The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-04-08
DEATH OF A DEsPERApo.
Jesse James ut Last Laid Low by a Bullet
in his brain.

known here rs Robert johnson. Ford
and his brother were living with james and
have been here for some time. ana shot him a
short time after he had come into thejlogse
from currying his horses In order to under.
stand the a1air better little preliminary his
tory is necessary;
There is little doubt that the killing was the
result of premeditated plan formed by
Robert and Charles Ford several months ago.
Charles had been an accomplish OF Jesse
James since the third of last November and
entirely possessed his confidence Robert
Ford, his brother, Joined Jesse near Mrs.
Samuel's (mother of the James boys house
last Friday week ago, and accompanied
Jesse and Charles 10 this city on sunday,
March o. Jesse, his wife and his children
removed from Kansas City, whore they had
lived several months, and until they feared
their Whereabouts would be suspected in n
wagon to this city, arriving here Nov. :, 1881,
accompanied by Charles Ford, and rented a
house on the corner of Lafayette and Twen.
ty-flrst streets, where they stayed two
months, when they secured No. 1918 Lafayette
street.
Charles and Robert Ford have been occu.
pying one of the rooms in the rear of the
dwelling and have secretly had an UNDER
standing to kill Jesse ever since last fail
short time ago before Robert had Joined
James, the latter proposed to rob the bank ut
Platte City. He said the Burgess murder
trial would commence there day, and his
plan was if they could get another compan.
ion, to take Il view of the situation of the
Platte City Bank, and while the arguments
were being heard in the murder case which
would naturally engage the attention of the
cltlZcns boldly execute one of his faVorite
raids. Charles Ford approved the plan, and
suggested his brother Robert as a companion
worthy of sharing the enterprise with them.
Jesse had met the boy at the latter's house
near Richmond three years ago, and con.
scented to see him The two men accordingly
went to where Robert was and arranged to
have him accompany them to Platte CITY.
AS stated, all three came to ST. Joseph week
ago Sunday. They remained at the house all
the week. Jesse thought it best that Robert
should not exhibit himself on the premises
lest the presence of three able bodied men
who were doing nothing should excite sus-
plcion They had fixed upon to night to go
to Platte City.
Ever since the BOYS had been with Jesse
they had watched for an opportunity to
shoot him, but he was always so heavily arm
cd and so alert that it was Impossible to draw
weapon without his seeing it. They declare
that they had no idea of taking him alive,
considering the undertaking suicidal The
opportunity they had long wished for came
this morning. Breakfast was over. Charley
currying the horses, preparatory to their
night ride. On returning to the room where
Robert Ford was, Jesse said: "It's an awfully
not day." He pulled off his coat and vest and
tossed them on the bed Then he said II
guess IN take off my pistols for fear some-
body will see them if walk in the yard" lie
unbuckled the belt in which he carried two
40. caiber revolvers, one Smith & Wesson,
and the other Colt, and laid them on the bed
with his coat and ,,inl
busting brush with the intention OF busting
some pictures which hung on the wall
TO do this, he got on a chair. His back was
now turned to the brothers, who silently
stepped between Jesse and his revolvers, and
at a motion from Charley both drew their
guns. Robert was the quickest of the two.
In one motion he had the long weapon to q
level with his eye, with the muzzle not less
than two nor more than four feet from the
back of the outlaws head. Even in that mo-
tion quick as thought, there was something
which did not escape the acute ears of the
hunted man. He made motion as if to turn
his head TO ascertain the cause of that sNs-
picious sound, but too late. A nervous
pressure on the trigger quick fash IA sharp
report, and the well directed ball crashed
through the outlaws skull.
There was not an outcry just a swaying Of
the body, and it fell heavily back upon the
earpeted floor. The shot had been fatal and
all the bullets in the chambers of Charles's
pistol, still directed at Jesse's head, could not
more effectuallY have decided the tate of the
greatest bandit and freebooter that ever fig.
ured in the pages of Il 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 a Cots
45-caliber improved pattern, silver mounted
and pearl handled pistol, presented by the
dead man to his slayer only few DAYS ago
Mrs. James was in the kitchen when tho
shooting was done, divided from the room in
which the bloody tragedy occurred by the
dining room. She heard the shot, and drop
ping her household duties. ran into the front
room. She saw her husband lying on his back
and his slayers each holding his revolver in
his hand, making for the fence in the rear of
the house. Robert had reached the inclosure,
and was in the act of scaling it when she
stepped to the door and called to him, Rob
ert, you have done this Come back" Robert
answered, 81 swear to God | didn't" They
then returned to where she stood Mrs. James
ran to the side of her husband and lifted up
his head. Life was not yet extinct, and when
she asked him II he was hurt it seemed to her
that he wanted to say so netting, but could
not She tried to wash away the blood that
was coursing over his face from the hole in
the forehead, but it seemed to her "that tho
blood would come faster than she could wash
1t away" And in her hands Jesse James
died.
Meanwhile Charles had gone back into tho
house and brought out two hats and the two
boys LETT the house. They went to the tele.
graph office and sent q message to Sheriff
Undertake, OF Clay County, to Gov. Critten.
den, and other officers, and then surrendered
themselves to Marshal Craig. When the
Ford boys appeared ut the police station they
were told that Marshal Craig and posse Of
officers had gone in the direction of James's
residence and they started out after them and
surrendered themselves. They accompanied
the officers to the hons rot, "A a.,