The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-11-12
FRANK JAMES.

Attempted Scheme to Get Him Coun0etoA
With the Frisco Express Robbery.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Nov. 5.-A special
to the Times from Nevada, Mo-. says: A
sensation was caused In this city yesterday
BY Frank James receiving letter from St
Joseph, purp0rting 10 come from Jim
Cummins," the man whose name has been
mentioned In connection with the Frisco
express robbery committed near St Louis
October IS last The letter was 70
ceived about 1850 O'Clock. At the time
the letter wss handed him Mr.. james
was In conversation with City Marshal
M0ufti0y and Colonel Vandiver. Upon
tearing open tho envelope crisp bank n0te
was exposed to view. The letter was As
follows:
Frank James. Esq:
ST. JOE, Oct. 81. lS88.-DEAR SIR: Please &C
cept the inclosed rs u ''mementO" of the late
Frisco train robbery Of October 26 1885,
jim CUMMINGS.
The letter was both written and addressed
with . lead pencil The writing Is In q
bold, business hand, and shows an attempt
at disguise by writing slanting back hand.
Tho envelope bears the pOstmark Of St
Joseph, November 8, eight O'clock .. IN.
The Frank James In the address is under
lined. The letter reached Nevada at
1885 o'clock to-day. The money
contained in the letter consists of
one $50 bank note and three $40
bank notes, Of the Merchants and
Planters National Bank of Sherman, Tex.
The notes have not been signed by the
cashier or president Of that bank. The
bank notes have not been cut apart The
bills are numbers 3l59, series Of 1882.
Margin numbers in red are 1914 and ID
153247 E. The $40 notes are numbered A
Il and Z, and the $40 note A. After read
ing the letter Mr.. James proceeded tn the
Office of the Duly Mail where the letter
with its strange contents was left
The Times representative was among the
first who learned of the receipt Of the let
ter. TO MIN Mr.. James said: IL think it
is an outrage for any scOundrel to take adj
am, striving as l am to make an honest
living for my wife and little boy"
When asked who he thought concocted
the plot he .eplied: II am satisfied that
some scOundrel of detective put up the
job on me in order to get the reward.
thinking that would keep the letter and
money OH my person without informing
anyone that had received it. He would
then arrest me and apparently discover my
guilt. On the other hand they might have
thought would open communication with
their Jim Cummings but they were
badly mistaken. City Marshal MOuntjOy
and Colonel G. II. Vandiver were cOnvers-
ing with me at the time, and saw me re-
ceive and open the letter. My opinion of
the robbery is this: / don't believe the
express messenger had any thing to do with
the robbery and if an outside man were
sharp enough to plan and successfully carry
out such daring robbery you can bet they
will never catch him."
1t is generally believed that there is no
truth in the "Jim Cummings" ruse, as the
last heard from him was that after the
Glendale robbery lie separated from the
James boys and left for Mon tana, where
he engaged in the stock business. He has
since written to Chief Speers Of Kansas
City that he would return if he could
be assured of fair treatment. He has not
been in Missouri, and, as far as known,
has not been in the State since be left. He
would hardly come all the way back for the
purpose of committing a robbery in State
where he is in danger of arrest.