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

some horses. A night was appointed 70
the expedition and that night Ford am
the officers planned TO make the capture
"At this time Bob Ford, tough as h,
was, was little more than a youngster
He was not more than nineteen year
old, and his brother Charlie was about
twenty-one, though mentally and physi
cally weakling. They were both &c
young and Jesse had such control ovel
them that he trusted them as he did
none other of the gang. Although he
was bound to be captured, it was this
confidence that led him Immediately to
his death. Often afterward l talked
with Bob regarding the killing, and this
was his version of it, which was, without
any question, correct
KILLED HIM THROUGH FEAR.
81 did it, Bob always said, because l
got scared. Jesse, you know, always
read the newspapers. He never lost an
opportunity to do this, because he want
ed to keep close track Of what was said
about him That morning we went
down town into st. Joe and he bought
| one paper and l another. Well, in the
one got hold Of was two column story
on the first page all about the plan of
the capture. You can imagine how
felt. l read it clear through and although
the story was all crooked, yet it was
clear enough that the fellow had some
inkling Of the raid.
"T was about frightened out of my
boots, for l knew sure as shooting that
II Jesse ever saw that paper was done
for But didn't dare destroy the sheet,
for | knew he would ask for it and il he
didn't get it that he would go back and
get another, and so / was hooked either
way. The very fact that l had thrown
it away would have excited his suspicious
the more, and he was deadly suspicious
of everybody, even me. / didn't know
what to do,and on the way back, l think
he did most of the talking. After din
ner Jesse threw his paper down and
asked for mine. There was no way out
and handed it over. Of course he saw
the article, and as he spread it out and
read it through carefully he looked up
with deadly CLEAN in his eye, and says,
"What do you think of this?"
"'I was SO scared couldn't talk. Oh,
but he looked wicked; and he kept that
eye of his on'me like it was the point of
carver. "You know what I'd do if
any fellow would peach on me he
asked. "He'd be in hell in second"
"T don't know how l stood it, for l
thought he was going to bore me right
then and there. He eyed me for what
seemed like hours, but guess they were
only seconds. Evidently he didn't mis-
trust me, or at least concluded he was
safe, or else the thought came to him
that it wouldn't exactly do to kill me
right there in st Joe, for he'd have the
whole neighborhood down on him. in
minute. So he concluded to wait until
that night when he went out after the
horses. That he determined to kill me
then was just as plain as any hole that
he ever put in man. But he saw how
frightened 1 was and he doubtless saw
that it wouldn't do to scare me too much
and he remarked with laugh that he
guessed anybody hadn't peached on
him-that it was only another OF those
cock and bull stories which the news
papers we're always printing about him.
az was only boy, Of course, and he
wasn't afraid OF me there. He went on
eating, cool as cucumber, but you
couldn't have got anything into my
mouth with ramrod. | made up my
mind to take the risk and kill him the
first chance got. Mrs. James was in
the kitchen and Charlie was out in the
yard. Jesse then did something | never
knew of his doing before, and think it
was just to show me that needn't be so
scared as looked, or perhaps to throw
me off my guard.
SHOT HIM FROM BEHIND.
ait was hot day in summer and he
got up and walked over toward the bed
in the corner and unbuckled his belt,
saying the pistols were heavy and that it
was too - hot to wear them. Never
before, summer or wintar, had l ever
seen him without his brace. As he took
them off and tossed them over on the
bed, i made up my mind that it was now
or never. AS he turned away, picture
up on the wall that was crooked attracted
his attention and he climbed up on a
chair to put it straight. l pulled my
gun just as Charlie came into the room
and shot him back OF the ear. He drop
ped like rock, for he never knew what
hit him.
Broke UP THE GANG.
swell, OF course, the death OF Jesse
really broke up the gang. He was always
their leader and the daring, active spirit
among them. Some of the gang were
killed, others captured, and others gave
themselves up and served short terms.
The last to surrender, and, curiously
enough, about the only one OF any prom
inence who is still alive, was Frank
James. Only last week l saw little
paragraph in one OF the st. Louis papers
about how Frank James, "the notorious