Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-12-05

Attorney Finis G. Farr was pri-
vate secretary to T.. II. Crittendon
when he, as the governor of Mis-
souri,, issued proclamation Offering
big rewards for the apprehension of
the James gang. Said Mr.. Farr to
reporter for the Star:
81 probably know more about the
circumstances leading up to the death
OF Jesse James than any other man,
except Governor Crittendon. Ihave
heretofore refused persistently to be
interviewed on the subject, but 30
many false stories have been printed
recently about the death Of the noted
outlaw and about Governor Critten-
don's connection with 1t that l am
willing to tell for the first time the
actual circumstances as they hap
pened. The latest story / have seen
which purported to give an account
of the end of Jesse James was writ
ten by Stanley Waterloo for the Chi
cago Tribune. 1t was a cleverly
written story, hut like all other sto.
ries l have seen on the subject, 1t
was full of inaccuracies from start
to finish. The first misstatement
made by Waterloo is that the James
boys lived in the Cracker Neck re-
gion of Northwest Missouri. Wa
terloO's whole story is founded on
the theory that Governor Critten-
don was party to the killing of
Jesse James, and that the Ford boys
went to st. Joseph for the purpose
of killing him.
The facts about the matter are
these, and ] was in a position to
know, and do know, all the incidents
leading up to and following the death
of Jesse James.
Mr.. Crittendon was inaugurated
governor of Missouri in January,
1881, and short time after his in
auguration the robbery occurred at
Winston. In this robbery the con-
ductor of the train and stone ma
son, who was a passenger, were
killed, as was generally supposed,
by the James gang. A great num-
Der of robberies of trains and banks
had been done in Missouri prior to
that time, and preceding governors,
sheriffs and other officials had tried
In vain to break up the James gang.
After the Winston robbery the com
plants were so loud and the State was
being so discredited by these rob-
berries that Governor Crittendon be-
gan TO cast about to see If there was
any means by which the gang could
be rounded up. He came to the con-
clusion that the only way to do 1t
was to offer reward large enough
to appeal to the cupidity Of men,
bers of the gang and bribe them to
betray their chief. But the Gov
ernor's hands were virtually tied be.
cause Of the inadequacy Of the law
which fixed $500 as the maximum
amount of reward that could be Of
fered for the apprehension of q
criminal. He knew that IL would
be folly to offer a reward of that
size for the capture of a member of
of the James gang. The express
companies and railroads, through
their representatives, had many
conferences with the governor.
AS result Of these conferences, the
railroad and express companies de-
posted with the governor enough
money to make up the largest re-
ward ever offered In the world for
the capture of a gang Of robbers,
and Governor Crittendon issued his
famous proclamation, which has
been so long and fiagrantly misrep-
resented by the press and people
alike. He offered reward of $10,-
600 each for the apprehension of
Jesse James, Frank James, Dick
Liddle, Wood Hite, Jim Cummings
and other members Of the James
gang, and $40, 900 additional was of
fered for the conviction of either
or both Jesse or Frank Jsmes of
completely in the Winston robbery.
Governor Crittendon did not offer
a reward for the capture, dead OF
alive, of any member of the gang
He had no authority to offer a re.
ward for man alive or dead, and
there was not syllable In the pro.
clamation indicating a reward fol
the dead body of any man. / sent
out hundreds of these printed pro.
clamatioDs In October, 1881, and
they soon produced the intended eff
feet.
Two of Governor Crittendon's
chief advisers were Sheriff James