Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-04-06
Tragic End of a Career of Crime,

Tragic End of Career of Crime
If the particulars of the life of the late
robber and murderer Jesse James and his
accompice now going the rounds of the
press be true, and they are doubtless in the
main, the American youth, so many of
whom debach their intellects by reading
silly stories Of mythical outlaws, can in fu-
ture have chapter in the real life of an
actual wholesale murderer and desperate
to feed their imaginations upon and one
more fierce and thrilling than those recount
ing the exploits" of Claude Duval, Jack
Shepperd or Jonathan Wild
! James was shot by one Robert Ford, who,
with his brother Charles, had pretended to
enter into Il conspiracy with James to rob
the bank ut Platte City, but with the real
intention of killing their leaked at the first
favorable opportunity. That the bold and
bloodthirsty acts of this fierce highwayman,
who bad defed all authority so long, needed
speedy vengeance no one, of course, denies
but at the same time, no one, we believe,
Graves the possession of the conscience of
the assassin whose only recourse was to
treachery in order to rid the world of this
bloody COrmorant.
TO ST, Joseph week ago Sunday. They had
fixed upon Tuesday night to go to Platte
City. Ever since the Fords had been with
james they had watched for an opportunity
, to Shoot him. But he was always 50 heavily
armed that it was impossible to draw q wea-
pom without his seeing it, They declare
that they had no idea of taking him alive,
considering the undertaking suicidal
After having eaten breakfast Jesse James
and Charles Ford went to the sta Bile to curry
! the horses, and on returning to the room
where Robert Ford was, Jesse threw of his
belt and picked up dusting brush, with
the intention of busting some pictures which
hung on the wall. In order to do this he
got ON a chair, his back now being turned to
the brothers, who silently stepped between
Jesse and his rcvolvers. Robert was the
quickest, and with the muzzle of his pistol
not more than four feet from the hack of the
outlaws head drew the trigger. There was
Il quick flash, a sharp report, and the we'll
directed ball crashed through the outlaws
skull
Mrs. James was in The kitchen when the
shooting was done. She heard the shot and
ran into the front room. She saw the Ford
brothers, each holding revolver in his
hand, making for the fence in the rear of
the house Mrs. James ran to the side Of
her husband and lifted up his head Life
was not yet extinct and when she spoke to
him it seemed to her that he wanted to say
something, but could not. She tried to wash
away the blood that was coursing over his
face from the hole in his forehead, and in
her arms Jesse James died.
The Ford family went from Virginia fif-
teen years ago. For some time past both
brothers are believed to have been in the
detective service, and specially engaged in
hunting out members of the James gang
Their aunt, Mrs. Bolt, is supposed to be the
lady who recently had II secret interview
with Governor Crittenden at Jefferson City.
Jesse James is the elder of the two James
boys Frank, the younger, is understood to
be living in Texas under an assumed name.
He is married and has abandoned his old
ways Of life. They were the sons of a Bap-
tist clergyman of Kentucky, and were edu-
Gated at Georgetown College, Scott county.
XIV. When the war opened Jesse and Frank
endeavored to enlist in the Confederate
army, but were rejected as being too young
for the service They joined Quantrells
geurrillls and took part i'll the murderous
work of the gang. Jesse James has made
brag of the lumber of people he killed at
the sacking of the town of Lawrence. In
1865, with The Younger brothers and George
Sheppard, who had been with them in Guam
trell's band, the James boys went to the
races at Lexington Ky. On their way home
they visited Russelville, in that State, robbed
the bank of $4,000, and fled to Texas.
In December, 1869, they resumed criminal
operations and robbed the bank at Gallatin,
| Mo-, in connection with the Younger BROTH
ers and others of their old associates in guar
rilla warfare. Here they murdered several
persons and again went to Texas.
In May, 1870, the two brothers had fight
with some Texans at a dance-house; which
resulted in eralmurders.
In the spring of 1870 together with the
Younger brothers. they made a raid into
Iowa. entering the town of Corydon, where,
in broad daylight, they dashed up to the
bank ON their horses and carried off all the
funds available.
In the latter part of the same year (l870)
the two James brothers and the four
Younger brothers again attended the races
in Kentucky, and robbed bank at Colum-
bus. They gathered together all the money
l in sight at the bank and, after shooting the
cashier, who made an outcry, they mounted
their horses and rode away
On the 26th ofSeptember, 1872, they robbed
the treasurer of the Missouri State fair at
Kansas City of $4,000 while the fair was
in progress
i In the spriug of 1873 they raided bank
at St. Geneyieve, Mo-, and in the same year,
about Is miles east of Council Bluffs, they
took up a rail in a sharp curve An ex-
press train was thrown OFT the track The
engineer and fireman were killed and a
number of messengers badly wounded. The