The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-04-15
lis house, called INN to the door, and shot

Ills AOuSC, C0AACN uiAh W hAS NoOA 'ss'>s
him.
In the spring of 1875 the gang perpetrated
another train robbery, this time on the Kansas
Pacific road at q small station near Kansas
City. The passengers were not troubled, but
money and gold dust to the amount OF S25,OOO
was taken from the express car. The trail OF
the robbers was followed 10 Indian Territory,
where they again eluded capture. Following
this came the robbery Of bank at huntington,
w. Va Then came another train robbery On
July Z 1875 the gang stopped tram ON the
Missouri Pacific road, IN rocky cut IN Pettis
county, Mo. Jesse James and Cole Younger
entered the express Car, aud compelled the
messenger to open the sale, which contained
$4,000. AS usual the robbers escaped capture.
The country was one that they were famil.
lar with, and which abounds IN hiding places
The valley of the Grand River is region
thickly covered with timber and underbrush,
and full of swamps and bayous, furnishing
the outlaws with safe retreat so long Us their
depredatons were carried on in this region
When they left 1t to go INTO an unfamiliar coun
try for their next great enterprise they met
with a reverse
They planned a raid ON bank in Mortified
MINI. On Sept Z, 1876 they rode up in their
usual style and took possession OF the bank
Jesse James killed Cashier Haywood IN cold
blood for refusing to open the vault. 1t hap
pened to be in the midst OF the prairie chicken
season, and every one who came to town was
armed with shotgun or rifle. The outlaws
had contderable difficulty in getting out OF
town, and for the first time they met with
something like an organized resistance. Clel
Miller and Bill Caldwell were left dead in the
street, and several others were hurt. They
were pursued into a swamp, where Stiles was
killed and Jesse James and all three OF the
| Youngers were wounded. Frank and Jesse
James made THEN escape into Dakota, but the
| Youngers were captured. Jesse was seriously
| hurt, but he managed to pull through, and
eventually tho brothers made their way back
to Missouri. The Youngers pleaded guilty
and are now serving lite sentences. They pro
TESS to have embraced religion
Nothing was heard of the James boys for
| long time after this affair and ii was reported
that they were dead. On Oct. 7, 1879 tram
was robbed on the Chicago & Alton road, q
miles east of Kansas City, by the James boys
and four others, and it is claimed that they got
, $35, 900 from the express car. George Shep-
pard, who had been one of Quantrells lieu
tenants, and who had been associated with the
James boys in some of their operations, bul
who had reformed was now engaged at large
salary to act as a detective. He joined the
gang, and informed the detectives of theil
plan to rob bank at Empire City, Jasper
county, Mo-, and of their place OF meeting
A descent was arranged, but the outlaws got
news of it and got away in time. Sheppard's
treachery was suspected, and he would have
been killed had he not been quick enough or
the trigger to shoot Jesse James, and then t
escape through the swiftness of his horse. lie
reported that he had killed James, but the lat
+, ter was only wounded.
| On July Is, 1881 a train on the Rock Is
land e. Pacific road was robbed by gang led
by Jesse James. Frank James is believed to
have retired from the gang and settled down
in Texas before the robbery, which is the last
criminal exploit with which Jesse James's
name was connected.