Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-06
FRANK JAMES, SCARE.
Pursued by IL Long-Eared Host That
He Took for Squadron of Cavalry.


Pursued by IL Long-Eared Host That
He Took for n Squadron of Cavalry.
From the Chicago Daily Inter-Ocean.
TT is a strange fact that there are times
when even the most daring outlaws get
frightened, and badly frightened at that"
said Col. Thompson Of New Orleans Col.
Thompson was formerly a resident of Mis-
souri,, but few years ago went to the
crescent city to engage in business, and is
associated with a banking concern there.
A few years ego he was the guest of
gentleman In Kentucky who is related to
the James brothers. and in this way met
the retired outlaw, Frank James,
Il once met Frank James, said the col
onel, land in the course Of our conversa-
ton asked him if he was ever really scared
in any of the closest places during his
career. l wanted to find out even in the
most desperate places If the courage of a
notorious outlaw ever left him. Well, yes,
he replied Very frequently I worked a
big bluff when l was pretty badly fright
ened, can assure you l have always had
associated with me men that were the
most arrant towards you ever saw, and yet
they could put on bold front and intimi-
date the most courageous. Courage fire.
quently consists in making the other fellow
believe you are the better man.
Frank James has thoroughly reformed
and is today good, law-abiding citizen.
He was thoroughly tired of his wild hunted,
rowing life. He is a dead shot, but is thank
full he does not have to depend upon his I'M
erring aim and weapon to live now. I re-
member one instance he told me of where
he was badly frightened. and 1 will tell it
to you in his own language as near as l.
can remember:
- was pretty badly scared one night
near Columbus, Tenn, during the war;, said
he. jesse one or two of the boys and I
were working our way northward to join
Quantrel. who was Matching a plan to go
to Washington city and capture President
ir,oo lr, bod henf frat- 1t,1,y hyy ,itrht
altogether, and before reaching Columbia
separated in order to lessen the possibility
of capture, with the intention of meeting
again at some point further north. When I
reached Columbia l found my horse pegged
out completely, and 1 looked about for an
other mount. 1 looked through several
stables, but did not find one, and finally 1
struck a shed containing a lot of mules
was an old, gentle fellow, and in order not
to make any noise and alarm the people,
ard to get away as quickly as possible,
saddled this old mule and struck out in the
darkness for tall timber.
I had ridden about two miles when I
fancied I heard body of horsemen APP
preaching. l could not tell whether they
were soldiers or not and l was not certain
but our presence in that section was
known. Anyway, 1 was not in a humor to
fight a company of cavalry and was not
pre- pared to hold out against such odds had
l been inclined to show fight. listened,
and the noise grew palmer, and the horse
men We're apparently within half a nile of
me, and approaching steadily and rapidly.
There was fencing along the road, and
l turned my mule into the brush to await
developments. l was out of sight in the
brush, and had hopes the cavalry would
pass by me unnoticed. l waited anXiously,
and l must say 1 trembled with fear and
determination 1 sat there on my old
mule awaiting the horsemen. did not dare
to strike out further in the brush, as the
country was new to me. In few minutes
thnyy NXytf h 70 hvyr6 prdS Of
me. moment more they Were at the
point where l had left the road. I waited
breathessly. The suspense was terrible. I
must fight this troop single-handed or be
captured in case discovered. 1 could
not see them in the darkness, but from the
noise made from the hoof beats l judged
that there were at least fifty men in the
party.
They stopped at the point where I
turr ed out of the road, and ina ginad they
were holding a consultation. I was sure
was discovered, and 1 thought could hear
a whispered conversation. l confess l was
startled and did not know exactly what to
do. A few of the horsemen started in the
direction of me, and then the old mule l
was on came to their aid. He shifted the
air, and, raising his nose in the air, filled
his lungs, and gave vent to one of those
long drawn-out efforts at a bray that only
true-blooded Rocky mountain nightingale
can give. 1 was betrayed by one of my
own camp. 1 cut short the sorrowful song
of the beast by sticking both spurs into his
side. I would have preferred sticking
dagger in him. but that would only lessen
my chances of escape. The mule plunged
headlong into the darkness, as 1 was de-
termined to give my pursuers a race. Not
a word was said and not shot was fired,
but felt 1 was in a tight place. and de-
termined to sell my life dearly.
1.-The party followed me, and appeared to
spread out, and, I thought, were evidently
surrounding me, leaving no avenue of es-
cape. 1 saw that as long as 1 rode that
mule I was giving my pursuers an ndica-
ton of my. whereabouts, and 1 decided to
use little strategy In my movements. l
halted in order to dismount, thinking that
I might dismount and set into the brush
afoot, giving me a chance to hide and let
the pursuers pass by me unnoticed. Some
of them passed me within twenty-five
yards. The pause gave my mule chance.
and he emitted another energetic bray. 1
was angry enough to have shot him al the
moment. In second the whole woods
were alive with braying mules. I never
heard such serenade of nghtingaies in
my life before The whole party of pur-
suing horsemen rushed upon me. and was
nearly carried off my mule by the rush. I
had not yet dismounted-and 1t was a good
thing that l had not, as would have been
trampled to DEATH I was surrounded by
instead of horsemen, as l had supposed-a
herd of young mules. There was not a
rider among them. I had left the door Of
the stable unfastened.
q" How in the world those mules followed
of young mules that I had left behind. I
suppose that some one up in muleology can
explain, but they beat the average blood
hound. l lay down on my old mule and
had hearty laugh over the ridiculous sit
uation, and then 1 started on my way, with
my mule cavalry. was the general, and
they all obeyed orders well, as the only
general order was, Forward. double time"
had not gone many miles before I ran
across a detachment Of eavalry-not over a
dozen, think. We were on them before
they knew it. They had camped close to
the roadside, after their scouting trip, to
rest, and had fallen to sleep, picket ard all.
AS came galloping down the road 1 heard
them hastily mount, and, leaving their
blankets, they made dash for their lives
They evidently did not know my troop,
and were of the impression that had been
when the mules Joined me. I had another
good laugh as the Union cavalry detach-
ment were dashing off toward the main
body. l proceeded on my way with my
mule troop, and finally reached Quantrell.
This was my greatest scare; and do
you blame me for being frightened when
the same troop, with the addition of my
self, put to rout detachment of dozen
Union cavalry""