The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1884-10-08
A BUCKEYE JESSE JAMES.
THE sToRY OF A RoBBER NOW IN
JAIL.

A BUCKEYE JESSE JAMES.
THE STORY OF A RoBBzR NOW IN
JAIL.
Robber and Murderer, Then a Re.
spected Ohio Merchant, and After
ward a Robber' Again.
In q letter from Hillsboro, Ohio, to the
New York SIN, the history of a notori-
GUS criminal is given as follows: Frank
Messmer, a young man serving a ten
years. term in the penitentiary for rob-
bery, has been pardoned. Messmer was
the pal of Bob McKimmie, the Jesse
James of Southern Ohio. Since Messmer
has been out of Jail he has made many
disclosures, which, with the known his
tory of McKimmie, make up q tale equal
to those told of the Younger and James
criminals. McKimmie was born thirty
years ago near Rainsboro. He began
stealing when o schoolboy, and at four
teen Joined the regular army at Column
bus. He went to fight Indians. and de:
serted in two years. He became a road
agent in Utah, and with companions
robbed and murdered stage passengers
and express agents. He, with others,
was captured and sentenced to fifteen
years in the Mormon penitentiary. In
nine months he escaped with Jack Will
Hanson, a fellow convict. The guard
was killed to effect the escape. From
Utah McKimmie went to the Black Hills.
In February, 1877, he'robbed the Chey-
enne stage. He had organized q gang of
five cut-throats who robbed the mail. ex-
press and passengers. In March, the
gang attempted to rob another stage, and
McKimmie killed Johnny Slaughter, the
driver. The horses ran away, and the
eleven passengers escaped. Later, at the
Cheyenne crossing, the same gang robbed
three coaches. and o o had over $780,
| 900. A woman dressed in boys clothes
followed McKimmie in his depredations,
and overheard his comrades plotting to
kill and rob him. She warned him, and
McKimmie, with one companion, took
the entire booty and went to Texas.
From Texas, McKimmie came to
Hillsboro in September, 1877. He was
we'll dressed, had abundance of money,
and said he had been successful in cattle
herding in Texas. He became o peace
full citizen of Reinsboro, and married
Clara Ferguson, an orphan girl, against
her uncle's wish. McKimmie bought a
store and was soon a merchant in good
standing. .
A few months later, NJ. F. Leach, of
Ogalla, No., came mere after q Union
Pacific train-robber. He had suspected
McKimmie, but was mistaken, as the
latter had come here the month before
the robbery in question. Leach after
ward met Detective Bullock. of Deaa
wood, and told him about McKimmie's
new start in life. Bullock knew the
robber from experience, and had been
trying to trace him for some time. He
came here at oncc and visited Mckim-
mics store. Getting him outside he ar
rested McKimmie on charges of robbery
and murder McKimmie's lawyers got
him out of Jail in an hour. tut he was
Immediately rcarrested. After much legal
fighting the case was carried to the su-
preme court, and McKimmie went to
Jail. An attempt to release him by forged
kilograms from Columbus was made by
his friends, but failed. In January, 1878,
while his case was pending he escaped
from Jail by shooting the sheriff and
cowing the guards with a revolver. An
old man seized a gun loaded with shot
and fired at the fugitive. The shot struck
his cigar-case and his life was saved.
He eluded capture, and was secreted
with friends near here for weeks. He
even had a friend arrange to bring De-
tective Norris into o certain Chillicothe
saloon that he might see him for future
recognition. He saw the detective
through q knothole. He then went to
Virginia, met his wife in Richmond, and
lived with her in Raleigh, Charles.
ton, Savannah, and at Nassau, N.
P. There he became bankrupt and
was imprisoned forty-one days for a
board debt. He worked his way to
New York, leaving his wife at Nassau,
Coming to Ohio he failed to get money
from his lawyers, and plotted with Mess
mer to rob q farmer named Roads, liv-
ing near here: They got eighty dollars
from Roads. With this money the ban
dit went back to bis wife, and came
here again in October, and planned to rob
the Bainbridge bank with New York
Charley. another noted robber.
Meanwhile Messmer had been SEN
fenced to ten years imprisonment for
robbery. With other pals McKimmie re-
NAMED in the country, and robbed two
| rich old maids in Pike county. Then he
went to New York, intending to 60 for
his wife at Nassau. He came back, as
the ship would not sail for some time,
and lived in an old cabin ct R%ainsboro.
1t had been abandoned for years, and
neighbors were surprised one morning
to SEQ q curl of blue smoke ascend from
the old stone chimney. The word was
given out that McKimmie was there, and
a posse of men found him there ready for
q fight. He resisted arrest until shot
twice. Efforts were made to lynch him,
but he was taken to the Hillsboro Jail,
chained and %pinionod. The Wyoming
authorities attempted to get him, but he
was tried for robbery on several indict-
ments, snd got n joint term of fifteen
wears. His conduct in State prison has
been good, and he hopes to get out
through a pardon before his term ends.
If he does, the Wyoming detectives will
be on the watch and take him to Dead
wood to be tried for murdeGsaa robbery,
He has threstsaedd~ 10 Kill Bullock arad
many enemies if he ever gets out