The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-08-25
A WATCH WORN BY JESSE JAMES.
HOW IT WAS TAKEN FROM ITS OwEBR-ITs
RESTORAL.

its former owner, Hon. John A. Burbank, of
Richmond, Ind, at Malvern Junction, Ark.
After the notorious robbers death the watch
was found among his effects and returned to
its owner. The story OF the robbery as told
by Governor Burbank is as follows: 'In the
spring OF 1874 / was going to Hot Springs,
Ark. At that time persons going to the
Springs left the railroad at Malvern juno
ton and travelled across the country by stage.
We reached Malvern in the morning and left
there early in the forenoon. There were ff-
teen or sixteen persons going over, one lady
and the rest gentlemen. Most of the passen-
gers, some ten or twelve, were placed in a
six horse stage coach. I and a gentleman
named Taylor, from Connecticut, and a sick
man whose name do not know, were in a
hack together, while the lady occupied a
third hack by herself. The distance to Hot
Springs was about twenty miles, The stage
coach led the way, our hack followed and
the lady came last. The road was rough
and we made rather slow progress, the vehi-
cles being several hundred yards apart Be
tween 3 and O'Clock in the afternoon, when
we were within about five miles of Hot
Springs, and just after crossing aIitsle stream
horseback rode up from the front and passed
US to the rear. They were all well mounted,
two or three had on long overcoats and per
haps one or two had shotguns, but there was
nothing suspicious or remarkable in thier ap-
pearance. 1 thought there might be shoot
ing of that kind in the neighborhood.
''In very short time the same men rode
back again past our hack to the front We
paid no attention to this. In few minutes
we heard great shouting, cursing, etc, aud
looking out saw that the coach had been
stopped a short distance ahead of US We
drove up as fast as we could, suppOsing that
a Sheriff's posse had stopped the coach to
make an arrest or something of that sort -
The coach was stopped while ascending a
little hill, and where the road was quite mar
row. When we got there we found the
coach surrounded by five men on horseback,
the same who had passed US, all heavily arm
ed with revoIvers Ieveled at the coach. One
had a Winchester rife and the other four
each had a seYen-shooter in his hand and two
in his belt, making twenty one shots in sight
to each man. When we got up they ordered
us all to get out and form in line. was at
the head OF the line. As it turned out, there
was but one weapon in our party and this
small pocket pistol. Another was in a hand
bag, but was unavailable. When we were
in line jesse James, the captain OF the gang,
said Hands up We put our hands up
Then one of the men dismounted, and while
the other four kept US covered with their re-
vOlvers he went through US. Coming to me
first he said IN take what you've got OBJ
serving my diamond pin, he went for it with
out any ceremony. While doing that he dis
covered my watch chain, very heavy one,
which 1 wore under my vest, and jerking it
out threw it out over my head and then pull
ed out the watch. He then went in my pan
falcons pocket and got my pOcketboOk, con-
tanning about $50. The diamond pin was
worth from $3.50 to $500, and the watch and
chain $500. All this time we were covered
by the Tevolvers and being unarmed had no
choice but to submit Our hands were still
up. ! had on a heavy seal ring, and the fel-
low said You'd better put your gloves on
or I'll take that ring 1 put my hands down
long enough to put my gloves on, and be
kindly overlooked the. ring. When he got
through with me he took the next in order,
and so on through the line. From my Con-
necticut friend he got an old-fashioned watch,
which was an heirloom in the family, and
$500 in money. He offered a big ransom for
the watch, but they refused to negotiate
From the rest they only got small amounts.
When they got through with US Jesse James
called out to the driver: Throw down that
mail bag The driver made no motion at
first, and James Ieveled his pistol at him and
said again: Throw down that mail bag
The driver obeyed The poach was cut
open, the contents poured ont on the ground
and the man who was on foot began to FUN
bic over the mail. He hrst tore open a large
official envelope, which had nothing but off
eiaI papers in it. Seeing there was no money,
Jesse James called from his horse, Put that
letter back and the man Obeyed without a
word. They found no money In the mail
and soon stopped opening the letters. They
then broke open the express trunk and
found two packages of greenbacks, amount
ing to about $500. All The time the sick man
and the lady remained in their seats. When
the man who went through us looked inside
the hack and reported a sick man, James
called out, 'We don't disturb sick men p
and when they came to the lady he said,
| we don't disturb ladies-sit still, madame.
/ While this was going on ore OF the mounted
men rode round the coach once or twice and
| examined one of the wheeI-horses very close
/ ly 1t was a fine sorreI horse. After eyeing
! the horse very closely all over, b called out
/ to the driver, who was still holding the lines,
/ Get down and unharness that Off horse. =
/ The driver was slow about moving, and the
/ fellow leveled his pistol at him and said 4
/ say, get down and unharnesS that OFF horse.
/ The driver did as he was ordered. When the
/ horse was uuharn essed the robber dismOunt-
ed and, placing his own saddle and bride on
the stage-horse, rode him up the road few
| hundred yards and back at a rapid gait
/ Coming back to the coach he said You can
! hitch up that other horse and the driver
/ proceeded to do so. That was an Arkansas
! horse trade 1 forgot to say that the man
! who went through us took a fancy 70 my fur
overcoat, and told me to haul it of, but
} Jesse James heard him and said No you
/ don't, that would lead to our detection sure.
/ All this occupied about half an hour. When
! the robbers got through they told us we
! could 60, and they rode OF together. We
/ afterwards heard of them in the direction OF
/ Texas. They looked like sturdy young far
! mers and were not masked besides wearing
/ slouched hats well pulled down, and Jesse
! James had wooden comforter around his
! face. During the entire performance they
affected a kind of politeness with all their
! rOupbness. and tried to create the impression
/ that they were gentlemanly highwaymen.- -
/ After they left we gathered up the mail and
| scattered baggage and continued on TO Hot
= Ha fnfl