The Evening critic., 1882-04-12
NOT KILLED, sAYsA MissouRIAN.

al have known them since 1851"
care they as bad men as they are reported
to be 2"
GAS to that cannot say. have no means of
knowing anything about the alleged murders
and robborles with which they are charged"
"what Is your candid opinion on that sub
iect ?"
"Well, the general impression In Missouri
seems to be that they are, to a certain extent,
guilty of many OF the outrages of which they
are charged"
"tf ia not impertinent, Colonel, may ask
you how long 1t has been since you saw the
James boys ?"
"well, 1t has been about three months since
saw Jesse. have not seen Frank for about
a year"
where was Jesse when you saw him last?"
'Colonel, what do you know about the al.
legged killing OF Jesse few days ago in st.
"Alleged is good way to put it; but,
really, do not know anything except what 1
have read in the papers,
"Do you believe that 1t was Jesse James
that was killed ?"
81 am satisfied that
Ii Was Not Jesse James That Was
Killed"
"Why do you thus think ?"
"Because II is not ike Jesse James to 90 to
st. Joe, city Of $4,000 Inhabitants and live.
That ls, do not believe he would go to any
town or city with view Of staying there him
self. Then you take all the published ac-
counts OF the killing, the evidence of his iden.
tincation, and 1t is decidedly a very weak
story. In the first place, this is the first time
that he was ever accused of horse stealing In
Missouri. He could not afford to steal horse,
because the horse would be sure to give him
him away; besides, when man loses horse
in Missouri he and his neighbors turn out and
they never stop until the thief is captured or
killed in the attempt and the horse got back.
Then take the circumstances of his
suppose that Jesse James, Who had
Learned to Donbt Every Human
Being or Earth
except his mother, brother and wife, would
disarm himself and put two well armed men,
although belonging to his gang, between him.
self and his arms, when he knew that there
was price of $4,000 on his head, dead or
alive. And besides that, he knew that mon
who had been with him-men VIII 1m he had
known for years, too,-were betraying him
every day. No, sir; that Is not Jesse James,
Then we are told by the Ford brothers that he
and his wife had separate sleeping apart.
ments. Why should they? Then they tell us
that one of them had been with Jesse but a
few weeks, and he disarmed himself and put
them between himself and his arms"
."Colonel, does the description given com.
pare favorably with Jesse?
'Only tolerably WE'LL"
"Are there any other reasons that lead you
to doubt that the murdered man was Jesse
James?'
ooh, yes. You see the authorities did
try, recognizes as competent, especially
us Missourians, who were not Interested par
ties either in the reward or in Jesse himself,
TO identify the body. You see that neither
Jesses father-in-law nor any of his wife's peo-
pie were summoned or requested to identify
the body; nor was his stepfather, DR.. SAM
uels, nor any one else that is known to be ac-
quainted with him"
but his wife says that 1t was Jesse.
"1f you have read the published accounts
you VIII perhaps recollect that
AT First She Denied that it Was
Jesse James.
Subsequently she said 1t was him. That she
should have played her part well is not
strange. Itell you no one has identified him
except those interested In the work. -
But his mother said 1t was jesse"
Mrs. Samuels, his mother, is very shrewd
woman; She is the very woman OF ali women
TO do that. But l call your attention to the
fact that when she was asked at the inquest / Z
that was her son Jesse, she replied:
would TO God il Were Not
So you see she evaded direct and positive
answer. tell you, sir, that the man murdered
In st. Joe and palmed or for Jesse james, is
fraud. 1t is not Jesse James. No doubt but
somebody was killed; who, have no idea. but
venture mat II VIII not be n month before
me country VIII be satisfied that 1t was not
Jesse James"
"what do you think of the means adopted
TO capture Jesse and Frank James 2?
IL Think il an Outrage.
and as detrimental 10 good order and law as
any or the alleged crimes OF the James boys;
Just as hurtful to the State. II the Governor
can put price on the head Of an alleged out
law and have him killed for money, at the
same time publishing TO the world that the
law officers of the State are powerless to exc.
cute the processes OF the courts, 1t is about
time FOR all good citizens to get out of the State
ana warn all honest people from going into IL.
Governor Crittenden had no more right to Of.
fer a reward for the body Of Jesse James, dead
or alive, than he had for yours. The Fords
ought TO be hung, and the Governor of the
State, II he is guilty as charged In the public
press, Is as guilty OF murder as the Fords."
Another MissOurian Who Thinks IL
was Jesse.
CRITIC reporter met Colonel James Me.
Henry, of Jefferson City, Mo-, at the Capitol
this morning and asked him what he knew
about the killing OF Jesse James.
HIS answer was, 81 OF my own knowledge
know nothing except what have read In the
papers"
was killed was Jesse James?'
81 am OF the opinion that II was"
"What seems to be the general impression
about the manner In which his killing was
"Governor crlttenden is not sustained. He
made mistake In not arming Ford with some
sort OF authority. itwould have been very
sheriff OF Jackson County. Then he would 10
certain extent have been iustinable In doing
what he did. As 4 is, lie was not"
~ see an interview in the Post this morning
credited TO Judge Henry. Was that intended
for youY
u presume lt was, nut there Is nothing iu
the interview that 1 said am wrongly
reported by the Post reporter"
what Governor Crittendeu SAYS.
reporter mot Governor Crittenden, Of
Missouri, at Willards last night and asked
him few leading questions about the killing
ol The notorious train rObDer, Jesse James,
IL soon became very evident TO the reporter
mat the Governor knew very little about the
aHalf. The reporter asked him II there was
any arrangement between himself and Ford I'm
the matter OF the capture of Jesse James.
Put that in writing and let me answer II
in writing. l Will not let you gentlemen
answer that question for me" said the Gov.
ernOr.
"was there any understanding or arrange.
ment ,liei between you and Ford In regard to the
The Governor oyaded direct answer to that
question, pleading hunger and desire to eat
after which he assured a lot OF anxious news.
paper friends that he would talk to them as
much as they wanted.
"When did you first meet Ford?"
ION tho night OF February % last he called
on me and proceeded to set forth his plans for
the capture OF Jesse James. "
a. Does me state put up the money to pay
The Governor said rather reluctantly: (" Ne,
my friends,
The Railroads Furnish the Money!"
Saying this the polite and alfable Governor,
WHO won his way Into the Governors Of1ice by
Kissing all the babies in Missouri that he
could get hold OF, passed into the dining.rOom
to refresh the inner man, after which he en-
iertalned some half-dozen newspaper men IN
important 10 Owners Of Life Insur.
anee POlicies.-Loans negotiated on Doll.
eles ana enoowments maturing within i've