The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1883-03-08
DEEDS OF fu1. JAMES GANG
A Catalogue of Cris.c. for Watch the Ex-R,
dit. Frank. May be Called 20 Accon1i1

ST. LOUIS. February H-Jhc ex.iauf'it F,-,,,l
James. who began a star engagements in 'hr rrin,i
ments enough ahead ~ last until he is a tnirtsiI,
old man. il his calculations of a-gaiita! or mar
don in each ease prove well founded. No saniuer
j. he done with one indictment than out ;,nn, Tn,f
er from some dusty pigeon hole like ia-k Oh; ~ The
box.
When he arrived in Independence. in October Itsr.
with a good send-Oh from eccentric Governor
the only Indictment known TO be file against hin,
IN jackson County for the robbery of The Iu,ls
Pendcnce bank. But while his friends were disrus-
sing the question of BAIL their attention was called
To another grand jury document charging him with
having assisted in the Murder Of one OF Pinkcrna'.
detectives in March. 1874. The prosecution on
these two indictments dismissed fo- lack of eyi
dencc. but before leaving the room the lavyrr
agreed on the fourth Monday in May for trial GU a
third indictment. alleging that be helped rob ~
pres Messenger Fox OF s-tl a. Blue Cat. in Sep.
;eniber, 1881 In the absence Of conclusive evidence
Tor the prosecution. Franks attorneys may easily
clear nun on the simple plea that the James bOys
never Intentionally tagged train bearing - small
atreasure. If they Succeed in doing this. jackson
County may still claim the iustrioas defendant o.
two other cl argos for the Glendale express rob
berry in the fall Of 1859. when the gang made haul
Of 5000 and one for the dashins raid on the gate
keeper Of the Kansas City fair some years earlier
when several armed mn rode "a With the box con
tanning the gate money for the big day of the tar
amounting 10 nearly $1,000.
James could readily furnish the - 500 ball ~
fniTed for his appearance in May bHt there
rral reasons why he dare venture out from hi
comfortable quarters al the Inrren,leuce iail On.
Is that the authorities OF Davies County seem eager
To arraign him on old Indictment for the mIIrrr
OF Captain Sheets the Gallatin bank cashier whs
was shot down by one of the band of daylight rob
hers IN December. 1879. The railruai village al
Winstenville where conductor WestfaN aud a stone
mason named McCulloch were murdered b. train
robbers one warm night in July, 1851 is also in Ia
viess County. The killing Of thcsc three is gen
orally believed 10 have been the work of Jess
James Yet Frank is in no hurry 10 face 4 Davies,
County jury.
In his native county of Clay lhrr, has long been
deslrr to sleir mp the mystery Of the Liberty bank
robbery, which dates back to February 1866, and
netted the traehooters whoever they wcrc, $4,000
farmer named Askew, a ncishbor uf the Iamcsrs.
who was suspected of having pioted night raid of
finkertcn men to their home. was shot on his
pourrh. ON the night of April H. lSs5. by three
hidden behind the wOUdpe.
In Pettis County is Ottervic. the scene ct the
Missouri Pacific train robbery in January, 1876 aud
the amount of the rObbyry sl9,OnO. Ruulor,
connecting Frank James with tie enterprise may re
quirc investigation by the County authorities.
In Wayne County, party of robbers, believed To-
have been the James gang. sisnaled train of the
Iron Mountain road AT Gads Hill dusk. ON the
last day OF January 1871. robbed the passengers.
euPteu the express messengers safe ri.ed the mail
hays and rode of with nearly $1,000 that lil not
belong to them.
IL seems certain that the e, banrit will be ar
rainsned IN the Missouri courts indictment,
charging cnrIplirity in the foregoing otrnscs. and
there may be number of precincts yet hear rui1
not ON tangible evidence. perhaps but the fact
that all these raids, with the possible exception OF
the Liberty bank robbery, marked by the uniqn
ami lncissive methods of the band in which he
leader. Charges Of impeding robbia: the mails
may also he preferred against him.
