Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-04-13
DEATH OF A DESPERATE.
Jesse James at Last Laid Low by q Bullet
in his Brain. @

DEATH OF 4 DESPERADOo
Jesse James at Last Laid Low by q Bullet
in his Brain.
ST. JosRPH, Mo-, April 8.
Between 8 and 10 O'Clock this morning
Jesse James the notorious OUTLAW, was shot
and killed in his house at the corner of T1ir.s
teenth and Lafayette streets. by Robert Ford,
known here as Robert johnson. Ford
and his brother were living with James and
have been here for some time, and shot him q
short time after he had come into the house
from currying his horses. In order to under
stand the affair better a little preliminary his.
tory is necessary:
There is little doubt that the killing was the
result of q premeditated plan formed by
Robert and Charles Ford several months ago.
Charles had been an accomplice of Jesse
James since the third of last November and
entirely possessed his confidence Robert
Ford, his brother, joined Jesse near Mrs.
SamuePs (mother of the James boys) house
last Friday week ago, and accompanied
Jesse and Charles to this city on Sunday,
March 3d. Jesse, his wife and his children
removed from Kansas City. where they had
lived several months, and until they feared
their whereabouts would be suspected, in a
wagon to this city, arriving here Nov. g. 1881,
accompanied by Charles Ford, and rented
house on the corner of Lafayette and TWEEN
ty-frst streets, where they stayed two
months, when they secured No. 1918 Lafayette
street.
Charles ana Robert Ford have been occu-
plying one of the rooms in the rear of the
dwelling and have secretly had an under
standing to kill Jesse ever since last fall. A
short time ago, before Robert had joined
James, the latter proposed to rob the bank at
Platte City. He said the Burgess murder
ri 10 Iio
plan was. if they could get another compan-
ion, to take a 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
citizens, boldly execute one of his favorite
raids. Charles Ford approved the plan, and
suggested his brother Robert as 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-
sented 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 1t best that Robert
should not exhibit himseH on the premises
lest the presence of three able bodied men
who were doing nothing should excite sus-
picion. They had fixed upon o.night to go
to Platte City.
i Ever since ebovs had sbeenuwith Jesse
they had watched for an opportunity. to
shoot him, but he was always so heavily arm
ed and SO alertthat it was Impossible to draw
weapon without his seeingit. They declare
that they had no idea of taking-shi alive
considering the undertaking suicidal. The
opportunity they had long Wished for came
this morning. Breakfast was over. Charley
Ford and Jesse James had been in the stable
curryipg the horses, preparatory I'd their
night ride. Onreturning to the room where
Robert Ford was, Jesse said: cit 8 An awfully
hot day." He pulled off hiscoat and vest and
tossed them on the bed Then Ne said 81
guess Pll take off my pistols, for fear some
body will see them if I walk in theyard." He
unbuckled the belt in which he carried two
As cahber revolvers, one Smith Wesson,
and the other Colt, and laid them on the bed
with his coat and vest. He then picked up
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 a
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-
ton, 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 sus-
picious sound, but too late. nervous
pressure on the trigger, a quick fash, a sharp
report. and the well directed ball crashed
the outlaws skull. s.
There was not an cutlery. just swaying OF
the body, and it fell heavily back upon the
carpeted 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 fate of the
greatest bandit and freebooter that ever fig
ured in the pages of a 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
As 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 the
was done, divided from tho 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 inelosnre,
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
"I 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 If he was hurt it seemed to her
that he wanted to say. SO methipgs but, could
not. She tried to wash away the blood that1
was coursing over hi face from the hole fn
the forehead, but 1t seemed to her ''tf1at the
blood would come faster than she could wash
it away.'' And inl her hands Jesse. James
died. So - - -
Meanwhile Charles had gone back into the
house and brought out two hats, and the two
boys left the house. They went to the tele-s
graph Office and sent a message to Sheriff
of Clay County, to Gov. Critten-l
den, and other officers, and then surrendered
themselves to Marshal Craig. When the
Ford boys appeared at the police station they 4
were told that Marshal Craig and posse of
officers had gone in the direction of Jaines'S
residence and they started out after them and
themselves. They accompanied
the officers to the house and returned in GUS
tody of the spolfCe to the marshal's headqnar.
ters, where they were furnished with dinner
and about O'Clock were removed to the old
Circuit Court room, where the inquest was
held in the presence of an immense crowd
At 8 o'clock this afternoon special train
arrived from Cameron bearing Dick Little,
Sheriff Timberlake of Clay County, and q