Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-10-11
The Detectives Fate.
A STORY OF THE JAMES GANG

A STORY OF THE JAMES GANG.
Presents from the James gang"
Seated in the library of a friend who
resides in Connelsville, writes CORE
spondent Of the Pittsburg Sunday Dis
patch, l was startled by the above re-
mark, accompanied by the production
from the drawer of a cabinet handy of
four bullets. Two of the leaden mes
sengers of death were battered out of
shape, Indicating that they had seen
usage.
"Did they back them with powder
when they presented themp inquired
your correspondent.
"They did; and the poor lad who
played the part Of recipient did not sur
vive the honor"
"Tell me about it?" said the scribe.
Well, I will. It was just ten years
ago, when Jesse James and his gang had
become such terror to the West that a
determined effort was set afoot to capture
or kill him, and to clean out the gang.
I was then a member of the Pinkerton
detective force, working under the Chi
cago agency. One of our boys, Joe
Whicher, bright young fellow, full of
nerve and daring, was detailed to go
down to Clay county to feel the public
pulse and reconnoiter, and to report daily
all that he could discover about the
James gang and their movements. This
was the first effort on the part of the
Pinkertons, and the idea was to get well
posted before arousing any suspicious.
They were aware Of the fact that the
James boys had many friends, and it was
necessary to move with great caution.
"Whicher proved an efficient man, and
for some days got along all right, but in
an evil moment he heard that Jesse was
at his mothers house, and, Disgusting
himself as tramp, he started for the
James mansion. Arriving at the house
he asked the old lady for something to
eat, offering to work for the same, saying
he was farm hand and out of job.
The old woman gave him some cold VIC
tuals and withdrew. Shortly after
Jesse James strobe into the room, fol-
lowed by his brother Frank and jim
Cummings. Accosting Whicher, Jesse
said:
"FSo, you're farm hand, are your
q Whicher replied that he was Jesse
caught him by the arms and turned his
palms up to view. Unfortunately for the
rash detective they were white and soft.
"'If you are farmer it's evident you
haven't worked at your trade lately, OBJ
served Jesse, and at his command Frank
and Cummings searched the pseudo
farmer, finding in his pockets two Colt
revolvers and memorandum uncon-
sciously left in his pockets that morning
by Whlcher. Looking sternly upon him
Jesse burst forth: You're one of those
detectives. I've heard of you, young
man. But we have you now, and you
won't tell any more tales. The
other two wanted to defer the
execution of Whicher, but Jesse was
firm. Dead men tell no tales, he sagely
observed. Say your prayers, young
man; you haven't long to stay In vain
Whicher protested that he was not de-
tective; that he carried the weapons for
protection, and that he had found the
scrap Of paper on the road coming to the
house. Jesse was inexorable, and at a
signal from him the three outlaws stimuli
taneously fred their revolvers into the
body of the ill-fated detective, who fell
on the floor bathed in his blood. To
make assurance doubly sure Jesse fred a
fourth shot in his face as he lay upon the
floor. The bullet struck the jawbone.
This is the one. You may notice how it
was fattened by striking the bone.
How came you In possession of the
bullets ~
~ was coming to that. After they
had thus butchered Whicher they took
his body and left it exposed on the pub
lie road near the town Of Liberty, with a
placard pinned to his bosom: