Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-09-12
Jesse JANES, GANG
Confession of One OF His Confederafcs
A Long Career OF Crime-Trains
Captured, Stages Plundcred and
Banks Robbed
Cor. New York Herald.

Sc LOUIS. Mo-, Sept. g. 1888.
The recent trial of Frank James at Gailatin,
Mo-. attracted the attention of the entire
nation. if not of the world and its features
have been the subject of comment in all the
principal papers of the country. The history
OF the Winston crime as told with such unre-
serve by Dick Liddell upon the witness
stand had thrilling interest seldom attached
to anything outside of q well-drawn romance.
and SO generally was it read that very few per-
sons can be found vino are not acquainted with
its most trivial details. Yet this story was only
one short chapter in the tragic history which
this man Liddell has put upon paper. some of
the Characters describing scenes even more re-
marha0e than those OF Winston.
MODERN BRIGANDAGE.
Liddelrs tale Of dark deeds was told shortly
after he surrendered to the officers of the law
and has been up to the present time kept
profound secret. only so much Of it being given
to the public as related to the two cases which
have been tried. For the first time the complete
confession of Liddell, the man whose BETRAYAL
wrecked the notorious band. was printed this
morning 1t would fill seven columns of the
Herald and read like a romance
lie says that his real name is James Andrew
Llideil. and that he first met Jesse and Frank
James in 1872 or 1878. at one Bob Hudspeth's
where ne was employed After recitinp great
deal of genealogical history of no interest what
ever. Liddeil drops into facts and relates some
OF the scenes attending the robberies perpetra-
ted by the James gang "Dick" did not jOin the
gang until after the robbery of the bank at
Nortnneid- The James boys seem to have Sc
lected him as good man. so, after they got ac-
quanted with him at Hudspeth's. Jesse made
proposition to him TO join him in robbing the
Chicago and Alton train at Glendale. He thus
tells how it done.
THE GLENDALE TRAIN ROBBERY.
''We were all to meet at the schOol-hOuse
several miles from Glendale. did not know at
that time who Basllam was, and we did not
know his real pane until after he was arrested.
They called him Arkansas. The next evening
about shutdown, Miller and l started for the
school-house and Arkansas was to follow. The
schOol-hOuse Is about one mile from Basham's
house. We met at the schOOl-hOuse and all
went to Glendale together. We arrived there
between six and seven o'clock, on October 8,
1879, and hitched our horses about thirty yards
due south of the station. Basham. RYAN and
myself captur ed Joe Motifs store and fifteen OF
twenty men who We're In it, and Jesse James
Ed Miller and Wood Hite captured the depot
Jesse. who was the leader, then sent word to
US to bring our prisoners over to the depot
and guard them. l think Jesse tore the tele-
graph apparatus to pieces. Basham thought
that it was sewing machine and wanted
him to stop, as destroying it would do
no good. A little east of the depot obstruc-
lions We're piled upon the track to stop the
train In case tagging failed. When the
east-bOund train came in sight we made
the operator signal the train to stop. The
train stopped Our plan was this: / was
TO capture the engineer and fireman. Bill Ryan
was to uncouple the express car from the train
so that we could. after backing the train. run
The engine forward again, and leave the passen-
ger Coaches to themselves. Bashan and Hite
We're 10 Keep the passengers on the train while
Jesse James and Ed Miller robbed the express
car The cars had a patent coupling. SO that
Ryan could not unfasten them. so ne heiped
Batham, and Hite TO keep the passengers ill., We
carried out our respective parts with the above
exception Fifteen or twenty shots were fired
In all. most of them in the air and a few of them
Ut man with q lantern near the rear part Ofthe
train. Jesse said he fired three times at this
man Ed. Miller got sled9e hammer out of
The engine and struck the door of the express
Car severa! times before the express messenger
would open it. They went in and think the
messenger tried to get out and Jesse struck
him with the pistol After the car was
Robbed we We're all standing on the de
pot platform together when some one
fired shot from the train which went
through the drawers and pantaloons of Wood
Hite, between the ankle and knee of the right
leg. Jesse remarked. they are firing upon US
and We had better leave. We then went to our
horses. carrying the plunder in a common meal
sack We mounted and rode about or miles
south to a little Old log cabin which was unin-
hablted. where We disInOuIted. Ed Miller car
Fed the plunder Here We divided the plumber
equally. each getting S1,G25. There were a
good many bonds, etc., and these were all de-
strOyed. We left there all together and re-
traced our steps several miles, when we began
to break up. The gang then went to various
places in Kansas. Missouri and Kentucky finally
rendeZyousing at Nashville where they were
received and housed as friends Frank was
engaged at the time in hauling sawlogs. We
all went up TO Nashville very frequently. and
made no attempt at cOncealment, apprehend-
Ing no special danger"
STAGE ROBBERIES.
Then the gang did good deal Of hiding In
the woods until they were ready for another
effort. Here the confession relates how stages
were robbed:
1--WE LEFT the same night. taking Bill Ryan
with Us. starting out to rob the Mammoth Cave
stage. 1t rained so hard. however, that we gave
up the idea after getting within one mile and a
hall OF the place. and we came back to Hites
again We stayed in the woods that lght. and
next morning lett for Jesse's place near Nash
VILE, leaving Bill Ryan and Jesse who said that
they would knock around the country and see
what they could rob- In about ten DAYS Jesse
Came Rome and told NE that he and Bill RYAN
Lad robbed the Mammoth Cave stages. This
was IN the fail of 1880. The stages were robbed
within an hour OF each other. A lawyer by the
name OF Il. I'll. ROundtree of Lebanon. XIV. lost
handsome gold watch Jesse got the watch
and the key to Il. On the KEY was inscribed
the names Of j. Proctor Knott and Mr. Round
tree. Jesse has the watch yet. Miss Lizzie
Roundtree lost a fine diamond ring which Jesse
James wife has had made smaller for her finger.
and she wears il now. Jesse also got from her
another plain gold ring. which he gave to Mile
HE a sister to Clarence Hte. Bill RYAN got
one silver watch and small gold chain Jesse
got another silver watch, which he gave me-
RoBBING A STORE.
After remaining ut home about a week
Jesse left for Htes again in order to get Ryan,
80 we three might 20 up into Kentucky and
rob store about sixty miles from Adairsville.
We were two days in getting there. On Tues
Gay morning. September Is, 1880. left Jesse
and Ryan in the woods and went into John
Dewey : store TO reconnoi.re. can't recall the
name oi the town, but 1t was some railroad
STATION where they were mining coal. | came
bach III snort time and reported and we then
went down together / was to guard the door
RHd not lei any one out. and Jessie and RYAN
were to ROB the safe. We carried ont the nro-
gram, but got only 24.2J and gold watch and
chain. This watch | pawned with a friend in
Jackson county, and can get 1t at any time.
Ryan got the chain. and don't know what he
did yifh IL This took r,Iapa hat, MI