Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-04-20
directed at Jesse's head could not

I
bandit and freebooter that ever figured
in the pages of country's history.
The ball had entered the base of the
skull and made its way out through
the forehead, over the left eye. 1t had
been fired out of Colts IS improved
pattern, silver-mounted and pearl-han-
died pistol, presented by the dead man
to his slayer only a few days ago.
Mrs. James was in the kitchen when
the shooting was done, separated from
the room in which the bloody tragedy
occurred by the dining-rOOm. She
heard the shot, and dropping her
household duties ran into the front
room. She saw her husband lying
extended on his back. his slayers, each
holding his revolver in his hand, max
ing for the fence in the rear of the
house. Robert had reached the inclos-
ure, and was in the act of scaling it.
when she stepped to the door, and
calling to him: Robert, you have
done this, come back" Robert an
swered: al swear to God 1 didn't"
They then returned to where she stood.
Mrs. James ran to the side of her hus-
band and lifted up his head. Life
was not yet extinct, and when she
asked him if he was hurt, it seemed
to her that he wanted to say something,
but could not. She tried
TO WASH AWAY
the blood that was coursIng over his
face from the hole in his forehead. but
it seemed to her that the blood would
come faster than she could wipe it
away, and in her hands
JESSE JAMES DIED.
Charley Ford explained to Mrs.
James that ga pistol had accidentally
gone off" EYES," said Mrs. James, 81
guess it went off on purpose" Mean
while Charley had gone back into the
house and brought out two hats, and
the two boys left the house. They
went to the telegraph Office, sent a mes
sage to Sheriff Timberlake, of Clay
county; to Police Commissioner Craig,
of Kansas City; to Gov. Crittenden,
and other officers, and then surrendered
themselves to Marshal Craig.
When the Ford boys appeared at the
police station they were told by an
officer that Marshal Craig and posse
of officers had gone in the direction of
the James's residence, and they started
after them and surrendered themselves.
They accompanied the officers to the
house, and returned in custody of the
police to the marshars headquarters,
where they were furnished with din
ner and about 3 p. m. were removed to
the old circuit court room where the
inquest was held in the presence of a
large crowd. Mrs. James
ACCOMPANIED THE OFFICERS
to the house, having previously left her
two children, aged z and 3 years, a
boy and girl, at the house of Mrs.
TIrrel, who had known the Jameses
under the assumed name of Howard
ever since they had occupied the adj
joining house. She was greatly affect
ed by the tragedy, and the heartrend-
ing means and expressions of grief were
sOrrowful evidence of the love she bore
for the dead desperate.
The report of the killing Of the no
torious outlaw spread like wildfre
through the city, and as usual the 1e-
port assumed every variety of form
and color. Very few accredited the
news, however. and simply laughed at
the idea that Jesse James was really
the dead man.
| Nevertheless, the excitement ran
high, and when one confirming point
succeeded the other, crowds of hun
dreds gathered at the undertaking
establishment where lay the body. At
the city hall, at the court house, and
in fact on every street corner, the al
most incredible news constituted the
sole topic Of conversation, to the ex-
clusion of the barely less engrossing
topic of the coming election.
Coroner Heddins was notified, and
undertaken Sidenfaden instructed to
remove the body to his establishment.
This was about 10 o'clock. A large
crowd accompanied the coroner to the
undertaker's, but only the wife and
the reporters were admitted. The body
lay in a remote room Of the building.
1t had been taken out of the casket
and placed upon table. The features
APPEARED NATURAL,
but were dis6gured by the bloody hole
over the left eye. The body was neat
ly and clearly dressed; in fact, nothing
in the appearance of the remains in
dicated the desperate career of the man
or the many bloody scenes of which he
had been the hero. The large, cavern
Gus eyes were closed as in calm slum-
Der. Only the lower part of the face,
the square cheek bones, the stout,
prominent chin covered with a soft,
sandy beard and the thin, firmly closed
lips in measure betrayed the determ-
ined will and iron courage of the dead
man. A further inspection of the body
revealed two large bullet wounds on
the right side of the breast within
three inches of the nipple, a bullet
wound in the leg and the absence of
the tip of the middle finger of the left
hand.
ROBERT FORD.
Bob Ford left Kansas City ten days
ago for the purpose of capturing Jesse,
dead or alive, and sent word to Com
missioner Craig next day that he would