West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1895-11-14


TO Jess, and l scanned the papers
each morning eagerly. On the
morning of April 3rd, Jess and
went down town, as usual, before
breakfast, for the papers. We were
TO go that night to Platte City to
rob the bank, and had made up
my mind that l was ia for q raid
on the bank sure enough. We got
down to the house about s O'Clock
and sat down in the front room.
jess was sitting in front OF .me,
with his back to me, reading the
ST. Louis Republican. looked
over the Kansas City JourRai first,
and seeing nothing of interest,
threw it on the bed aud picked up
the Times, and the first thing saw
in big headlines. almost a foot
long on the first page. was the story
about Dick Liddle's surrend der.
just then Mrs. James came in from
the kitchen and said breakfast was
ready. My only thought then was
to hide the paper from Jess. Be.
side mo was chair with a shawl on
it, and as quick as flash L lifted
it and showed the paper under.
jess couldn't have seen me, but he
got up, walked over TO the chair,
picked up the shawl and threw it
on the bed, and taking the paper,
went out to tho kitchen. | felt
that the jig was up, but | followed
and sat down Mt the table opposite
Jess. | moved my belt around so
the revolver was close TO my right
hand. | proposed TO die game il
jess began to shoot.
Mrs. james poured out tho
coffee and then sat down at one
end of the table. Charlie was at
the other end. and the two children
sat one on each SIDE oftheir mother.
Jesse spread the paper on the table
in front Of him and sort of folded
his hands on it and began TO look
over the headlines. My heart went
up in my throat, and couldn't
have eaten bite then to savo my
life. All at once Jess said /: "Hello,
here. The u render of Dick Lid
die" and he looked across at me
with glare in his eyes that | had
seen there before.
"'"Young man, thought you
told me that you didn't know that
Dick had surrendered" he said.
"'I told him | didn't know IT,.
"'Wcll," lie said, sits very
strange. He surrendered thee
weeks ago. aud you was right there
in the neighborhood. 1t looks
lshy."
cole continued to glare at me,
and got up and went into the
front room again. In minute
heard jess push his chair back and
walk to the door. / expected the
shooting to begin right there, and
if it had Jess would have got me,
for | was nervous. But he came in
smiling. and said pleasantly :;
"Well, Bob, IT'S all right, anyway"
"Instantly his purpose flashed
upon my mind. ] knew | had not
fooled him. He was too sharp for
that. lie knew at that moment as
well as did that | was there to be.
tray him. But he was not going
to Kill me IN the presence Of his
wife and children, and 80 he was
smiling and pleasant to throw me
of my guard, intending when we
we're on the road TO rob the bank
that night TO finish me. He walk
cd over to the bed, and deliberately
unbuokled his belt, with four ro-
volvers in it, and threw it on the
bed. 1t was the first time in my
life | had seen him without that
belt on, and | knew in An instant
that be threw it off to further quiet
any suspicions might have that he
had tumbied TO my scheme.
" He seemed TO want to busy
himself with something to make
an impression on my mind that he
had forgotten the Incident Of a
moment before at the breakfast
table, and he picked mp dust brush
from the table, aud said "Thdt
picture is awful dusty"
There wasn't spoek Of dust
that / could see on the picture, but
he stood a chair beneath it aud then
got upon it and began to dust the
picture on the wall.
"'Upto thatmoment the thought
Of killing him had never entered my
mind, but as be stood there, un-
armed, with his back TO me, it came
to me suddenly, "Now or never IS
your chance. If you don't get him
now he'll got you tonight"
Without further thought or a
moments delay / pulled my rByol
yer and leveled it as I sat. lie
heard the hammer click as I cooked
1t with my thumb III throwing it
down on line with his head. llo
recognized the sound aud started
to turn as / pulled the trigger.
The ball struck him just behind
the ear and he fell like a log, dead
didn't 60 near his body. ] knew
when ! saw that a. caliber bullet
strike that it Was all up with Jess
" Charlie ran into the room and