The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-12
EoLLowE1 HY "A PaAuToM.
Tho Guardian p:riS of the Jesse
James Family.
FROM the 81. Ls.;,ts Globe Democrat.


Jane, miy has a ba 1silee. Yet such is
t . fact, 81 d lie phantom horseman that
frequently appeared to Jesse James is as
much part If the traditions of the COM
pauions Of ma bold night rider as many
ot Tho more current incidents in his wild
carer.
fbe story of tho phantom horseman was
FIRST reltted by Frsnk James t. Orth H.
S,rI !. when the two were prisoners and for
time cell mates in the jail at lnoepend-
ence. Il a Just. after he sIrre1d9r of
Frank James, Wien he was awaiting trial
tor the Blue Cut and Winston train rob-
bert in this cl1niy. Stein was await
ing TIE outcome Ct a motion for new trial
after a Jury bad found hin guilty of
killing George Frederick5 i'll this city and
assessed his punishment at twenty-five
years the penitentiary. Through the in
tricacies of law and the uncertainties of
juries both were ntterward released. Dur
ing their long and tedious confinement,
hos ever, they were wont to while away
tine hours with stories OF their respective
careers.
1t was due to one of these recitas that
the writer learned that tho James family.
and particularly Jesse, had a pecu lar
baas ee il the shape OF white horse and
phantom horsemau, who appeared to warn
them Of danger. Although reluctant to
taciturnity to speak of any matters con-
nected with his earlier life, Frank James
has since admitted that Jesse possessed the
frme t faith in the onens brought by the
visits of this phantom.
The story of the phantom horse which
guided Jesse on his way warned him of i'm
pending danger, and finally fOretold his
death, is also believed in by Mrs. jesse
James and Jesse James, Jr., the son of tAe
deceased outlaw. who have more than once
heard him speak of the visitations of this
strange phantom. The last time the dead
outlaw saw this phantom was just before
his death, and it appeared in such horrible
shape, and with such evident warning in
its men, that even the nerves of the grim
outlaw were shaken, and he was weighed
down at once with a sense of his impending
doom.
Frank James simple description of the
appearance of the phantom horseman is as
follows:
Zone night we were riding along lonely
road in Tennessee. 1t doesn't matter just
when it was or where. Jesse and | we're
riding along ahead, little in advance of
the remainder of the party. There were
five or six in the party. Suddenly we came
to broad, open space where two roads met
and branched off in three opposite direc-
tions. We emerged from under heavy
cloud of overlapping foliage into a broad
food of moonlight. 1t had been very
dark in the woods under the heavy
trees, and the bright moonlight, lying thick
and golden on the broad, dusty, new roads,
fairly daZzled US for a moment. There,
standing directly in front of us, as if to dis
pute our passage, clearly defined in the
bright moonlight, was the figure of horse
man on a white horse We drew rein and
stood for moment stock still The figure
in the road did not move. The moonlight
shone directly on his dark coat, with bright,
shiny buttons of some kind-brass or pearl
and glimmered on the silver trappings of
the horses bride. Jesse was the first to re-
cover himself, and, with lightning like
rapidty, he drew his gun with an oath.
"What do you want there~ he said.
''The figure did not move or speak.
"'My God, don't shoot cried one of our
party It's ghost
-"Jesse's revolver went off at the same
moment.
"The figure raised one of its hands, point
ing the index finger at Jesse, while at the
same time the horse turned and horse aud
rider galloped off up the road.
81 have seen him BEFORE muttered
Jesse, as he turned his horse in the other
direction.
1t is said that one of the men who was a
witness of this strange encoupter-the man
who cried 'don't shoot"-was Bill Ryan.
Ryan is now doing time in the Missouri
penitentiary.
Frank James, who was probably less
companions of the James boys, never took
as much stock in Jesse's ghost, as the boys
called it, as the great bead of the outlaws
and his other rough riders did. He admits.
however, that Jesse was haunted by a
phantom horseman, or fancied he was,
until the day of his death. JESSE was
always furious if any one questioned the
authenticity of his ghost.
Frank was once asked: "Do you think
that was a ghost you saw that night OF a
man Jesse shot at and missed, or failed to
kill?"
81 don't know" was the reply. "Jesse
seldom missed at less than ten yards dis
lance. Anyway, that was the first time l
saw the phantom horseman."
Mrs. Jesse James, who lives on Prospect
avenue, in this city, Is a ladylike looking
woman, who still seems to mourn for her
husband. On being questioned, she had
heard Jesse speak of phantom horse which
followed him about, Forwarding him of
danger. The appearance of the phantom
foreboded evil, but Jesse generally man
aged to avoid evil by taking the warning
in time.
Jesse James, Jr., only heir of the great
land pirate, was more communicative.
Jesse, Jr., is Is years of age, and-strange
irony of fate-works for t. L. Crittenden
and his sons, for that very governor of
Missouri who bounded his father to his
the surrender of the latter. The story of
the boys engagement to work in Critten-
denis real estate office is worth short di-
version. The boy, it appears, answered an
advertisement for an office boy. Half
dozen other eager applicants were there be-
fore him.
Crittenden asked him what he could do.
iii fight, run foot race or write a
letter with any of these kids for the job"
answered the hrigand's son.
Write a lett, r,n said Crittenden.
Jesse complied, and proved to write a
better hand than any other applicant.
What is your name" asked the ex-gov- |
ernor kindly.
Jesse James, Jr., ;" answered the boy.
Doubtless ex-Gov Crittenden was sur |
prised to find that he was about to hire the |
son of the notorious Jesse, whom he had |
hired the assassins to kill, as the boy and |
his mother were TO learn that the formers |
employer was the ex-governor.
But to return, as the novelists say. The |
boy was disposed to be quite communica- |
tive in regard to the phantom horseman.
dad first saw that horse IN Kentucky"
said the boy. "Twa'n't in Tennessee, at all. |
I've heard my mother tell about it, and I've |
heard dad tell about it. One night the man |
on the phantom horse jumped up behind |
dad. The ghost left his horse and jumped |
up on dads Dad was with another man
riding along in Kentucky. Dad rode as
- n Il kzI.s