The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-06-10
THE LAST OF THE JAWESGAuG

around it. and settled in the less IA
vCred, but more peaceful, Kansas. This
state Of affairs had existed for well
nigh twenty years.
The governors first step was to is
sue a proclamation, offering a reward
of $50 900 for the capture of the gang
or the delivery of Frank or Jesse James
to the sheriff of Jackson or Davies
counties. But there was no clause OF
dead or alive at all, and, moreover,
this reward was not, as is commonly
supposed, the direct cause of the death
of Jesse James. / have had the whole
story, not only from Bob Ford, who
did the shooting, but from Bobs broth
er Charlie, who was with him at the
time. and also from Sheriff Timber
lake and Police Commissioner Craig, OF
Kansas City, all Of whom were direct
ly' concerned. The truth about the
transaction as l have it from these
direct sources, was about this: In the
James gang was a Dick Liddle, who af-
forwards became a successful horse
dealer over here in PaSsaic, n. j. He
was with the James boys on many a
raid. and although he was a tall, thin
fellow. he was as game as any man
who ever lived.
We'll. along in the beginning of the
SOS. while Jesse was absent in Tennes-
see, trouble broke out between Jiddle
Der of that delicious crew. 1t was over
q. woman. and Liddle seemed to be the
favorite in the race. He was calling
on the family which lived on a little
Missouri farm. wnen Wood Hite came
around looking for him with a gun.
Affairs in that region were settled in
short order and the family convenient
~ vacated the house while the two dis
cussed their differences over a pair of
quick-acting pistols. The family re-
turned to find Hite killed and Liddle
Slightly wounded. There was a quiet
consultation. and the dead man was
buried in the bed Of a. neighboring
creek. The stream told no tales, and
the world was no wiser as 10 the
whereabouts of the once famous Wood
Hite.
VOWED TO KILL LIDDLE.
When the news reached Jesse, in
Tennessee, he promptly returned to the
scene of the difficulty. He was Hite's
friend. and he gave it out quite uncere-
moniousiy, that he would shoot Liddle
at sight. James was a boaster, and as
6 rule little attention was paid to his
word. But promises Of this sort he uSu-
ally kept to the letter. This Liddle
knew well. and he knew that the wide
earth was quite too small for the two
of them to inhabit comfortably. Merry
taste for a meeting. Jesse had a bad
record for killing his own people. He
had probably killed more Of the latter
than of any other.
He had been a fugitive so long that
he had become almost a maniac on the
subject of being captured. and he
trusted no one If he was at war with
man he killed him promptly and with
out the slightest warning. He always
said that if you had a man to put out
Of the road it were we'll it were, done
quickly and that a man was a fool who
ever gave an antagonist a chance. II
is estimated that 4 good dozen OF
Jesse's made hasty exits from life as a
result of the bandits thoroughly bust
ness methods.
Jesse James was probably the quick
est man who ever handled a gun. He
could get into action and get a good
ways IN while other men were think
| ing about it. And he could shoot faster
than a Calling gun. Liddle knew this
and as a desperate resolve he deter
mined 20 give up the gang. One day a
She told the governor that she came
straight from Dick Liddle and she
wanted to know upon what terms he
might give himself up and inform or
the rest. The governor told her that he
could have no other guarantees II
the law would give, and that is a fail
and impartial trial, and that his efforts
toward breaking UP the gang would
count in his favor.
Jesse James was then living in st
Joe under the alias of Howard. He haC
with him his wife and a little boy, anC
although the latter was years old a.
the time, he had no notion of the rea
character Of his father. With Jesse
were Bob and Charley Ford. Liddlt
opened negotiations with Bob tbs
more reliable Of the two and Jesse wa.
located. Just why the officers did no
go to St. Joe and capture Jesse ther
and there is a riddle that has never
been solved. The only explanation I car
give is that previous expedition.
against the bandit had always been ter
libly unhealthy. You remember tn,
fate Of Whicher and a number of othel
detectives who had undertake hi!
feat
1T seems that the gang had planned