The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1883-09-13
FRANK JAMES.
Noble Prsniis in Aiehl.on Champion.


Noble Preniis in AiehIson Champion.
Among the attendants at the James
trial at Gallatin was Noble Prentis,
Of the AtcbisOn Champion, who
sketehed the bandit as he looked upon
him, seated In the court room by the
side Of his counsel:
It was a remarkable figure through
out. Quite slender, emaciated in fact:
with long arms and legs, and a slender
waist, conveying. one would say.
rather the idea OF professional man (;
bat the face was one among ten thou
sand, and one never 90 be forgotten
long, thin, worn, not with disease, but
watchfulness, long travel, suspicion
and anxiety; with a restless, thin
Tipped mouth, that was never still a
short, sharp chin, that rose aud fell,
and occasionally seemed TO close up
and almost disappear under the thin.
sickly-lOOking, yellOwish nOustaehe,
50 that mOustache, lips aud chin were
blended in one. Grey eyes. with
changing shades. that BETRAYED vari-
GUS feelings, but never kindness aud
most remarkable Of all. "A long. large
nose that dominated over his face: not
n Jewish, nor "a Roman, nor Greek
nose, but "A nose by itself. not exactly
human; "A nuse like "A fox or a wolf.
Straight back, slOping at an angle al
most as great as that Of the nose. was
a forehead, smooth, white and broad,
which, had il been upright, would
have been fine feature, but il Law
down, so TO speak, after the cruel
fashion one sees i'm cats, leOpards,
tigers, wolves and the baser and
crueler sorts of caTniverrus animals.
Across the forehead was long. thread
like scar, said To have been made in
childhood. There was, to make the
face more singular, deep depressiOns
below the temples. The mass Of rather
small head was behind and above the
ears; but not Immediately behind
them, so as to give the thick neck
common in the lower order OF crimi-
mails; on the other hand, the neck was
long, slender and sinewy, and quite
fair, and displayed by "A turning col
lar. The complexion was hard to de-
scribe; il was doubtless bleaehed from
confinement, and might become
bronze from exposure in the sun. The
thin, fine brown hair aud the color OF
the mOustache indicated a blonde
there were dusky spots. "a il the man
had a black skin showing dimly
through a white one.
The face was one to be studied and
studied again, and might then tell
very little. His occupation, for in
stance, could hardly be guessed. A
half dozen suggested themselves 20
the writer, and were discarded. But
whatever they were the idea Of dis
honor, treacheTy and wiekedness was
associated with each. A confidence
Iuan; a sneak gambler Ito which the
long, slender fingers gave eredence):
a wandering dentist, using chlOrOform
TO dehauch his female patrons; an in
termittent schoOlinaster of limited ed
ucatiOn and villainOus tendencies; "A
shower Of counterfeit money, but not
a maker OF IL; a clerical dead-beat
There was nothing bold or brave, or
manly or open, about the face; nothing
Of the hero, even Of the cheapest sort,
about Ii. Aud yet, when the singular
combination Of mouth, nose, NOUS
tache and chin, Of which we have
spoken, took place, "A shadow of infer
nal cruelty stole over tile whole cOun-
tenance, 10 the roots Of the hair and
the edges Of the ears.