The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-09-19
A BUCKEYE JESSE JAMES.
THE STORY OF A RosBEs NOW IN
JAIL
Eobbcr and Murderer, Then u Rr-
spccted Ohio Merchant and After
ward n EsObber again.

In letter from lllllSDOrO, Ohio, to the
New 1ork SUH, the history of a notori-
Gus criminal is given as follows: Frank
Messmcr, young man serving a ten
years term in the penitentiary for rob.
berry, has been pardoncd. 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 a tale equal
to those told of the Younger and James
criminals McKimmie was born thirty
years ago near Rainsboro He began
stealing when schoolboy, and at four
teen joined the regular army at Column
bus. lie 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
llamson fellow convict. The guard
was killed to effect the escape. From
Utah McKimmie went to the Black Hills.
In February, 1877, he robbed the Chcy-
enne stage. He had organized a 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 soon had over 500
600 a woman dressed in boys clothes
followed McEimmie in his depredations,
and overheard his comrades plotting to
kill and rob him. She warned him, and
Nlckimmie, with one companion, took
the entire booty and went to Texas.
From Texas, McKimmie came to
llillsboro in September, 1877. He was
well dressed, had abundance of money
and said he had been successful in cattle
herding in Texas He became II peace
full citizen of Rainsboro, and married
Clara Ferguson, an orphan girl, against
her uncle's wish. McKimmie bought a
store and was soon a merchant in good
standing.
y few months later, NJ F. Leach. OF
Ogalla, Mo-, came mere after Il Union
Pacific train robber. He Lad suspected
Mckimmie, but was mistaken, as the
latter had come here the month before
the robbery in question. each after
ward met Detective Bullock, of Dead
wood, and told him about McKmmie'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 once and visited McKm-
mics store. Getting him outside he ar
rested Mckimmie on charges of robbery
and murder. McKimmie's LAWYERS cot
him out Of jail in an hour, hut he was
Immediately rearrested. After much legal
lighting 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 bv
his friends, but failed. In January, 1873,
while his case was pending he escaped
from Jail by shooting the sheriff and
cowing the guards with revolver. An
old man seized 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 foc weeks. He
even had a friend arrange to bring De
tective Norris into Il certain Chillicothc
saloon that he might see him for future
recognition. He saw the detective
through kno;hole. lie then went to
Virginia, met his wife in Richmond and
lived with her in Raleigh. Charles.
ton, Savannah, and at Nassau. y.
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
mcr to rob farmer named Roads, liv-
ing near here. They got eighty dollars
from Roads. With this money the ban.
dit went bnck to his wife. and came
here again in October and planned rob
the cambridge 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 go for
his wife at Nassau. He came back, as
the ship would not sail for some time,
and lived in an old cabin at Rainsboro.
1t had been abandoned for years and
neighbors were surprised one morning
to see 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
fight He resisted arrest until shot
twice. Efforts were made to lynch him,
but he was taken to the IIllsboro iail
chained and pinioned. The Wyoming
authorities attempted to get him, but he
was tried for robbery on several indict-
ments, and got joint term of fifteen
years. His conduct in State prison has
been good, and he hopes to get out
through 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 murder and robbery.
He has threatened to kill Bullock and
many other enemies if he ever gets out.