The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-05-04
A FIRE EATING EDITOR.
The Killing Of Jesse James Washed
Down by Buckets o. Hot
Blood.

pears in the Daily Democrat, of this
city, has created considerable comment:
LET not Cesar's servile minions
Mock the lion thus laid low:
Twas no foeman's hand that slew him,
Twas his own that struck the blow.'
Net one among the hired towards,
hard on the hunt for blood-money,
dared face this wonderful outlaw, even
bering twenty, until be had dis
armed himself and turned his back to
his assassin. That first and only time
in his career, which has passed from
the realms OF an almost fabulous ro-
nance into that of history. We called
him outlaw, and he was, but fate made
him so. When the war came he was
just turned Of fifteen. The border was
all aflame with steel, and fire, and am
buscade, and slaughter. He flung him
self into a band who had a black flag
for n banner and devils for riders.
What he did he did, and it was lear
full but il was war. Ii was Missouri
against Kansas. IL was Jim Lane and
Jennison against Qusntrell and treason
and Todd. When the war closed Jesse
James had no home. Prescribed,
hunted, shot at, driven away from
among his people, price put upon his
head, what else could the man do with
such a nature except what he did do
He had to live. 1t was his country.
The graves of his kindred were there.
He refused to be banished from his
birthright. and when he was hunted he
turned savagely about and hunted his
hunters. Would to God he were alive
to-day to make righteous butchery of
a few more OF them. There never
was a more cowsrdly and unnecessary
murder committed in all American his
tory than this murder of Jesse James.
1t was done for money. 1t was done
that few men might get all the money.
He had been living in st. Joseph for
months. The Fords were with him.
BE was in the tolls, for they meant to
betray him. He was in the heart of a
large city. One word would have sum-
moned 500 men for his captureor exter-
mination. Not a single man of the
attacking party need to have been
hurt. II when his house had been sur
rounded he had refused to surrender,
he could have been killed on the inside
of it, and at long range. The chances
for him TO escape were rs one to ten
thousand, and not even that. But 1t
was never intended that he should be
1t was his blooh the bloody
wrstches were after; blood that brings
money in the official market of Missou-
ri; and this great commonwealth
leagued itself with a lot Of self-contessed
robbers, high Taymen and prostitutes
to have one of its citizens assassinated
before it was positively known that he
had ever committed q single crime wor-
thy of death. OF couse everything that
can be said about the dead man to jus
tify the manner of killing will be said
but who is saying it? Those with the
blood of Jesse James on their guilty
souls. Those who cOnspired to muir
der him. Those who wanted the re-
ward and would invent any lie or con-
coct any diabolical story to got it.
They have succeeded, but such a cry OF
horror and Indignation at the Internal
deed is even now laundering over them
and that if single one of the misera-
BILE assassins had either manhood, con-
science or courage, he would go as an
other Judas and hang himself. But SO
sure as God reigns there never was
dollar of blood money obtained yet
which did not bring with its perdition.
Sooner or later there comes a day OF
vengeance.
Some among the murderers are mere
beasts OF prey. These, of course, can
only suffer through cold, or hunger or
thirst; but whatever they dread most,
that thing will happen. Others, again,
among the murderer are s. nctimonious
devils who plead the honor of the state,
the value of law and order, the splsn-
did courage required to shoot an I'M
armed man in the back of the head,
and these will be stripped to their
skin of all their pretentions and made to
SILVER and freeze, splotched as they are
MI hal blood
the pitiless storm of public contempt
and condemnation. This, to the lead
ers. will be worse than death. Nor is
the end vet. If Jesse James had been
hunted down as any other criminal and
killed while trying TO escape or In resist
ing arrest, not a word would have
been said to the contrary. be had
sinned and he had suffered. In mis-
death the majesty of the law would
have been vindicated, but here the law
itself becomes a murderer. 1t leagues
with murderers. 1t hires murderers.
It aids and abets murderers. 1t Dor
rows money to pay and reward muir
derers. 1t promises immunity and pro-
lection to murderers. 1t is itself muir
derer, the most abject, the most ina
NOUS and the most cowaIdly ever
known in history; therefore, this so
called law is an outlaw, and these So
called exeeutioners OF the law are out
laws. Therefore let Jesse James com
rades, and he has few worth all tnt
Fords and Titles that can be packed
together between st. Louis and st. DO
| seph, do unto them as they did untt
him. Yes, the end is not yet, mol
| should it be. The man had no trial
What right had any officer OF this stat
| to put price upon his head ana hlre
band of cut-throats and high way meiI u
murder him for money. Anything cal
be told of men. The whole land /
filled with liars, robbers and assassins
Murder is easy. For 800 nothing l
safe that is pure or unsuspecting o
lust, but it is not to be supposed that {
law will become an ally and co-work
er in this sort OF civilization. jess
James has been murdered.
First-Because AN immense pric
had been set upon his head, and Their
is not a low-lived scOundrsl to-day
Missouri who wouldn't Kill his ow
father for money, and
Second-Because he was made tn
scape-goat of every train-robber, TOO
pad and highwayman between low
and Texas. Worse men thousan
times than the dead man have bee
hired TO do this thing. The very cha
acter of the instruments chosen show
the infamous nature OF the work n
quired. The hand that slew him hs
to be a traitors. Into all the warp an
o wool of the DEVILS work there wei
threads woven by the fingers OF hS
lot.
What spectaclel Missouri, wit
a splendid companies, regiments of mil
4 tia; Missouri, with III sheriffs, q
brave and as efficient on the average
). any men on earth; Missouri, with
d watchful and vigilant marshall in e
\ ery one of her principal towns al
= cities Missouri, with every screw 81
q cog, crank and lever and wheel of a
/ ministrstive machinery in perie
working order; Missouri, bossttng
= law, order, progress and develOpmef
had vet to surrender all these in {
|. face Of single man, hunted, lied-ul
ON prescribed and outlawed man
trapped and located in the midst
thirty-four thousand people, and al
with some five or six cut-throsts a.
nrostitutes, that the majesty Of the Ia
might be vindicated and the good naI
of the state saved from all further !
proach." "Sa~edr" Why, the who
state reeks to-day with double orl
that of lust and that of murd'
" hat the men failed to do the won