.
The attacking party on the occasion referred to
were placed in just such position. and they
wanted to light up the interior Of the house, 80
as to have an equal chance with those who
were supposed to be inside. They had fore
seen this, and were provided with some globes.
which they filled with something, don't know
what. 1t might have been Greek fire. for all
know; but at any rate 1t was combustibe, and
would make bright blaze. They hurled some
Of the globes through window, and they lighted
the house as though there was an electric lamp
there. Well, they found that the men they were
after had gone. They had been gone, apparent
ly. an hour. 1t was by a mere chance that they
missed them. The attacking party went into
the house, and several of the globes were living
on the floor partly burned out. They would. If
allowed to- burn out just like lamp after the
oil is exhausted. One of the men kicked a
couple Of the globes out of the door, and the
Old doctor kicked one Of them into the fire.
Then there was an explosion, as might have
been expected. And that was what killed that
child and wounded Mrs. Samuels. Ifyou throw
a lamp into the fire you must look for an explo-
sion, and those globes were nothing more than
lamps. They were not intended to blow up at
all.
"Did you ever see Mrs. Samuels?" was asked
of Pinkerton.
eyes. and that's the devil of it,"
sDevil of what?''
''Why, the blame she attaches to me for being
at her house on the night of the explosion. You
see. was going to Kansas City one time after
she lost her arm, and It happened that Mrs. Sam
uels got on the train bound tor the same place
1t was soon whispered around that she was
aboard, and went and got down alongside of
paper man, and asked her for her version Of the
explosion. She went on to give me a full his
tory Of it according to her alleged idea OF 1t, and
put the entire blame on me. If had been in
the party that night she certainly would have
recognized me on the train. But talked to her
all the way to Kansas City, and politely helped
her off the cars, as was in duty bound to do,
having represented myself az reporter
had but S3 in the world, and it cost every
cent Of it to treat the crowd, to square myself
for the compliment SO delicately paid my hon.
Orable profession. But if l ever 60 to Chicago /
will make that sS cost Bill Pnkerton cool
hundred for champagne in exchange for the
taffy will give him in the presence of his
friends. Is
"What do you imagine Frank James will do.
now that Jesse has been murdered?"
~ think he will never be heard of. / don't
believe ne will ever do anything. He doubtless
is going to stay under cover, was Pinkerton's
opinion.
There is one thing I can't understand" said
Colonel WeitZel land that is how Jesse James
could live right there in ST. Joe. a place of
80 cog inhabitants, SO long and nobody get on
to it."
Jesse James wore seven and ree-uuarters
hat, !" remarked Pinkerton. "He had big head
and was man of brains although not edu-
Gated. He reasoned this way: It were better
that he should stay right where nobody would
suspect him OF being. He wisely concluded
that that was the safest place on earth for
him."
"Why do you say that you think Jesse James
was killed in about the only way he could get
II" put to the great detective.
"FOr this reason: It was impossible to get
him any other way without q loss of some men
and great deal Of expense, and who would
UCoA LlC CApcuoC daU CHIC 10 lO66 Ills lie IN the
effort to rid the country OF one man?"
TIE express companies"
'You might suppose 20, but there you are
mistaken. 1t takes great deal Of money to
DO that sort OF work, and the express COM
panies are liable to quit after they have got in
Tor big bundle Of money, or at least to kick
about the expense and regret the loss Of life
necessarily entailed. Very good; there you are
left In the lnrch with your work only partly ae-
complished."
"Didn't your agency hunt down the Younger
gang and kin or settle all of the members, or
nearly alp"
Eyes, but how7 I always opposed that ex-
petition. We lost several men, and the old
man spent &c., 600 Of his own money on the
job after the express companies quit putting up
for expenses. l look at 1t this way: II the
express companies can stand It can. haven't
iost any express robbers, and I'm not going to
hunt for any on my own hook"
THERE IS BUT ONE GENUINE.