The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-12-19
OKLAHOMA FEMALE bandit
FAIR, AND ONLY II, SHE Is IN
LEAGUE WITH A GANG OF
DESPERADOES.
SHE IS VERIFY A GREAT WONDER
She Has Been Indicted for Foul Murder
and is Now in Jail-She is One
of Bob Christians Protegees.

The grand jury at Oklahoma City re-
Gently indicted Jessie e. Findley, young
girl, II years of age, for murder, and
Judge Scott remanded her to Jail without
bail. The indictment is based on the
| fact that she introduced weapons into
the Jail in June to assist the Christians
to make their escape, which they ac-
complshed OH June 80, 1895, resulting
in the killing of Chief of Police Jones.
Quite a romance was developed by the
investigation of the grand jury. 1t
seems that Jessie, who is a bright little
brunette, was the sweetheart of Bob
Christian. She had met him one day at
her mothers house. go miles east of
Oklahoma City, and it was case of love
at first sight, at least as far as she was
concerned. He and two others of his
gang had stopped there for something to
eat and Bob, While waiting for the meal,
made love to the cook. He was very
presentable young desperate, and the
glamour of his life and deeds hung over
him as a halo-just such Il young dare
devil as would take the fancy of a suscep-
tible young girl unused to polite society
and brought up in the wilds of that new
country. There was no better shot, nor
better rider, nor Drawer "rustler" in that
whole country than Bob Christian, and
Jessie soon succumbed to his beguile-
ments.
The meal over Bob mounted and rode
away, but not before he had made an APP
pointment to meet his fair hostess at
not far distant day. The courtship eX-
tended over a period of only two weeks,
n1
from the home nest. She had eloped
with her Robin Hood.
She remained with him for several
months, riding with the gang on several
| forages but usually staying at the cabin
and acting as housekeeper and cook.
| Bob taught her to shoot and ride, and
she soon became very proficient i'll the
| use of the revolver and winchester, and
not afraid to mount the widest broncho.
| She ventured where even the bravest of
the gang was afraid to go, and it is re-
lated that one time she plunged into the
North Canadian with her pony when it
was running from bank to bank, and not
one of the boys dared to follow until they
were goaded to it by her revilings and
| epithets.
About this time Bob and Bill Chris
| tan were arrested for killing Deputy
Sheriff Turner of Pottawatomie county,
| Oklahoma, who was attempting to ar
rest them for cattle stealing. This was
| the first murder that could be brought
home to them, and the prosecution was
thorough and prompt. They were CON
victed of the crime, sentenced to long
terms in the penitentiary and brought
to Oklahoma City to await transporta-
| ton to prison. Jessie was constant at
tendant at the trial and at the Potta-
watomie Jail, bringing her Launcelot
choice eatables and drinkables, and
when they were brought here for safe
keeping pending their transportation to
the pententiary she followed them, and
was Il daily visitor at the jail.
Jessie succeeded in smuggling three
revolvers to them. with 30 rounds OF
ammunition. The attempt to escape
was to be made on Sunday, June 80, and
on Friday, after she had performed her
mission, Jessie went to their old home
near Violet Springs, Ok, to await her
| lovers coming.
Sunday came and the attempt was
made. The TWO Christians and James
Casey, another murderer confined in the
jail, overpowered the jailer and made
their way into the streets. a Sabbath
stiffness brooded over the city, it being
about o'clock in the evening and very
few citizens abroad. The desperate men,
each with cooked revolver in his hand,
ran down the street. passing Chief of
| Police Milton w. Jones on the way. He
noticed they were in their shirt sleeves,
and. suspecting something wrong, called
upon them to halt. They answered with
a shot which killed the chief instantly
Their volley was answered with shots
from Officers Jackson and Stovall, which
killed Casey and badly wounded Bill
| Christian The two Christians made
| Al, a of
confederates, who met them on the edge
of the town with fresh horses, and were
soon beyond pursuit.
Jessie was instantly suspected of hav-
/, ing introduced the weapons into the Jail.
and. while strenuous efforts were made
to recapture the Christians, n posse Of
men was sent out to Bob Christians
cabin to effect the capture of Jessie, be-
| lieving she would give the whole snap
away if she could be once got from under
| the influence of her lover. The friends of
| the desperadoes received tip of the in
tentions of the authorities in some man
ner and at once spirited the girl away,
passing her from member to member of
| the gang in different parts of the terrific
| ry-for they had many sympathizers,
! either from fear or favor. and their bid
| ding was done without question.
| To facilitate her escape Jessie. was
| dressed III COWBOY cOSluiue-SlOucu nat,
| high-heeled boots, storm coat and all the
paraphernaia of the typical rustler. Put
| ting her on horseback they compelled her
to ride from point to point, some of them
accompanying all the time and permitting
| her to have no converse with strangers.
| They gave her but little rest for five days,
and it may be said she was in the saddle
continually. night and day, for that
| length of time, doubling and redoubling
upon her pursuers. She estimated that
| she rode $50 miles in those five days, and
when she was finally taken to negro set
| Element in the Choctaw country she was
almost dead with fatigue.
She had made up her mind by this time
| that her life was in great danger. BY
! what the different members of the gang
who had ridden with her had let drop from
time to time she knew almost to GER
tainty that they were fixing to sacrifice her
for the good of the gang, fearing she
would give them away if she was cap
tured. She made up her mind that they
had brought her to this negro settlement
| to kill her, for all of the negroes were
sympathizers of the Christians or men,
bers of the gang. Besides this, she had
found that Bob was playing her false;
had other women in different sections of
the country, and with all the bitter feel
ings of woman scOrned resolved to give
herself up to the officers if an opportunity
presented itself and tell the whole story.
She was taken to lone cabin in the
| dpnths of tha forest and there remained