Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-04-30
DAILY Observation-Disclosures.
1rssE JAMES AND MS DErESDE.s.

the vay. No worse man than Jess
James ever lived. He never attempted
to earn a single dollar in an honest man
ner in ali his life. His waole course
md &c reer were corrupting. Not coh-
tert with doing wrong him ielf. he IN
ys,oled others into his wicked schemes.
pus them ia the posts Of greatest dali-
ger, and then, Selling upoa the gre .'e'
part of the booty, left his dupes to cover
his tracks and protect themselves. he
never hesitated to murder an unpfepir-
ed, IN suspscting iniiyidu,l for money.
He kept the whole country in condi
ton Of unrest and excitement, and itn
poyerished it thousand dollars for ev-
erv one he stole. Like tiger. wolf
or a mad dog. the taking of OF such b
pest to society is blessing. no mit.er
what the m amer Of its doing.
With these preliminary remarks VI
give space To the communication follow
ing, written by an ex-citizeno of Missouri
who finds much less call for strong lan-
puaQe in spe.. king of James thisa Ii
does for its use in the c.ss OF Ford, who
slew the numbering robber:
WHITE RIVER z. o.. April q. 1852.
EprroB Posi-
With yoar kind permission take oc
oasion to invite your attention TO re
- IN al al .lnI.r fls
head of missouri society and laws.
winch appeared IN late issue Of your
spicy and intellectual journal.
In regard to the James-ford afiir.
which YOU seem To think "a agititiae
society to shameful extent IN synpa-
thy with the murdered oae.aw, l wish
in good faith 10 the author OF the arti-
c.s referred to aud in justice to the PEG
pie of State famous for her progress
in literature and enlightenment,
make few remarks psrtineiit To the
subject. an ready 70 ad nit yoir IN
nocsnce Of an intended mIsrepreoeat! :
ton. ~ it Is hardly possible for min
residing in the seclusion OF washington
Territory to form correct conception
Of public sentiment in q far oil State
like Missouri.
When you say missouri society pct
ted. tolerated and protected him, and
now mourns and aud aven.as III Il.
you err seri ,usly. There never was II
State more diiigent aud earnest In the
capture and punishment Of her GRIMM
ais than Missouri, and the price ofere
for Jesse James is unparalleled in tins
annals of Amsric IN criminals. II is
true he had friend, If his own type ana
char cter, bat they formed no eloment
in the sosiety of Missouri. The verdict
of the jury in ths Ford trial is a cla.s
reflection of the laws of an enlightened
people.
When Governor Crittenden offered a
reward for jesse James dead or alive,
he did n 1t wish to convey the impress
sion that he should he taken alive pro
vided the oiiiosrs found it impossible TO
kill him.
There Is 40 question but what Jesse
James deserved the extreme penalty OF
the law, and it is u fast less question l.
BILE, he would have received that punish
ment speedily, if he had been delivered
to the proper tribunal: but Missouri law
doss not cDunten ince assassination,
even OF her neanest criminal. TINS Is a
cletr demon stration Of the purity of her
inst tutioIis. 1t WAS the desire That Je,-
~ James be delivered alive II possible,
to the proper authorities, and re ;eivo
the benefits Of fair and impartial trial
~ Is allowed all mon whore law aud or
der reign. But the law has been robbed
and society outraged.
There nover was more cold-blooded
and cowardly murder III the history OF
crlme than the sho ptin9 of Jesse James,
and the law in such csses docs not in-
quirc into tho character of the dece ,sei
but the nature Of the provoc ition. Ford
freely confess es that he ''sh;sdowed''
him for months. with fixed parpDse g,
that his object W - money, aud 1t ~ II
clear ise when hs found James un,rm-
cd and At his mercy, and COW ,rdiy sho.
him from the back without attempting
tn arrest him, that he committed cold
blo0sied and premedittted murder o.
the most aggrtvating type, because it
WAS money that stimulated him to do
the deed.
The fact that Governor Crittenden
authorized extreme mo .sures il no resa-
on tn u such measures should be Gun
ployed when they could DO avoided.
II was Ford's duty ~ an Ofiicsr to at
he resisted he would have besn iusti Red
TIE rtwa d which he has won at the
price Of ms SOUL wOatd have been ho.,-
Orabiy his own. believe any pers N
who IS thoroughly informed respecting
the state 0f affairs there will agree with
me tn III no sectioa Of the West il tns
standard Of society higher, law and or.
der NOR n rem., and morality more
charao. eristic than In Missouri.
ia. p.
To show our correspondent and read
ers generally tho openly expressed son
timent IF thousands in Missouri on thi,
subject, We reproduce the following from
the Sedalia Democrat, headed "ven
geance.' "a Loud Call for Revenge OF
Jesse James's SIayers:"
Gle. not Cesar's servile miuions,
Mook the lion thus laid low:
Twas nO foem ms h t,li that slew him
Twas his owa that struck the blow"
Not ono among all the hired towards
hard on the hunt for blood mon ~
dared face this wonderful outlaw, ons
even against twenty. until he had dis
armed himself and turned his hack
tho asa ,ss,ns. the first aud tue only tim.
in csreer which hss passed from th,
realms OF an almost fabulous romance
into that Of history.
We called him outlaw, and he was
but fate made aim So. When the W il
camu he WAS just turned of fifteen. The
border WAS AL aiianc with steel, an.
fire. aud a,nbusc sde, and slaughter. hs
flung himself into u b,nd which had i
black dag for banner and dsvils 70,
riders. Whit hc did 10 did, and it wa.
fearful. But it was war. ID was Mis-
souri, against Kansas. IL was jim l. tne
aud Jennison against Qaantrell. ADDER.
con and Todd.
When the war closed
yKssE JAMES HAD NO Muaix.
Prescribed. hunted. sl,ot, driven AWAY
from his people. 4 p.ice put upon his
head--whst sise could the man ds,. With
each nature. except what he did do .
He hid Ia Iva. IL was his country. To
graves OF hts kiadred ware there. Hs
refussl 70 be bsaistcl sco.n his birth.
right and when he WAS hunted az tnrne<:
asysSely about and hunted his hunters.
Would TO God he we're alive today 10
make q rightsous butchery Of 4 ies
more of them.
There newer WAS A mora ~ ra rs}iv n "A