West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1895-11-14
HOW JESSE JAMES WAS KILLED.
The True Story OF the Tragic Death
of This Noted Outlaw, as Related
by the Private Secretary OF the
Governor OF Missouri.

vate secretary to Il. Il. Crittenden
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
al probably known more about
the circumstances leading up to the
death of Jesse James than any
other man, except Governor Crit
tiden. have heretofore refused
persistently to be interviewed on
the subject. but so many false
stories have been printed recently
about the death of the noted out.
law aud about Governor Critten-
den's connection with 1t that | 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 written by Stanley Waterloo
for the Chicago Tribune. 1t was
cleyerly written story, but like all
other stories which l have seen on
the subject, it was full of inaccur-
acies from start to finish. The first
misstatement made by Waterloo is
that the James boys lived in the
Cracker Neck region of Northwest
Missouri. Waterloo's whole story
is founded on the theory that Gov
ernor Crlttenden was party to
the killing OF Jesse James, aud that
the Ford boys went to st. Joseph
for the purpose of killing him.
"Tho facts about the matter are
these, and | was in position to
know, and | do know. all the in
cidents leading up to and following
the death of Jesse James.
"Mr. Crittenden was inaugurated
Governor of Missouri in January,
1881, and short time after his
inauguration the robbery of the
Rock Island train occurred at Win
ston. In this robbery the con
ductor of the train and stone
mason, who was passenger, were
killed, as was generally supposed,
by the James gang. A great mum.
Der Of robberies of trains and banks
had been done in Missouri pnor to
that time, and preceding governors,
sheriifs and other officials had tried
in vain to break up the James gang.
After the Winston robbery the com.
plants were so loud that the state
was being discredlted by these rob
berries that Governor Crittenden
began to cast about to see if there
was any means by which the gang
could be rounded up. He came
to the conclusion that the only way
to do 1t was to offer reward large
enough to appeal to the cupidity
of members Of the gang aud brIbe
them to betray their chief. But
the Governors hands were virtu-
ally tied because of the inadequacy
of the law, which fixed $500 as the
maximum amount of reward that
could be offered for tho apprehen-
sion of criminal. lie knew that
iC would be folly to offer a reward
Of that size for the capture Of a
member Of the James gang. The
express companies and railroads,
through their representatives, had
many conferences with the gov.
ernor. AS result of these con-
ferences, the railroad and express
companies deposited with the gov
ernor enough money to make up
the largest reward ever offered in
the world for the capture Of q gang
Of robbers, and Governor Critten-
den issued his famous proclamation,
which has been so long and fragrant
lY misrepresented by the press and
people alike. He offered reward
of $1,000 each for the apprehen.
sion OF Jesse James, Frank James,
Dick Liddle, Wood Hite, Jim Cum
mings and other members Of the
James gang, and $40, 900 additional
was offered for the conviction Of
either or both Jesse or Frank
James of completely in the VIM
ston robbery.
"Governor Crittend0u did not
offer reward for the capture, dead
/ or alive, OF any mem Der Of the
gang. lie had no authority to
offer a reward for man alive or
dead, and there was not a syllable
in the proclamation indicating a
reward for the dead body Of any
man. / sent out hundreds Of these
printed proclamations in October,
1881, and they soon produced the
I intended effect.
"Two of Governor Crittenden' q
chief advisers we're Sheriff james
Il. Timberlake, Of Clay county, and
II. II. Craig, police commissioner
Of Kansas City. Both were brave,
determined and discreet men.
"Within GO days after the issu.
ance Of the proclamation Dick
Diddle began to make oveitures
for surrender to Timberlake and
Craig through his sweetheart, Mat.
! tic Collins, who also had an inter-
view with Governor Crittenden
The result was that Liddle sur.
rendered to Sheriff Timberlako on
terms which required him to assist
4 - fl,o ~,,,Furn - 49, -..t - a.