Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-04-01
LANDS CONFESSION.
john Land, One of the Glendale Train
Robbers, Turns States Evidence
and Makes a
Clean Breast of the Whole Affair, In
culpating the James Boys and a
Number of Others.

KANSAS CITY, March 31.-The confession
Of John Land, the train robber, was given to
the press to day. 1t is the same antici-
pated in a previous dispatch, and iuculpates
the james boys, Miller, Little, Bigler, Cum
ming, Matt Armstrong and Greed Chapman.
There Is some dispute between the county
othcIsls and Police Commissioner Craigin, of
this city, the latter desiring 10 honor the
parole given TO Little, while the former
declarsaSthz st inasmuch- as he has contradict
ed some OF his statements, and may be play
ing false with the authorities, he should be
arrested.
LANDS CONFESSION
is as follows: At 8 o'clock in the morning
two men came to me; they were John Bugler
and Creed Chapman, and they said to me:
John, what do you want to work SO hard for?
we doa't work, but get lots of money easy"
Bugler said: How would you like to help
us rob train?" l said: Il am making $40
per month, and don't believe 1 will make
more money robbing trains than digging
wells." Bugier said, "if you will go we viii in
sure you more money" l said, aBoys, who's
going in with you." Bugler said,
JESSE AND FRANK JAMIs.
Dick Little, james Cummings, Ed. Miller,
Henry Bugler, John Mott, Chas. Deerduff,
Armstrong, and Creed and myself L said
all right; 1 will go in with you, quit work
at once, and all three of us started up the
railroad toward Glendale. After walking
short distance they left and turned off
across the country, while l went on to Glen
dale. think it was about 9 o'clock when
reached the platform of the station. 1 went
inside and John Mott was there. We had a
short conversation about drill which /
wanted to use, and then stepped out of the
depot on to the platform, and 1 saw a man
riding down the road toward the depot on a
large bay horse. He hitched his horse,
came up to us, shook hands with Mott, and
turning to me, said: "Mr. Land, will intro
duce you to
JESSE JAMES"
Shaking hands, he and Matt walked away to
the other end of the platform and held a
short conversation. Jesse then came up to
me and said, "Mr. Land, / understand you
night" | said, "Yes, SIR" jesse said,
"Have you any arms?" / answered, Eyes,
breech-loading rife" He said, "Be sure
and bring it with you; meet us at the cut
back of Jack Coles farm as soon after 8
o'clock as convenient.
'ooME ALONE.
"When you get within 200 or 300 yards of the
spot, signal us by whistling twice; the an
swer will be once" / then turned and went
back home. My folks, except my brother,
who was not at home at the time, retired
soon after sundown. We had no timepiece.
| think my brother got home about o'clock.
| then went to bed with him, he on the back
and | on the front side. AS near as / can
judge it was little after o'clock when got
up, took down my rifle, and slipping out in
my sock feet got away without arousing any
of the family. Upon arriving at the cut
GAVE THE SIGNAL
agreed upon. 1t was answered. and /
stepped forward and was met by Jesse lanes.
All the old gang was there-six of them
and Armstrong and Deerduff, who i knew
before, and who had Joined the regular gang
a short time before; but / was the only one
of the neighborhood boys who had got there.
Shortly after Greed Chapman and John
Bugler gave the signal and came. Following
them came John Watts alone. Pretty soon
the train was heard coming, and Jesse said:
"Boys, we who are older hands at the busi-
ness will stop the train and go through the
cars and get what there is there. You
fellows run along outside and fire fifteen or
twenty shots apiece to
SCARE THE PASSENGERS"
Jesse stood upon a pile of rocks on the track
and swung a lantern and the train came to a
stop within a few feet OF the obstruction.
Chapman, John Bugler and myself stood on
the south side of the track, while John Watts
and two others were on the other side. The
first thing they did was to break into the ex-
press car. We all had on white masks, and
as i began at once to fire the excitement
raised. l did not notice who it was that went
into the cars. Before we had been long at
work saw a man come from the train with
a lantern and start to run east. John Bugler
called out:
"LooK THERE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN%
Greed Chapman at once fired at him, fol-
lowed BY Bugler, and 1 took the third shot.
Just then some one called out from the train,
Don't shoot him, he is going to flag the
freight" After the men in the cars got
through they came to the head of the engine
and were Joined by those on the north side,
and then all of them came over and Joined
Us on the south side. We all started off to-
gether, went through the wire fence, and
went due south for some distance, when we
were halted by
JESSE JAMES,
who said: "Boys, it is death to any man who
gives this away. Go to your homes as if
nothing had happened, and meet me on the
east fork of the Blue next Wednesday night
Zone week from that night and we will
divide equal" We then separated, and
went home and to bed without disturbing
the family. l went to work next day, taking
my gun with me, and that is what gave me
away, for some one saw me and told the
officers of it, and when they came to where
was at work they found it and took me in
and put me in Jail here (Independenca). We
had all agreed not to give the thing away,
but the thing got too hot for me, and 30 | now
tell the whole story lust as il was