\ number Of other States watching Tor "a.
yorahle opportunity 10 put in their rrquisitiou>.
kentucky wants to know v hat he has 10 saw uhuu:
the RusSclvllle bank'rnbhery in March, 1905, auL
about the A'lair County town Of CnluIIii. IN April.
u. when proiane. noisy gang Of rntiins rode oil
with the cash drawer of the D'p0is: bank. after
shooting cashier Martin through the brain Tor rrfu>
ing to give up the combination of the safe.
\ bank robbery at Huntington in April ISL, cuu,-
cs tte authorities of West Virginia To feel certain
interest IN the eN bandit anil the Arkansas traveller,
+ In TTs FaaIH aNf0I ff.Up
OF the stage route fruu Malvern 10 Hot springs IN
January, 1874. would also like To know whether h.
Is QUE "i TIE horse hddlers who indicted them 8"
such 4 lively tune that day.
Nyandottc County, in Kansas, i woudcriu.
whether Frank was among the LIshiuS robbers win"
got sJJHn in gold dust and bullion an expires
'ar on the Kansas Pacific railroad, NIuucr in H..
ccmbcr. 40 Trained in the same school were the
land pirates who in Iowa. on Jane = iS.I, robbed
the C1rydOn bank Of large sim. Iu,l lew weeks
later dItrhrt the locomotive ct u train IN the Chir
20 Rock Island and Pacific road in order To- !undr.
The express and rob the pls,ru.yrs. 4 very
dang rnHs rrquis'tiOn is likely to irpr Mime
,6tI The rnhhers got EItning but bullets by their
raid on The bank nt Northeld. in that state, sep
irIibcr :. 1870 when they killed Cashier Haywood,
Wounded assistant Bunker, and killed NolyySsiiu IN
the street Two of the rubbrrS. Charlie Pitts anal
Bill Chatiwcn. werr shot dead IN frnt OF ia, bank
BY Infatuated citizens. After hot pursuit Of two
weeks. Clcii Miller and the three noted Younger,
we're surrounded Ia thickct aud lire OPP ned upon
hrm by nearly one hundred men. Cieii Miller wa
,i!'d' the 1oulserS were captured, more dead than
live. and are serving life ia the SILVA.
sr pententiary. Frank and Jc,t' James made
;ood their escape. Possibly competent witness
low living could swear positively that Frank took
iIrt IN that disastrous DAYS work. and he might
ven produce uuimpeachabc witnesses 10 prove an
Ilihi.
Did Frank james really take part in all these cut
ages laid at his duor Probably in all OF them:
possibly in even smaller number than il generally
IMPOSED. Among border ruiianS the James and
ounsers have had many nitators but rarely "a sue
cssiGl one. From first To last, their work is uumis
akahly stamped with their trade mark But
knows sNrr vii in
ust what exploits individual members of the band
,orc a hand. Frank James probably weighed all
he chances closely before ndsrin himself intu
h. clutches of the law. lie talks little but il cV-
dent that he trusts mainly to the inability of the
roseeutinn tn produce cOnvictn. testimony in any
ne case. With hardly an exception the who
new hun as comrade or leader, dead IN the
enitentiary. And 80 secretly did the James boy.
ian their rubberies that none except their trusted
eeompiices ever knew of their movements, and few
ther persons knew the men by sight except under
n alias. Their robbcries generally done IN
oIIe sort Of Disguise, and when the booty was d
lied they returned To their families in small
ity or country neighborhnnd r,-iiur the usual
nutine of existence, Mr.. Jackson or Mr. Howard
rank lawyers hope to weary out the Law By
Gated failures Of the prosecution e. make ugt a
lear case when the contest j. shown To- he hone
80. they say. Justice viii lay down her sword
hey may succeed in doing this. iiut Frank .iinJS
Just hc a man of phenomenal boldly To-
ce the law he has 50 long defed.-Nslr lori san.