Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-10-11
The Guardian Spirit of the Jesse
James Family.
Danger by an Appearance
on White Horse in the Moonlight
Shooting at a GhOst-Death
and Danger Ever in His
Track-A Strange
Story.

bold night rider as many of the more cur.
rent incidents IN his wild career.
Mhe story OF the phantom horseman
was first related by Frank James 10 Olth
81. Stein, when the two were prisoners
and for a time cell-mates in the iail al
Independence. 1t was just after the sur
render of Frank James, when he was
awaiting trial for the Blue Cut and Win
| ston train rekberies III this county. Stein
was awaiting the outcome of motion for
new trial after q jury had found him
guilty of killing George Frede1icks il
this city and assessed his punishment at
twenty five years in the penitentiary.
Through the intrioacies of law and the
uncertainties Of juries, both were after
wards released. Daring their long and
tedious confinement, however, they were
| won't to while away the hours with stories
of their res pective careers.
1t was due to one of these recitals
that the writer learned that the James
family, and particularly Jesse, had Pc
cuiiar banshee in the shape of a white
horse and pantheon horse:nan, who APP
peared to warn them of danger. Al
| though reluctant TO tacIturnlty to spe ak
Of any matters connected with his
earlier life, Frank James has since ad
mitted that Jesse possessed the irmest
faith in the omens brought by the visits
Of this phantom.
The story of the phantom horse which
guided Jesse on his way warned him of
impending danger, and finally foretoid of
his death, is also believed in by Mrs.
Jesse James aud Jesse James, Jr., the son
of the deceased outlaw, who have more
| than once heard him speak of the vista
| tions of this strange phantom. The last
time the dead outlaw saw This phantom
was just before his death, and it appear
ed in such horrible shape and wi n such
| evident warning IN its mein, that even
the nerves of this grim outlaw we're shak
eD, and he was weighed down at once
with sense of his mpending doom.
Frank James sim pie desert ptIon of the
| appearance of the phantom hOrsenan is
as follows.
''One night we were riding along q
lonely road in Tennessee. Il oysn't mat
ter just when 1t was or where. Jesse AID
[ were riding along ahead, little in ad
vance Of the rest OF the party. There
we're five or six in the patty. Suddenly
We came TO broad open space where two
roads met and oranched off in three diff
| ferent directions. We emerged from IN
der heavy cloud of overlapping foliage
into broad flood of moonlight. It had
| been very dark in the woods under the
heavy trees, and the bright moonlight ly-
| ing thick and golden on the broad, dusty
new roads, fairly daZZled Us for mo-
ment. There, standing directly in front
of us, as if TO dispute our passage, clearly
defined in the bright moonlight, was the
! figure of a horseman on q white horse.
We drew rein and stood for momeut
stock still. The figure in the road did
not move. The moonlight shone directly
en- his dark coat, with bright, shiny but
tons of some kInd-bras3 or peari--and
glimmared on the silver trappings On the
horses bride. jesse was the first TO re-
cover himself, and, with lightnip like
rapidity, he drew his gun with an oath.
what do you want theTe?' he said.
1.-THE figure did not move or speak.
! "'My God, don'5 shoot cried one OF
our party. ITS q ghost
"Jesse's revolver went off at the same
moment.
'The figure raised one of its hands
pointing the index finger at Jesse, while
at the same time the hoIse turned and
| horse and rider galloped off up the road
"'I have seen him BEFORE muttered
Jesse, as he turned his horse in the other
direction"
| It is said that one of these men who was
a witness of this strange encounter-the
man who cried 'don't shoob'"-was Bill
Ryan. Ryan is now doing time in the
| NJ ssouri Penitentiary.
Frank James who was probably less
| superstitious than Jesse or most of the
other companions of the James boys
never took as mucn stock in Jesse's
ghost, as the boys called it, as the great
| head Of the outlaws and his rouIh-riders
did. He ADMITS, however, that Jesse was
| haunted by a phantom horseman, OF
/ faDcied he was, until the day of his death
Jesse wss always furious if anyone ques
toned the authenticity of his his ghost
| Frank was once asked: ''Do you think
that was a ghost you saw that night or q
man Jesse shot at and missed, or failed &c
| kiil?"
81 don't know" was the reply. "Jesse
| seldom missed at less than ten yards dis
taace. Anyway, that was the first time
saw the phantom hor-eman."
Mrs. Jesse James, who lives on Pros
pect avenue, IN this city, is q ladslike
| looking woman, who still seems 20 mourn
for her husband. On being questioned
she had heard Jesse speak of phantom
/ horse which followed him about, fore
warning him of danger. Tue appearance
{ f the phantom foreboded evil, but Jesse
generally managed to avoid evil Dy TAX
| ing the warning in time.
Jesse James, Jr., oAIy heir of the great
land pirate, was more communicative.
Jesse, Jr., is fifteen years of age, and
strange irony of fate-works for I. L.
Crittenden and his sons, for that very
Governor of Missouri who bounded bis
father to death and deceived his uncle
Frank after the surrender of the latter.
The story of the boys engagement to
work in Crittepoen's real estate Office is
worth short diversion. The boy, 1t ap-
pears, answered an advertisement for an
Office boy. Half dozen eager applicants
were there before him.
Cr1ttenden asked hin what he could do.
"I'll fight, run q foot race or wflte a
| letter with any of these kids for the job, "
answered the brig and's son.
write a letter." said CrittendeD.
Jesse com piled, and proved to write q
| better hand than any other applicant.
"What is your name?" asked the ex Gov
ernor kindly.
Jesse james, Jr.," answered the boy.
D 1ubtless e1 Governor Crittenden vas
surprised to find that he was about to
hire the son of che notorious Jesse, whom
he had hired the essassins to kill, as the
boy and his mother were to learn that
the formers employ er's was the ex-Gov-
ernor.
But to return, as the novelist says.
The boy was disposed to be quite com
nuricative in regard to the phantom
horseman.
Dad first saw that horse N Kentucky"
said the boy. sTwan't in Tennessee at
all. I've heard my mother tell about il,