The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-04-13
JESSE JAMES KILLED.

A great sensation was created in this city
this morning by the announcement that Jesse
james, the notorious bandit and train-robber,
had been shot and killed here in st Joseph.
The news spread with great rapidity, but most
people received It with doubts until inyestigk
ton established the fact beyond question.
Then the excitement became more and moro
intense, and crowds Of people rushed to that
quarter of the city where the shooting took
place. anxious to view the body of the dead
outlaw and to learn the particulars.
In a small frame shanty in the southeast part
of the city, on the hill, not far from the Worlds
Hotel, Jesse James has lived with his wife since
some time in November last. Robert and
Charles Ford, two of his gang, have made their
headquarters at his house, and Charles, it is
said, has lived with him in that shanty ever
since November. Robert arrived about ten
days ago, and the three have been making
preparations for raiding expedition on which
they were to start tonight. James and the
two Fords being in the front room together
about nine this morning, the former took on
his belt and laid his pistols on the bed, prcpar-
ing to wash himself, when Robert Ford sprang
up behind him and sent a bullet through his
brain. The ball entered the back of his head
at the base of the right brain, coming out over
the eye. The Ford brothers at once made
known what they had done, and gave them
selves up. They are under guard at the court
house.
The body of Jesse James was conveyed to an
undertaker's, where it was prepared for bur1-
al, and where a photograph was taken. James
wife has telegraphcd to his mother the news
of h s death. A number of men have idend-
ii d the body, and there is no question about it
being Josse James. A Herdld reporter viewed
the body the undertaker's when it was be-
ing photographed. Jesse was q fine looking
man, apparently forty years old with broad
forehead, and his physiognOmy was that of an
i0fa as WILL n daring
man.
Jesse was in the habit of wearing two belts,
with brace of very fine revoivers and twen-
ty-five extra cartridges. In small stable
near by wore discovered several fine horses
the property of James. The Ford brothers
claim that they are detectives and that they
have been on James track for a long time. 1t
is believed they were with JamSs in the
"Blue Cut robbery, and that they we're int1u-
enced in killing him by the hope of getting
the big reward which has been offered for
James dead or alive, by the Governor and by
the express and railroad companies.
Charles Ford had been en- accomplice of
Jesse James since the Sd of last November,
and entirely possessed his confidence. Rob
ert his brother, Joined Jesse near Mrs Samu-
els house, last Friday a week ago, and accom-
panied Jessie and Charles to this city Sunday,
March %. Jesse, his wife and two children
removed from Kansas City, where they had
lived several months until they feared their
whereabouts would be suspected, in
wagon to this city, arriving here November 3,
1881, accompanied by Charles Ford, and rented
a house on the corner of Lafayette and Twen-
ty-first streets, where they stayed two months,
when they secured the house No. 1878 Lafay-
ette street.
Charles and Robert have been occupying one
of the rooms in the rear Of the dwelling and
have secretly had an understanding to xiii
Jesse ever since last fall. A short time ago,
before Robert had Joined James, the latter
proposed TO rob the bank Mt Platte City. He
said the Burgess murder trial would COM
monce there to-day, and his plan was If they
could get another companion to take view of
the situation of the Platte City Bank, and
while arguments were being heard in the muir
der case, which would engage the attention of
the citizens, boldly execute one of his favorite
raids. Charles Ford approved of the plan, and
suggested his brother Robert as a companion
worthy of sharinu the enterprise with them.
Ever since the boys had been with Jesse they
had watched for an opportunity to shoot him,
but he was always so heavily armed that 1t was
impossible to draw weapon without him sec
ing it. They declare they mad no flea of TAX
ing him alive, considering the undertaking
suicidal. The opportunity they had long
wished for came this morning. Breakfast was
over Charles Ford and Jesse James had been
in the stable curryfng their horses preparatory
to their Night ride. On returning to the room
where Robert was Jesse said Tf's an oNvf1,IIv
hot day" II pulled of his coat and vest and
tossed them on the bed. Then he said: g 1
frIIrss I'll tok7 off my pistols for fear some
unbuckied the belt in which he carried two
forty-f1ve cal ber revolvers, one Smith s.
WessOn, and the other Colt, and laid
them on the bed with his coat and vest He
then picked up dusting brush, with the in
tentiOn of dusting some pictures which hung
on the wall To do this he got on a chair. HIS
back was turned to the brothers, who silently
stepped between Jesse and his revolvers, and,
at motion from Charlie, both drew their guns
Robert was the quicker of the two. In one
moment he had long weapon to level with
his eye. with the nI2zIe no more than four
feet from the back of the outlaws head. Even
in that motion, quick as thought, there
something that did not escape the acute
ears of the hunted man. He made a
motion if to turn his head to ascer-
tain the cause of that suspicious sound,
but too late. nervous pressure on the trig-
ger, quick flash, sharp report, and we'll
directed bali crashed through the outlaws
skull There was no outcry, just a swaying of
the body, and it fell heavily back upon the
Garnet iThe shot had been fatal and ali the
bullets in the chamber of Charley's revolver,
still directed at Jesses head, could not more
effectually have decided the fate of the great
est bandit and freebooter that ever figured in
the p9ges of the country's history. The ball
had entered the base of the skull and made
it's way out through the forehead. over the left
eye. 1t had been fired out of Colts 45, i'm
proved pattern, silver mounted and pearl
handled. presented by the dead man to his
slayer only few days ago.
Mrs. James was in the kitchen when the
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
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: ." Robert, you
have done this, come back" Robert an
swered: Il swear to God did not" They
then returned to where she stood Mrs. James
ran TO the side of her husband and lifted
up his head Life was not extinct, and when
asked if he was hurt, it seemed to her that he
wanted to say something but could not. She
over his face from the hole in the forehead,
but it seemed to her " that the blood would
come faster than she could wash 1t away
and in her hands Jesse James died. Charles
Ford explained to Mrs. James that "A pistol
James, - guess It went off on purpose" and
meanwhile 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 and sent n message to the Sheriff of Tim
other officers, and then surrendered themselves
to Marshal Craig.
When the Ford boys appeared at the police
station thew were told by an officer that Mar
shal Craig and posse of officers had gone in
the direction of the James residence, and they
started after them and surrendered them
selves. They accom- panied the officers to the
house and returned in the custody of the police
TO the Marshal 5 headquarters, where they were
furnished with a dinner, and about three
O'Clock were removed to the old Circuit Court
room, where the inquest was begun, in the
presence of an immense crowd.
Nothing in the appearance of the remains i'm
dicated the despernie character Of the man or
the many bloody scenes in which he had been
an actor. Only the lower part of the face, the
square cheek bones. the stout prominent chin,
covered with soft, sandy beard. and thin,
firmly clnsed lips, in a measure betrayed the
determined will and iron courage of the dead
man.
a further inspection Of the body revealed
two large buIlet-holes on the right side of the
breast. within three inches of the nipple, a
bullet wound in the leg, and the absence of the
middle finger of the left hand. The inquest
viii be continued tomorrow.
"A Franklin street man awoke on
Saturday night TO hear some one on his
III c..lalcrE Z