The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-04-13
JESSE JAMES KILLED.

The Last or q Most Notorious OufIay--
Reward Onered for Hlm tDead Alive"
Jesse James, the notorious bandit and train
robber, was shot and killed at his home in st.
Joseph, NO., on the Sd of April, by one of the
Ford brothers, former companion. The news
of the killing spread rapidly throughout the
city and created the greatest excitement. Peo-
pie iocked by hundreds'to see the corpse.
The home of Jesse James was frame shanty
in the southern part of the city where he has
lived with his wife and Charles Ford since last
November. Robert Ford arrived at the shanty
only ten days ago. Upon the evening of the
day of the shooting, preparations having been
made, the trio were to start on q raiding expe-
dition. The following is the account given Of
the shooting:
tectiyes, and that they have been ON James
track for long time. 1t is believed they were
with James in the Blue Cut robbery, and that
they were influenced in killing him by the hope
of getting the big reward, which has been
offered for James, dead or alive, by the
Governor and by the express and railroad
companies. -
Ever since the boys had been with Jesse they
had watched for an opportunity to shoot him,
but he was always SO heavily armed that it was
impossible to draw q weapon without his seeing
it. They declare that they had no idea of TAX
ing him alive, considering the undertaking
suicidal.
On the morning of the shooting, on return
ing from the stable to the room where Robert
Ford was, Jesse said "Its an awfully hot
day." He pulled on his coat and vest and
tossed them on the bed. Then he said: 81
| guess I'll take of my pistols, for fear somebody
will see them If walk in the yard" He un-
buckled the belt in which he carried two forty
| five caliber revolvers, one q Smith 4 Wesson
and the other Colt, and laid them on the bed
with his coat and vest. He then picked up
| busting brush, with the intention OF dusting
some pictures which hung on the wall. To do
| this he got on q chair. His back was now
turned to the brothers, who silently stepped
| between Jesse and hisi reyolvers, and at q mo-
| ton from Charley both drew their pistols.
| Robert was the quickest Of the two. In one
motion he had the long weapon to level with
| his eye, with the muzzle no more than four
| feet from the back Of the outlaws head. Even
| in that motion, as quick as thought, there was
| something which did not escape the acute ear
| of the hunted man. He made motion as IL to
| turn his head to ascertain the cause of that
suspicious sound, but too late. nervous
pressure on the trigger, quick fash, sharp
report, and q well-directed ball crashed through
| the outlaws skull. There was no outcry, Just
q swaying Of the body and it fell heavily back
fatal, and all the bullets in the chambers Of
Charley's revolver, still directedat Jesses head,
could not more effectually have decided the fate
Of the greatest bandit and freebooter that ever
| ".
| The ball had entered the base of the skull and
made its way out through the forehead over
| the left eye. It had been fired out Of a Colt 8
forty-fve improved pattern, silver mounted
and pearl handled, presented by the dead man
to his slayer only few days ago.
Mrs. James was in the kitchen when the
shooting was done, divided from the room in
which the bloody tragedy occurred by the din
ing-room. She heard the shot, and, dropping
her household duties, ran into the front room.
She saw her husband lying on his back, and his
slayers, each holding his revolver in his Hand,
making for the fence in the rear Of the house.
Robert had reached the inclosure and was in
the act of scaling it when she stepped to the
door and called to him: 'Robert, you have
done this; come back!" Robert answered.: 81
swear to aod did not" They then Returned
to where she stood. Mrs. James ran to the side
of her husband and lifted up bis head. Life
was not yet extinct, and she asked him il
he was hurt. 1t seemed to her that he wanted
wash away the blood that was coursing ovel
his face from the hole in his forehead, but II
seemed to her "that the blood would CONT
faster than she could wash it away" and in hel
hands Jesse James died. Charles Ford e1
planned to Mrs. James that "a pistol had acci
dentally gone off," 'Yes," said Mrs. James
81 guess it went off on purpose"
Meanwhile Charley had gone back into III,
house and brought out two hats, and the two
boys left the house. They went to the telegraph
Clay County, to Governor Crittenden and othe
officers, and then surrendered themselves t,
Marshal Craig.
Mrs. James was greatly affected by tn
tragedy, and her heartrending moans ant
expressions of grief were sorrowful evidence
of the love she bore the dead desperado.
An inspection of the body revealed tw
large bullet holes on the right side of tn
breast within three inches Of the nipple,
: bullet wound in the leg, and the absence O
the middle finger Of the left hand.