Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-04-20
CAMPAIGN, 1882.
hi END-.THE MEANS,

~ ~ ASORAS VI" A<AA ~
THE END--THE MEANS.
Jesse James Shot Instead of Hanged.
Missouri's chief leper, called by
some tour bandit chief" and by still
others murderer" and by his mother
my sainted son. and by Others
Jesse James, Esq, is dead-or, we
should prefix his name With "Hon.'
or "Col." We have not the time
it would take longer than some think
it would-or space to mention the
many murders committed IN cold and
hot blood, the banks robbed in day
light and blood, the horses stolen
singiy and in droves, and the trains
robbed and telescoped by this man
and his gang. When you can't say
anything good of a dead man, keep
silent. With the assistance of the
Republican press, he has done this
great state of Missouri more harm
abroad, and driven away more i'm
migration, than all other causes COM
bined. Shall the Democratic press
of Missouri then turn its column rules
at his death? Shall the people of
Missouri wear Grape On their hats,
and close their business houses out of
respect to his death? Judging from
the tone of the eastern papers q
greater lamentation is going up in
this State over the assassination of
Jesse James than over the assassina-
ton of the late President of the
United States. We want the outside
world to know that the Democratic
press of Missouri does not regret but
rejoices at all things, except that a
gun was used instead of a hangman's
moose. and a five hundred dollar cas-
ket instead of a pine box.
Neither life or property were SAFE
while James was alive. He dice
almost in the act of robbery anG
murder. The very next day he wa
to have robbed a bank, and, as Gus
tomary, murder the officials. Coul(
you expect the state of Missouri II
have a.good reputation abroad
Could you expect immigration Hltf
such a gang of robbers and murderer
ruling our state? The leada IS dead.
and the gang is broken up. Can yor
expect to stand any better abroad il
you weep and wall over such a Crane
and glorious result? We say, No
AWAY with such sentimentalism anG
gush! Eren the ten-cent glamour Of
the bandit chief vanished like a snow
ball before a prairie fire when it wa:
found that sthorse-thief'' was addet
to other crimes. Hang the banner:
on the outer wall Jesse James 4
: dead. HIS gang is erterminated
Life and property are now and e0eI
srM be safe in Missouri!
Although the news of Mr.. Jesse
James death was received every
where by every law-abiding either
with great rejoicing, there was hardly
a man, woman and child but what ex.
claimed, "a cowardly act! Bob Fore
should be hung on sight" 1t is truly
loathsome to hear of a mans partner
in crime, and friend in all things
good and bad, betraying and murder
ing him in such a sneaking, cowardly
manner as Bob Ford did Jesse James.
Let the work 60 on. Let confidence
of thief in thief be betrayed, and
the gang exterminate itself. At all
hazards the State must get rid Of the
whole crew. We do not want to be
understood to uphold Bob Ford or
any other nan who shoots another
from behind. Governor Crittenden
knew that the State must be freed
from this growing curse, and offered
a reward for the apprehension and
conviction Of Jesse James. He did
not know where James was, but told
Ford that he would pay him or any
one else the reward offered. Every
man that knows anything about Jesse
James knows that he could not have
been taken alive. If Bob Ford had
tried to take him alive, he would have
been shot down, and James would
have escaped, For years detectives,
sheriffs, constables and posses have
tried to catch James and have always
failed. There was only one way, as
he SAID himself, to get him, and that
was to shoot him. Bob Ford shot
him for the reward-it is his. Let
him have it. Jesse James, perhaps,
could have been killed in no other
way before he would have killed a
half dozen of his pursuers, and then,
perhaps, have escaped. If any mar
had to shoot Jesse James in this way,
we know Of no man that the job could
have been more appropriately done
by than one of his own gang. 1t is
all in the family.
The people and press Of Missouri
should, with n voice, proclaim theil
joy at the radiance of James and his
crew, and let the near future clean uI
the rest Of the gang.
Showed In.
The train on the Jefferson City
h,c.ah l -skb couofnro and 1on