The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-02-16
EDWARDS EXPLAINS
Why He Wrote the "JeSse James
EDITORIAL
And Why He Now Endorses
Governor Crittenden.

JOhn EDWARDS has hurt himself
by endorsing Crittenden, after his
bitter criticisms al the time Jesse
James Was killed." said ex-Alderman
Frank Newton in the presence of
half dozen fir end VIII. had congre-
gated at the corner of Sc, Ond and
Ohio streets, a couple of days ago.
81 am IF the same opinion" spoke
up Jim Hopkins. who vas one of the
party. 81 have always been proud
to number Major Edwards among my
irien's, and | re ognize his ability,
but he is taking the wrong chute in
lauding Crittenden to the skies and
running down Frank Cock ell in order
to accomplish his defeat for election
TO the United States senate"
"Will Edwards be successful in his
fight ON Cockrell ?" asked a third
party.
To this query Newton rep thatlied
the question was q difficult one an
swer Edwards influence throughout
the state was great and there was no
telling what he could accomplish.
AS stated, the above conversation
occurred a couple of days ago, and
yesterday morningit was repeated by
a BAzoO reporter to gentleman from
ST. Joseph, who was an east-bound
passenger on Missouri Pacific train
No. 2.
81 talked with Major Edwards on
is very subject only Monday last"
said the st. Josephite, land if you
Sc 'alians could have h. ard his expla-
nation you wonld readily see how easy
it is for him to reconcile bis editorials
of he past and present.
AT the time the ma jor wrote his
famous Jesse James editorial for Sc
dalia paper, he labored under the i'm
preston that Gov. Crittenden had
entered into a conspiracy with the
Fords to murder jesse Thus believ-
ing, Edwards was no slow
in expressing his convictions,
and he did SO in language
that caused no small sensation
throughout the state. He says the
same article would be written again
now if the circumstanc were the
same as they were then believed to be.
just prior to the surrender of
Frank James, however, Edwards was
called upon to investigate the whole
Je Sc James business, from beginning
to end, and he was not long IN ascer-
tanning that he had done Gov. Critten-
den great Injustice as he knew no
more OF any conspiracy to murder
Jesse James than did Edwards him
self. Realizing the extent of the In
juries done an innocent man, Ed
wards has since then done every thing
possible for Crittenden and now warm
ly champions him D preference to any
of the gentlemen of the senatorial syn-
die te.
& No sir, you Sedalia people wonld
not condemn John Edwards did you
know him as well as | do. He will
stand up and fight for friend as long
as there is breath of life in him, and
he will make just as hard fight
gainst an enemy. When he labored
under the impression that Crittenden
had arrayed himselfagainst the James
boys and their lends, and advocated
the killing of Jesse, he donned his
fighting armor and sailed in for such
q war as only he is capable of making.
The truth disclosed, however. and
innocence of standing in
with the Fords estsblisn ed, Edwards
was not the man to continue the Bit
ter warfare inaugurated, and that is
his reason for standing by Crittenden
today"