Huntsville gazette., 1882-10-14


prouder Of the nerve which has enabled me
to take this step in behalf of my better nature
than any courageous act of all my past life. 4
write this letter from ST. Louis, anu-l leave it
here to be mailed. An answer addressed in
care of my wife at Independence Mo-, swillF
pray that it Will not be the answer OF q
Nemesis. r,-...a -r,
Yours, contritely and hopefully, 4
re FRANK JAMES.
After writing the aboveIetter Frank James
went to Jackson County and remained in or.
near Independence until the receipt of tho
following:
GOVERNOR CRITTENDEN's REPLY. 4Ait'-
" ExECUTIvE DErARrsENT,
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, Oct. 8, lSS2. I
Frank James:
1881, has been received, in which you apply to
me for an amnesty pardon. Under the
Constltutlon OF TINS State l can not grant
of some crime. Whether you can be con-
victed of any violation of the law it is not
for to say That the courts of the
state will determine in the proper way when
you are before them. l think it wise in you
to abandon the life You are charged with
leading, and In surrendering to the legal ar---
thorities of the State or the county in which
you are located If innocent of those charges,
then you will have an opportunity to prove it
to the world. II guilty, the law dictates the
punishment. If You surrender, you, any
other man charged with crime, shall and will
have fair and impartial trial The
intelligence and character of the courts Of l
this state are ample guarantees OF such a
trial without any assurance from me- one,
not based upon nor governed by the prelu-f
dice or the sympathy of the people, but under
the judicial forms of Just and we'll established
laws. Determined as l am to see. the laws
enforced against all grades of crime, / am
none the less convinced of the Importance
to society OF having every man within
the grasp Of the law protected In
may have been, (, when he yields T
voluntarily and submissivey to that law, and v
f. nt,6
You may be innocent or you may be guilty of
all the various crimes charged TO you. That
the courts will determine, as before said. and
after the voice OF the court Is heard, tnen,
it becomes necessary, will decide what my
THOMAS T.soRrrrENDEN.z aA
When the train from the west rolled
nto the depot in this city at an early hour
this morning there aIighted from 1t two men
VINO, without mounting the depot platform,
climbed the hill and walked leisurely south
ward to the mccarthy House. Nobody was in
the Office when they arrived, but they regis
tered as John Edwards, Sedalia, and B. r.
Winfrey Marshall No. When the proprietor "a,
entered the office, just rs they had finished
registering and was introduced by Major Ed
wards to Dir. Winfrey, he considered it an IT
every day affair and assigned the two to
room. At O'Clock the two strolledt about
town, the Major meeting numerous acquain-
tances and introducing Winfrey. Re-
turning to the hotel they took dinner, and de- I
voted the afternoon to reading the morning
papers. About O'Clock they again emerged,
and walking over to the Capitol grounds
climbed the hill and entered the window lead
ing to the private Office of Gov. Crittenden.
The latter, having had a few hours notice Of
their coming, naturally felt juDilant over this
gratifying elimination of his long fight v
against the outlaw band and summoned u
of oia1a 10 wit IN
torical event. While they were commenting
upon the letter from Frank, to which the
Governor had called attention, Major Ed
wards and his companion walked i'll. Stop
ping in front of the Governor, Maj. Edwards
said
"Goyernor, this is Frank James. lie Is here
to give himself up" This brief introduction
brought face to face the Executive OF Missouri
and the noted outlaw whose name has been
q terror in this State and is familiar through
out our land, if not the whole world. twasa
scene without precedent in the annals OF
the state and toiall present was intensely in
terestinL and dramatic. To all appearances
Frank James was the coolest man in the
room While Maj. Edwards was Introducing
him his countenance was as quiet and calm
in it's expression as if the business I'm hand
were no concern of his. He advanced step
toward the Governor, and by dexterous
movement unDuckleu ~ DelI lrOiu uOuHu hiS
body and, holding it toward the Governor,
said:
"Governor, am Frank James. I surrender
my arms to you. l have removed the loads
from them they are not loaded. They have
not been out of my possession since 1864 NO
other man has ever had them since then. 4
now give them to you personally. deliver
myself to you and the law" Eul4.t- bLl
Governor Crittenden received the proffered
belt, pistol and cartridges, and with charac-
teristic courtesy requested Frank tobe seated,
saying that he was very glad to meet him,
particularly in this manner. ' @ii'N''
Frank James answered that he had come In
and surrendered himself because he desired
to do as he had done for years-that is, live
the life OF a law abiding citizen. lie hoped
to be able to prove that he was not SO bad as
he had been painted. Although he had been
living the life ofaquiet, orderly and law abld-
ing citizen for four years, he well knew that
everything criminal and bad that had been
committed of late years had been credited TO
him. fyrfIslg "8I UiAi HFi1 El4
To the Governor he said, withmore earnest M
ness in his tone than he had hitherto shown.
'If some one were to 'assassinate you, AZ
though might be able to prove myself on
tirely innocent, would not be able to con-
vince people that was guiltless of the crime.
They have been in the habit of attributfng all
manner OF crimes to me, and are ready TO be-
lieye anything they hear" 4.n Fana 4rH
Governor Crfttenden said: 81 have re-
ceived over half a bushel of letters from you,
or from those protesting to be you'll have
received them not only from three or four
different men on the same day, but from y
several different States"
''Yes," answered the outlaw. "this proves
that any crime, no matter Dy whom COM i
mitted, is likely TO be laid to me- have sur-
rendered because wish this to end, ana To
prove as / can. that for four years ! have
been law abiding citizen and that have
been painted blacker than ana. do it for
my wife and child's sake. am in yonr
hands, to do with me as you see best" -.f,
AS soon as the talk between the Governor
and Frank was over those present gathered
around him. Adiutant- General Waddell said l
to hun, 81 met you to- day at dinner, but had z
no idea who you were" No one would take
the quiet, calm man, with the wide, open
and frank looking eyes, for the outlaw who
had held sway over Missouri for 80 long. His
clear complexion indicated habits Of temper
ance and there was not an ounce OF superfiu-
ous flesh upon his frame. He showed him