St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-06-12
HOW FORD KILLED JAMES.

HOW FORD KILLED JAMES.
One ofthe Most Dramatic Events
in the History of Missouri.
The tragic death OF Ford in the way
| common to all men of his class recalls,
! markable period of Mlssouri's history
in which he played such conspicuous,
albeit such an unworthy part. For
Ford was not only the assassin of Jesse
James; the same shot that killed the
outlaw terminated the public career of
more than one good man. The thing
was so extraordinary; so dramatic
in all its surroundings and all the
events leading up to it, and the
participation of the state through
the action of its executive officer in such
| a subversion of all legal processes for
the punishment of crime. was SO far out
of the ordinary, that the public mind
| was at first Stupefied, then incredulOuS
and lastly indignant. We are now far
enough away from the time and the oc-
casion of the fierce criticism which fol-
lowed the act to be able to realize and
say that much of it was beyond the
measure of the offense. Gov. Critten
den claimed then that it was impossible
to apprehend either of the James boys
or any of their followers, and this claim
was apparently justified by their escape
after such bold defiances of the law as
those in Kansas City, at Gallatin,
Winston, Blue Cut, Glendale,
Gad's Hill and other places
where the criminals had appeared,
committed robbery and murder and VAN
ished beyond the possibility of pursuit.
They we're also advised, as it is easy now
to see in the light of subsequent events,
of many of the movements of the Of
ficers of the law against them. Their
capture under such circumstances was
impossible. Aud that is how Bob Ford
came to be made the agent of the state
in the murder of Jesse James. Gov.
Crittendeh. it appears, was led into such
an arrangement gradually and with the
hope of being able to capture the out
law chief and members of his gang
through the treachery of some of them.
AS long as they could be concealed in
farm houses and out-of-the-way places
and the gang could be held together there
was no hope of breaking it up. Every
pursuit after each new crime ended in
failure, and the authorities had long
since made up their minds that treach-
cry in the outlaw camp was the only
means by which the ends of justice
could be made possible. All they could
do was to wait for the visible sign of
such treachery to come.
1t came one day when MOllie Llddle,
Dick Llddle's wife. presented herself at
the governors office in Jefferson City
with a proposition from Dick Liddle, a
we'll known member of the gang, to sur
render himself if he could be pledged
immunity from prosecution. This the
governor has always insisted he refused,
but he promised that Liddle should have
fair trial, and Liddle thereupOn agreed
to put the officers of the state in
way to capture Jesse James
Liddell had the strongest possible mo-
tive for keeping faith with the COVER
nor. After he had killed Wood Hite in
the duel at the Ray county farmhouse,
Jesse James had sworn that LlddelfS
life should pay for Hite'S. Liddell knew
the outlaw chieftain we'll enough to
know that lie would keep his oath, par
ticularly as he had already, on one oc-
caslOn, at least, expressed the opinion
that Liddell was not safe man to have
in the gang. Liddell believed that his
only salvation was to have Jesse Gagged
as soon as possible, and hanged as soon
as possible thereafter. Liddell put the
authorities into communication with the
Ford boys. The FordS were then living
with Jesse James, who at that time was
keeping house in st. Joseph under
the name of Howard. The Fords
were the only members of his gang
whom the outlaw kept with him at that
time. They were but boys, and the outlaw
felt that they were not yet old enough
to have learned duDlicity. He was mis-
taken, however, in the character of
Bob, the older of the two boys, who
through Liddell, at once agreed to be-
tray his host and chief to posse headed
by Sheriff Timberlake, of Clay county;
lice, and Capt. Craig. The day for the
arrival of the posse had been agreed
upon. Bob Ford was to conduct them
to the place of concealment of the train
robber, but he never did it, for the rea-
son that before the posse arrived
one of those strange phys
ical and mental convulsions which
sometimes makes desperadoes of
arrant towards came upon him aud
filled him with such terror of his pos
sible fate after James had discovered
his betrayal and before he could be
either killed or captured, that he was
driven TO the desperate eXpedient of
shooting him from behind, knowing that
IL UGlGCIcu DClOIC lllO silOb WdS liz GU, vi
if the weapon should miss fire or the
bullet miss its mark, his own life would
instantly pay the forfeit.
That is how Jesse James came to be
shot in the back of the head. Ford was
in momentary expectation of the arrival
of the posse when James, for the first
time in years and the last in life, un-
strapped the two huge revolvers he car
ried belted around him, threw them on
the bed and got upon chair to wind
clock. The fates seemed to be working
IN favor of Ford. He took advantage of
his opportunity. Taking deliberate aim
at the back of the outlaws head he
fired, and Jesse James died with his
boots on and without the least idea OF
what il was that had hit him.
In the storm which followed it was
charged that Gov. Crittenden would not
dare to carry out his compact with Ford
and pardon him after the conviction
which followed his surrender. But he
did. Ford was released soon after
James death, and wandered about the
country, making money as curiosity
with travelling shows for time, and
falling into condition of general Gus
sedneSs. His death in barrOom brawl
is a logical ending of his life.