Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-05-04
DEAD JESSE.
His widow pisel0ses Some In
leresting Points Concerning
His Past Career


her arrival from Kansas City, and i
an hours interview with the dead ban
| dts wife gained the following fact
concerning their past career:
| The FIRST impression on meeting
Mrs. James is one of disappointment
and those who have alls=sd thei
imagination 10 picture her as woman
physically strong and dashing, witt
any of the charms of face and hgur'
that the wild pens of the novelistl
have ever interviewer with the lives
of f,eehOoters, should at once disabusC
| themselves of all such fancies, as she
is neither the one nor the other. In
fact, she is of medium size, utterly
wanting in the attractive contour and
round development looked for in hel
sex, her face carrying a weary, broken
look, as though all her life had beer
one of anxiety aud mental agony. She
is a blonde, with a thin face, light
gray eyes and complexion inclined to
salloE. Apparently she is every year
of forty, and each word and glance
tells a volume of strain and trial. Be
fore she has eonversed Eve minutes,
1t is evident that she has schooled
herself to restrain every expression of
emotion or reelection Of thoughts,
until she is an impenetrable mask to
what is passing within. In the room
with her, as the reporter entered, was
a plump, haxen haired little one, who
called Mrs. james mother" but who
could not be induced to speak in any
way to the caller. This was the
daughter and youngest child Of Mrs.
James, her other. boy Of six, being
left with his grandmother at Kansas
City.
Il don't know" was Mrs. James
answer to an inquiry as to when she
expected 10 return home. The repor.
ter then asked if she had been in st.
Louis recently, elieiting the reply:
Last spring"
Delicate interrogatOries then made
as to whether her husband was with
her, and the direction she was going,
met with no satisfactory response, al
though later she said she called on
friends in st. Louis. as they had
great many. Succeeding this, she
told in answer to numerous questions,
that for the greater part we're replied
to by affirmative and negative mono
syllables, the following:
All the reputed interviews with
me, that have been published since
my husbands death, have been false
with the exception Of one in the Globe
Democrat on April IL. | have never
had a word with any reporter Of any
ether paper. have been bored to
death by them coming TO see me, but
have never had any talk with them.
They would come. look at me, then
20 away and write anything. Last
winter Jesse went into Nebraska to
see about getting a farm where he
could go and settle Down. He never
would say anything TO me about what
he was going to do when be went out.
| did not 90 out much myself, my
children being my only company.
Jesse was born September 5, 1841, and
| had known him from child. A
great many who have claimed to have
known him, do not believe ever saw
him. We knew the Fords only few
months, and Jesse believed them
his true fflends. Five years ago we
we're on a farm in Tennessee, under
the name Of Howard, but couldn't
make it pay, as the rent was too high.
Jesse did not pass Though st. Louis
about two weeks before the Minnesota
affair as the papers said, and am
sure he didn't bay pistol here, as he
had his own pistols, and had them for
years. They are still in my possession.
He used TO call them his best friends.
be never had anything to do with
stealing horses, he wouldn't stoop to
such a thing. He always had a good
horse Of his own, as it was necessary. y
Here Mrs. James hesitated, and
the reporter asked wherein Jesse
found it necessary to have a good
beast.
He wanted a good one when he
went training" was her answer-this
being her peculiar term for his train
robbiDg exploits. and she continued
He was always fond Of bis children
and home, kind aud afectionate TO
all. His last horse was named Dick,
and Jesse was very careful Of him.
When in the house he was alwayl
playing with his boy, who is named
after him, and telling him that be
must be a little man. lie was quiet
aud mild in the house, and affectionate
70 me. He never drank or used 10.
taccO. There are no pictures Of ms
husband taken Of him when alive
except one 10 my possession, that was
saved from the officers by being hid.
den In the back Of an old ambrotype
None Of the pictures said to be hi,
look like him al all. He was about
six feettall. weighed about 100 pounds
was dark, with thin face and had dark
mustache aud whiskers cut quit,
short We used 10 read all the papers
We could get, but jesse always tool
the Globe Democrat, not as a regular
subscriber, but he always got il some.
whore. Sometimes when reading tn,
accounts Of himself / have heard hin
laugh. lie never seemed unhappy Of
worried, but was cheerful aud happy
He didn't leave me anything i
he had | wouldn't be down her,
to see about my book, which Mr.
Chambers is 70 publish, and which
will be my only source Of revenue.
wish to educate my children, and b,
receiving my share from the sale OF tn
books, hope to beable to do il. jess
always intended to have them well ed
ucAted. He never talked with IN
boy, that | know of, about what h
would like to be, as he wasn't oil
enough, but have heard him say Oh
! boy should have a good schooling"
| - MD l. Al