New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-08
SOCIETY AND The JAMES BOYS.

SOCIETY And The JAMES BOYS.
The acquittal of Frank james could not have
caused surprise any where. The announcement
that the Jury was composed entirely OF Demo-
Gratis was probably enough 10 determine IN adj
vapcs the verdict that would be passed upon
man who began his career of robbery AID mur-
der as hoy in Quantrells band OF rebel gucril-
las. The Democrat IN that section of Missouri
at least, was usually rebel, and the State
became in some sense II middle ground, where
there was a good deal Of bushwhacking on
both sides. and comparatively little organized
warfare. 1t WAS no cause for surprise, either,
that there seems to have been much sympathy
with James. The same social conditions which
aided to make an acquittal possible would
secure him an ovation. There is no doubt that
to many of the people of that quarter OF West
err Missouri the trial has been what the FASHION
writers hcrcabouts call "an interesting episode
i'm society," The courthouse Mt Galatin WAS
found carly III the trial TO be too small to nc
commOdatc the spectators, and the entertain
ment was adjourned TO the opera house, where
il could be witnessed 10y larger number. Many
PERSONS came in from the surrounding country,
and the town had oil the excitement, II not all
the pleasures, OF a county fair wlEdlng mp with
joyful demonstration ut the verdict. MIR.
James seems to have borne his hOnors modestly.
lie told the reporters that the people were in
| sympathy with him, and magLanimously re-
marked that lie had long since forgotten all
war feeling" and asked only to be allowed to
lead a peaceful life.' 1he news that Mr.
| James is now thoroughly reconstructed GER
| tainly marks an important step in National re-
| Cancellation.
The careers Of the James brothers show Il
| strange condition of society in Western Mis-
souri,. Their father was Baptist clergyman and
college trustee, and IN described as an eloquent
preachers their step-fathcr was n physician,
said to have been "a respectable citizen"
| Their mother has lived, during all the years they
| have been making business of robbery and
murder on comfortable farm not many miles
from Kansas City, which they have frequently
| visited and where attempts have been made to
| capture them. The mother is "a woman of
coarse strength from whom her sons seem to
have derived something OF their tendencies
| Her pride IN her SONS has always been great
and when they have achieved some bold and
daring crime she has been in the habit of going
to Kansas City to seek a newspaper "inter-
view,n in (which she would refer proudly to I" my
boys" 1t is another picturesque circumstance
that one of tho newspapers i'll that city became
| popularity known as the organ Of the James
boys and the editor being mysteriOusy sum-
moned 70 the street one night was presented by
the brothers with costly gold watch and chain
| for his fair treatment of them, after which
| they dashed away OH their horses. Both of the
brothers were able to marry intelligent, attract
i've women. Jesse Jamess cousin left position
as teacher in the Kansas City public schools
to marry him less than ten years ago, and Frank
James.w marned since then to the daughter Of
a citizen of Jackson, eight miles from Kansas
City, WIN is described n beautiful and intell-
gent but sentipentai girl, who was carried away
| by her romantic temperament. The brothers
are said to have made kind and allectionate hus-
| bands, and tl.eir wives have shared their dan
gers. The congratulations that were gwen to
Frank on his acquit;al were not half so gro
tesque rs the demonstrations at the funeral of
Jesse, little more than a year ago. Sympa-
thelic women listened to the mothers eulogy
upon her dead son. who, she said, was "better
" of in Heaven to-day than he would be here
|" with u.s." A Clergyman volunteered his services
and preached Il sermon which the telegraph
said was |" full of comfort for the mourners, -
and all present joined in piousy singing
"What friend we have in Jesus"
In fact, the james brothers seem to have
secured something of the same hold upon the
affections OF certain classes that the Dick Tur-
pins and Claude Duvals had, according to ira
ditiOn, in the old days when business was lively
on Hounslow Heath. Yet they do not appear
to have shown any of those generous qualities
which are said to have made the highwaymen
of the old school the idols of the poDulace.
They seem to have been cold blooded and selfish,
loving murder for its own sake. The stories
that are told of their achievements in taking
life are almost Incredible, and sound like the
claims of ardent admirers rather than records
of fact One of these stories, if true, displays
their downright lust of blood-shedding. When
they were mere hoys OF nineteeI and twenty.
three, in 1864, they helped another desperate