The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1894-06-27

over, but that Governor Crittenden ha
by this courageous course won evel
their respect and confidence. one day
about a year after the death of Jesse, th,
Governor received letter from Franl
James asking on what terms he nigh
surrender. The Governor answered it
directing the letter to st Louis, in the
care Of the person named by Frank, say.
ing that he could make no terms except
that he would guarantee James fair
trial, and that he would protect him in
all the rights which the law afforded
him. This and no more.
Nothing was heard OF the matter I'M
til two months later, when one dull day
in Jefferson City two men came to call
on the Governor. The first of these was
Major Edwards, the Kansas City editor,
now dead, and the other a very quiet,
ordinary looking man, whom he intro
| duced to the Governors private secretary.
'Phiny' Farr, as Captain Stiles, of Saline
county.
awhile Edwards went in to talk with
the Governor, Farr and Stiles sat down
and had a long talk about persons they
knew, after the fashion of the natives of
that State, whenever they get together.
Farr described his visitor as rather
slight, commonplace sort of a fellow,
,.,,Nh Inn,
except hard, steel gray eye, which had
an unpleasant trick of looking at you
steadily without winking. I remember
Fairs description of that interview.
James seemed to know everybody in
Missouri, and what bafled me was that
man with such a. wide acquaintance was
so utterly unknown to me that l could
not recall ever hearing his name mem
toned.
cater a while Edwards came out, his
friend Stiles joined him, and they went
away. Half an hour later Edwards came
back and had another long consultation
with the Governor. After it was over
and Edwards gone, the Governor came
out and remarked rather quizzingly:
What did you think of Edwards friend
Stiles? Do you know who he was? 1t
was Frank James and he is coming up
here at five o'clock to give himself up
"The Governor was evidently feeling
very happy, and he sent around to the
various state dignitaries, suggesting that
they come over and discuss a bottle of
champagne with him. They came, but
none of them, of course, had the slight
est inkling that such parsonage as
Frank James was within a thousand
miles. The champagne was rather slow
in coming and the gathered officials be-
gan to murmur somewhat, as Missouri
ans are apt to do under such crcum-
stances, when in came Edwards and his
quondam friend Stiles.
THIS Is Mr.. FRANK JAMES.
Governor said Edwards, here is
the gentleman who has little business
to transact and desires me to introduce
him This is Mr.. Frank James,"
"You never saw a cooler man than was
James. He shook hands with the Gov
ernor with the utmost sang froid and re-
marked in perfectly collected way:
Governor, have come to give my
self up, and am going to do it without
asking for any bargain or for anything
more than fair, square deal under the
law. want, to say that | never com
mitted the crimes, nor robbed the banks
nor stopped the trains, nor killed the
men, nor committed any OF the thousand
and one crimes that have been charged
up against me. have been fugitive
Just how / became such is too long a
story to tell. I've been an outlaw for
twenty years, hunted like hound, and
I'm tired. That's the reason that sur
render. don't do it to avoid capture
for could do that just as easily for the
next twenty years as | have for the last.
You may like to know, too, perhaps,
that you're the first man that ever had
Frank James prisoner for a minute. Ii
you want to know why l surrender,
can tell you that I've got wife, as you
have, and boy that doesn't know his
own name. I've made up my mind that
! am not going to be hunted any longer,
but am going to live like other men do
with their families.
"I give this to yon. Governor
James added, unbuckling his gun, and
to the State OF Missouri. II you ever
need weapon and his eye twinkled, Il
can recommend this as about all right.
Now Pm your prisoner, Governor Crit
tenden, what are you going to do with
me?'
"The Governor replied that james was
under indictment for the Blue Cut train
robbery and that he would have to go to
independence to stand trial. As the
train did not start for some time, the
Governor turned James over into the
custody OF Farr. Within ten minutes
after the surrender the news was flying
about Jefferson City and big crowd
gathered TO have look at the noted out
law. Frank became visibly uneasy and
finally said
"'Farr have you got any pistols on
your
"'No.' said Farr, Il haven't
a gxuanb .ools.a Io,.,aa 81 ..,..l 49,.