The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-10
FRANK JAMES IS GOOD.
TEE FIERCE EX-BANDIT QUIETLY
SELLING CLOTHING IN TEXAS.
He Ia Trying to Lead a Respectable
I,lfe-Does Not Drink, Smoke or Gam
ble-still the Crowd Always Find
Him offered 900 to KIN Man.

WISHING llOE lItntS, MI anu NlIH. 0dluutl
Rnlston. Franks mother, Mrs Samuels
OF Clay county, is also visitor at the same
place On Wednesday dining party was
given by Col. Samuel Rals,on and lady,
whore the following friends attended,
Mrs. Jesse James, Mrs. Caroline Quantrill,
Mr.. and Mrs Frank James and others,
The old town OF Independence was once
hot-bcd OF war and the principal scene
OF the operations OF the James boys, the
guerilla Quantrill and their ilk. Frank
and Jesse lived only few miles away,
across the river, in Clay county, and they
had many friends, relatives and COM
panons in outlawry in and about indie
pendence. Frank married the daughter
OF Col Samuel Ralston, who lived and is
liyingyet about two miles west of lndepcnd-
cnce. The old colonel is visited anuu-
ally by Frank and his wife and little boy,
who live at Dallas, Tex. The eX,bandit
ms private and 10 some extent rc'
spcCtcd citizen usually dresses in u
suit OF gray, and wears no jewclry
save a watch and chain. His SLOUGH hat
is OF grayish color, his shoes neatly pol
ishCd, and his white standing collar sets
off an attractive crayat lie has in no de-
gree the appearance OF the ideal bandit,
although his eyes are still sharp, He does
not weigh over 100 pounds, and is five feet
eight inches tall. Ills nose is long and his
| lips thin, and his features are so attcnu-
ated, his temples and checks 50 sunken
that he might readily be taken for con-
sumptivc. He is very unpretcntious, and
! shuns notorleiy.
In boarding train TO go 10 lndcpcnd-
q. 4 4
/ tcntiOn from the passengers and depot
/ loungCrs, TO whom he gave no notice
/ whatever That's Frank James some.
one whispered, and the crowd stared,
open uouthCd. AZ h. seated himself IN
! the car there was a look OF deep disgust ON
/ his face. lie soon forgot his tormUutors,
! however, in conversation. There bad
I been a political convention i'm Kansas City
/ that day, in which he had taken much in
tores,. Frank is a Democrat and warm
! for Cleveland. lie never gets enthusiastic,
but he is as near IL ON the subject Of
Cleveland as he ever gets on anything.
During the course oi conversation he
began chewing gum and explained that he
had quit using tobacco. Indeed, Frank 10
now model in respect 10 ''gcnilcmanly
habits Tor he does not drink. swear or
gamble. lie Is not in iayoroi prohibition,
but personally he has always been TEN.
pcrancc man, Notwithstanding the old
stereOtyped reports that lac was n drunk
ard As an illustration Of has temperance
principles, Joseph nagby, long close
friend OF Franks, tells this storw
III was Just after his arqu.ttal ut Gal.
latin, No." said Mr.. liagby, THAT the
United States authorities land Tor him TO
take him 10 Alabama, TO answer 10 am
other charge OF robbery. They expected
to surprise him ~ he stepped from tho
Gallntin train here In Kansas City, but
Frank was one who didn't surprise much,
and he stepped oil the train just after II
had crossed the Missouri bridge, rs It was
going at a slow rate, and walked a. small
station in the eastern suburbs, whore he
boarded a train Tor his iuthcr-in-law' sat ln-
dependence. When lac got there he tele.
gniphed the authorities That he would call
ON them In the morning When he
went up the next day number Of us wcr
with MIN TO 10 ON his bond, and after that
was satisfactorily fixed We drove down "a
! saloon. 'Whatll you have, Frank,
J three or four asked at once. i don't want
anything, lac replied. What refuse "a
drink with NJ, Your best iriendsY We cried.
'Yes.' lac returned, aud though We insist
ed Tor nearly half an hour lac would take
nothing but cigar. lie said he mover
drank, and hc was rs fran ~ a rock
Frank was very cautious IN his actions
in those days, and is yet, for that matter
, About six months after he became itc,
man. and while he was staying nj Col
, Ralston's recovering his health, a man o.
, Iic name OF Robert Lucl who was an ex
Federal soldier and an Ohio man, lately
. i Ia
IndepQndunce Ia hire Frank 10 kill a maj
for him. Hc ran across Joseph Bagby, {,
, whom. as Franks friend, lac related tia
> he had been swindled BY one benjamin
; Reeder. and he wanted the said kgcde
"put out OF the way" nagby saw some ful
and began TO play him. Zucl wanted 4
! Give Frank $50 for the Job, but FINAL!
agreed 20 give 500 and liagby went out &
Halston's TO bring Frank ia 10 arrange th
affair In detail. The cx.bandit was NJ eau
! tious that even 10 obigc his friend aud 4
: enjoy the Joke lac hCsitaicd about sccin
= Zucl, but finally agreed, and the two me
y the Kansas man and arranged the bargain
= Later Zucl paid over the money TO Bagb
u and some friends, whom the latter had il
/ into the secret. Everybody had scycra
!, drinks aud then the remaining amour
: was refunded, and Iucl was instructed
p "pull his freight or he would be handle
over to the grand jury.
Frank u ia q clothing store ut DALAI
He said there were 400 ex-COniederal
= soldiers In Dallas county, and that lac ge
all their trade. The Halcs last yes
amounted altog thCr TO $1,000. Fran
receives one.third Of the profits.
MIR. Quantrll, mentioned In the now
paper item, Is tho mother Of Quanifill, u
= notorious guerilla. She came % Jarkso
X county last May from Canal Dover,
u May II, at Bluo Sprug', Mo, the old lad
10 held reunion Of her sons old comman'
IL and nearly scorc Of grizzlcd 'oil
= timers" whose homes are scattered
r three or four counties, were Wcbel
20 rrciie their adventures OF bloody vi
Il times. The best known was W. IL. eng
II who wis SECOND in command Of the gnor
1t las % Quanlnll. Mrs. Quanlrill Is a ugo
q. Gus woman Of sixty sovcd, who has
n money, and IN now being cared Tor by u
II sons old friends Mn. JgUo James liy
z here in Kansas City, and her son. Jes.
d. IT,, is employed la real estate Ollie
= Bob Ford, who shot Jesse James, isa II
ID lcssionM gambler. aud lives at Walsc
or burg. Col, according t0 reliable private !
20 formation. llc drcspcs fashionabiy, ana
said b. be making money