Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1882-04-12

a = ? q a 80
y. !, Laid LOW. AK wS
Jesse ya,nss, he Ncforiews Beedtf, Kiiess
by a Boy ae ST.. Joseph The Fsatiess
Dcsperado Slain fu Moment o. Fatal
For0fr"incss.
Jesse, James, ths famous outlaw. before
whom the deeds Of Fra Diayolo, spicl Tnrpin
and Don Joaquin dTindle into inkigni6capce,
was killed at St Joseph, No., on the Sd .tast.
His slayer was n mere boy of 20 yssrs, a cer,sis
by smarriage The affaif created the most I'm
tense cxcisrnesS -'sts ed !. Joseph, snd
10000 people assembledaat thQxinguest. ~ Fhe
dead bandit was fully identified, and the body
was forynr1ed 10 Kansas 0ty bT Tort16r Of Cows
Criuenden. There bas been q standing reward
Of S50900 for Jesse IGaes, dead Or alive,
which was offered by the Governor Of Missouri
ia connection with the railroad authorities sew
erai months ago, which viii in all probability be
turned over to the youth who put an end TO his
EARTHLY Aristenee. Tho fsY:ching account OF
the Killing OF the notoriuus rUbsevs cent nrlk
fromst Joseph, will be read with interest:
There is little doubt that the killing was the
result Of a premeditsted plan formed BY Robert
and Charles Ford several months ago. Charles
had been an accomplice of Jesse James sncs,
the 81 OF last November, and entirely possessed
hs confidence. Robert, his brother, Joined
Jesse near Mrs. Sag:s.eis house. rsctherAos the
James boys, last Friday week ago. ana accom-
panied Jesse and Charles TO this city Sunday,
March %. Jesse, his wife, and two children
removed from Kansas City, where they had
lived several months, until they feared
their whereabouts would be suspected, in
n wagon 10 this city, arriving here Nov. !, 1881,
accompanied by Charles Ford, and rented
house on the corner OF Lafayette and Twenty
first streets, where they stayed two months,
4
Lafayette street. formerly the property OF
Councilman Aylesbury, paying Sls month for
1t, and giving the name OF Thomas Howard
The house is q one-story cottage, painted while,
with green shutters, and romantcally situated
on the brow of q lofty enlinence cast OF the
city, commanding fine view OF the principal
of Tue city, the river anu Iaiiroa,s, anu
adapted as by nature for the porilous and des-
perate calling of James. just east of the house
is deem cnlch. Ike rayine, and beyond broad
expsrse of open country, backed by bcit OF
timber. The house, except from the west aide,
can be seen for several miles. There Is large
yard attached to tire cottage aud stable where
jesse had been keeping two horses, which were
found there this morning.
Charles and Robert Fore nave peen occupy.
ing one of the rooms in the rear OF the dwell
ing, and have secretly had an understanding to
kill Jesse ever since last fall. A short time
ego, before Robert Joined James, the latter
proposed 10 rob the bank at Platte City. He
said the Burgess murder trial would commence
there to-day, and his plan was, II they could
get another companion, TO take view Of the
situation OF the Platte City Bunk, Tand.
while arguments were being heard In
the murder case, which would engage
the attention OF citizens, boldly execute
one Of his favorite raids. Charles Ford APP
proved of the plan, and suggested his trother
Robert as o companion worthy of sharing the
enterprise with them. Jesse had met the boy
| at the lattefs house, near Richmond, three
years ago, and consented to zoe him. The two
men accordingly went to where Robert was.
and arranged to have him accompany them to
Platte City. As stated, all three came to St
| Joe a week ago Sunday. They remained at the
| house oil the week. Jesse thought II e,t tlIat
Robert should not exhibit himself onAthe
premises, lest the presence Of three
able-bodied men who were doing nsth-
| ing should excite suspicion. They
| Ever since the boys had been with Jesse they
had watched for an opportunity to shoot him,
| hut he was always no heavily armed that il was
| impossible to draw weapon without HIM see
| ing it. They declare they had no idea OF TAX
ing hun alive, considering the undertaking sui
| for came this morning. Breakfast
was over. Charles Ford and Jesse
James had been in the stable cur
rying the horses preparatory to thti
night ride. On returning to the room where
| Robert Ford was, Jesse said: A's an awfully
| hot day." He pulled OF bis coat and vest and
tossed them on the bed. Then he said "I
guess I'll take off my pistols for fear somebody
will see them II | walk in the yard" He un-
buckled the belt, in which he clrrsed two forty
five-caiiber revolyers, ono smith a Wesson
and The ether Colt, and laid them ON the bed
With his coat and vest. lie then picked up q
dusting- brush with the intention OF busting
some PICTURES which hung on the wall. To do
this he got ON the cnair. Ills back was now
turned 10 The brothers, who silently stepped he-
tween jesse and his revolyers. and at motion
| from Charley both drew their guns. Robert
was the quickest Of the two. In one second he
had the Soug weapon TO o NTe with - eva
with tho ninzz!e NO u6lee TIL fouf Gz1rou
| the bak OF the outls ~ head. tycu8 thrt
| motion. though quick as thought there was
| something that did not escspe the acute ears OF
| the hunted man. lie made q motion as II to
| turn his head to ascertain the cause OF that
| s,ispiciouss sound but too late. A. mry.
| ous pressure On the traggere q gqu ok fash,
I a. sharp report and a well directed ball
| crashed through the outlaws skull There
was no outcry, just . swaylng OF the body. and
! ii fell heavily back upon the carpet. The shot
| had been fatal and all tho buieis in tie cham
| btr Of Cbarleysv revolyer,a stiil directed at
| Jesses head, could not more cfectually have
decided the fate OF The greatest bandit aud
| freebooter that ever 6gured IN the pages Of tho
| countrys history. The ball had entered the
bar O Of the skull, and made It's way out through
| the forehead. over tho LETT eye. IL had been
! fired out OF Colts As, improved pattern, silver
mounted and peail handled, presented by the
dead man 10 his slayer only q few asss sgo. 3
Mrs. Jumte wssin thekitchen whenthe shoot
iug was done, divided from the room in which
| the bloody tragedy occurred by the dining
I room. She heard the shot, aud, dropping her
| household duties, ran into the front room. She
| sew her husband lying on his back and hta
slayers each holding bis revolver in hand, max
| inc for the fence in the rear Of the touse.
Robert had reached the inclosure and
was in the act Of scaling it when she
| siepred 10 the door and Gale
TO him, Robert, you hese done stiiis come
Las." Robert answered, II swear TO God
did not" They then returned TO where she
stood. Mrs. James ran to tho 8 dc of her hus-
band and lifted mp his head. Life was not ex.
tinct, and when asked AZ he was burt, II seemed
TO her that he wanted 90 say fsomething bul
could not. She tired to wash away the blood
that was coursing over his face from the hole
! in his forehead. but it seemed to her that tho
! blood would como fsster .tbsn she could wass
ii away and ihshf halrfssJesse James died.
Mrs. james was greatly affected by the TRACE
DIV, and hcartrendrg moans and expressions OF
| grief were sorrowfdl evidence OF the love. she
bore the dcsperado.