Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-11-18

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Over the brow of the hill, BY I
tortuous short cut through corr
field. and the James house came il
view. The house. quaint and IA
nous in the annals of border war
fare and the desperate robberiei
that followed the var. is now paint.
ed white. The home is both new
and old. IL was buiit in part 4s
years ago. The father OF the boys
was a Baptist minister. good man,
and a good preacher, so the old set.
I'll r. say lie came With his bride
from Kentucky aud settled on this
farm. They had four children,
one of whom died in infancy. Susie
the daughter, grew up into comely,
respectable womanhood, and mar
ried a man who took her to Califor-
MIA, and became rich. The Rev.
DR.. James died when the children
we're small and a few years later
the widow married DIR. Samuels,
who lives yet but partially demented
and feeble. Two years ago the
original log cabin part OF the home
was moved to corner of the gar
den and modern frame addition
built in its place. On u shelf in
the kitchen are the well-thumb bed
books that Jesse and Frank James
carried to school. Their names are
written in many places within them
in childish scrawl. The old barn
stands as it did when it sheltered
the blooded horses of the border
guerillas and outlaws.
When we reached the james
home young Jesse was met in the
doorway by his grandmother and
hugged and kissed. Then followed
introductions, a true Southern vel
come. a plenteous dinner and then
long afternoon on the shaded
front porch while Mrs. Samuels. the
mother oi the notorious James boys
told her story and sat to be photo
graphed.
Why They Became Outlaws.
What caused your sons to become
outlass:" asked Mrs Samuels.
"They were driven to IT," she
answered quick and sharp. and the
gray eyes of the wonderful. old
woman snapped viciously. This
eye is a popularity of the James
family. 1t is a cold. steady eye
that gazes at one straight and un-
flinchinglv. Those who were IN
lucky enough to meet Jesse JAMES
when he was attending to business
on a railway train have related tha,
without those marvellous ewes his
would have been a face common.
place
my bows were forced into being
outlsws," said Mrs. Samuels. 81
have of en- said, and it is true nj
the Bible, that they drove nv brave
boy Jesse from home and ade him
whatever he was. and then murder
ed him because he did what they
forced him to do"
Mrs. Samuels stopped rocking
back and forth in her old arm
char, leaned forward and pointed
with her handless right arm acros,
the whitewashed fence and dir
road to a hillside gray and yellos
with the corn stalks of q 40 acr,
field. Jesse. her grandson. listen
ing aud watching with hungry ear
aud eyes. sat by her side.
The Hanging Of Dr.. samusis.
- remember we'll the morning
the soldiers came down across tina
field" said Mrs. Samuels. 1T wa
planted in fax then. A wEol,
company of them came dowr
through there and trooped into thi
yard and over into a field wher,
Jesse and DR.. Samuels were plow
ing corn. They demanded tn
doctor TO tell them where the bush
whackers were hiding. You see
Frank James was four years olde
than Jesse, and had been will
Qdantrell over year. They ha'
raId.d Pirrsburg and killed lot q
Federals and Frank aud Fletcl
Taylor had headed toward thi
place. These Federal soldiers wer
, hunting them. DIR. Samuels, m,
husband, told them he did no
know where the bush shackers ere
Then they tied his hands togethe
and drove him to a tree over in tn
pasture and harg-d him by tn
, - 49,. .,...as E.nh t,na tha