The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-10-13
THE BOLD BANDIT.

THE BOLD BANDIT.
The Noted Train Robber and Bandit,
Frank James, After Leading an Out
laws Life for Twenty Years, Sur.
renders TO the Governor Of Missouri.
Frank James has finally submitted to in
eyitable fate, and is in the hands of the law
Early on the morning Of October 5th he ap-
pea-ed at jefferson City and surrendered to
Gov. Crittenden. To few this was expected,
but to the great mass Of people it was gen.
uine but agreeable surprise. Following is the
noted outlaws preliminary letter before Civ
ing himself up:
His Appeal to the Governor.
ST. Louis, Mo-, Oct. I.
Hon. T. T. Crfttenden, Governor:
YOUR ExCELLENCY-Time has demonstra-
the path of good citizenship, and however sue
cessful may be in gaining the confidence and
respect of those who associate with me daily
and hourly in every act, the work of heaping
infamy on the name which my children are to
bear, goes steadily on and on, as 1t began, 80
many years ago. The greater the crime which
startles the people of our Western States, the
greater the certainty that it will be attributed
to my act or instigation. However, strange as
it may seem that man of the reputation
bear should assume to possess either pride or
sensibility, 1 have the hardihood to lay claim
to some degree of both. For years the one de-
sire of my life is, and has been, to regain the
citizenship which lost in the dark days. when
in Western Missouri every mans hand was
against his neighbours, and to have an oppOrtu-
nifty to prove my submission to the most vigOr-
Gus test that am not unworthy OF 1t. 1t would
avail me nothing at this day to revert to the
circumstances attending my outlawry, which
/ and thousands Of others regarded as extenu-
ating. Those who were where they could OBJ
serve the events in the little page of history
them from
those who have no personal knowledge in the
premises, have been so stirred against me by
the reports of my evil doing that they would
naturally give no consideration to facts of that
character. The people at large reason logical
ly that where there is so much smoke there
must be some fire. That, although some of the
charges made against me may be unjust, all
are not without foundation, and that an eva
sion of the officers of the law is not the course
of an innocent man.
May bow to their logic and reply that the
man who is now making this appeal does not
do SO from the standpoint of a martyr. He
comes to you, their representative, to say that
though his suffering has been a hundred times
greater than they have any knowledge of: inn
measurably greater than the course which he
evaded would have attached to his acts, he rec
ognizes that he has no right to complain of his
lot. He comes as man who, conscious OF an
honest purpose, asks to be permitted to do
what an earnest, law-abiding citizen may, to
remove from Missouri the odium for which his
name is in part responsible. He comes as a
man mno, outiaW 'noueu nc nus Oeeh, loI
those innocent ones VINO can MN 1ather and
husband, and who possess love as strong and
devoted as was ever found in men whose lives
are plaineless pelore tne worid, ana one VINO
skeleton which has so long been its hideOus oC-
cupant. If it were not for the fear of respon-
sibility for that which did not do rather than
for that which l did, Gov. Crittenden, you
should never have had to put price upon my
head. But an excited and justly indignant
public is not discriminating, and when a man
is stripped OF the safeguard OF tnat presump-
ly surrounds him, as ! would be, he is put to
the dangerous necessity OF proving negative.
mat lear is sun win me, ana as write IL
prompts me 70 ABANDON my present purposes,
and having Tor nearly twenty years proved my
ability to evade All attelnpts 10 capture me, TO
take my little famlly ana go 10 some remote
section wnefe can nNe quiet me, Iree from
impulse; that prefer TO go Oack 10 my boy
hood home and face my disgrace in order to
live 1t down; that am Wiling 10 place myself
under surveillance TO when no man IN Mis-
urally be the case should return; that choose
this rough course when smoother ones offer.
humbly submit proof that am not SO bad
as have been painted ana that the elements
OF manhood have not been omitted from my
nature. Right terribly, Gov. Crlttenden, have
all the ofenses against society which nave been
venged. God knows enough blood has been
spilled, enough hearts broken. enough lives
bighted. God knows that If it is the purpose
of the law to prevent crime by making its pun
ishment awful to contemplate, that purpose
has been served in n large degree in the ten
years of terror and tragedy. Is its demand for
vengeance insatiableI Is "Justice tempered
with mercy mere poetlcal noth1ng! Must
the great State of Missouri indulge spirit of
revenge until 1t has secured its last ounce of
flesh or, laying all considerations of mercy |
aside, cannot your State u would to God could |
say my State } better afford now, that 1t has |
its laws as no State ever did before,
convert your very nOtor1ety into powerful |
instrument of good order? We will, purely |
as an unsentimental investment restore you |
to citizenship, and give you an opportunity to |
prove your contrit1on and further purpose.
We will call upon you to utilize your expert |
ence and knowledge of wrOng-dOing in the en- |
fOrcement of the laws which you have in the |
past been charged with violating. You have |
won the confidence of all who now condemn
you, we will point to 1t all as proof of our |
wisdom" Ii were certain that would not |
be made scapegoat, would never have trou-
bled you with this petition, but would have |
long ago faced your courts and met your
charges; but being once in the tolls would |
have had to accept all the chances, and where
none would have been interested in my inno-
cence OF whatever might be alleged, many
mig hit find it to their advantage to assist in
me. Put yourself in my place for
one moment and then Judge OF my course in
keeping out OF the laws clutches. There Is
one consideration, other tnan already men
toned, which has weighed heavier III favor OF
my taking my present step.
For five months l have been In constant
dread that some rash friend OF mine or Jesse's,
or some silly person seeking notorlety, might
carry out the tnreatS OF asstSslnatlOn Wn1cn
have hppn.