The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-20
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FRANK JAMES AMBITION.
The Former Train RObber Taking
an Interest In Politics,


From the New York Sun.
ST. Lous.-If you should happen to be
in st. Louis some night during the theat-
rical season and should drop into the
Standard theater. at Seventh and Walnut
streets, you would see a tall, thin, rather
elderly man standing at the door. You
will find him clad in sober black. with
large black SLOUGH hat creased In the
middle and pulled down slightly to shade
the left side Of his face. which is thin
almost to cancellation. His nose Is long
and sharp, his chin protruding, his lips
thin and bloodless, closing tightly over
his teeth slight dropping, grayish
muStache does not serve to conceal their
firmness Above all, his eyes will attract
your attention. They are small and set
close together. Their color is a light blu
ish gray. over them there seems to float
a film which renders them opaque at
times, and yet, AZ he looks a you sharply,
there will come hard cold CLINT into
them that will tell you their owner Is a
safe customer to let alone when he Is rous-
ed Still, when the lips break into
smile, these same eyes can twinkle and
dance with a merriment that Is magnetic.
They say in Missouri that this eye Is
typical of men whose produest and most
truthful boast Is that they have nerve but
no nerves.
This man is Frank James, brother of
Jesse, train robber and outlaw generally.
He Is doorkeeper, and has been for three
seasons past Col James J. Butler, poll
tician and son of the democratic boss of
the town. Col. Ed Butler, put him In this
place. People iocked to the theater at
first just to see the old outlaw, but the
story became an old one by and by and
none but strangers ia the city took any
particular notice OF the doortender. He
comes and goes to his work as regularly
and soberly as any man could and holds
his head high.
When Col James-every one calls MIN
Col. James now-surre ndered twelve years
ago and stood hts trials, he settled down
to face the world an earn a living II
was hard tussle for long time. but he
had friends-some Of them in high places
like Mayor John Edwards of Kansas city
and they kept him going whenever the
tide set against him. For a time he fol-
lowed the races, but as his only son grew
up to manhood he determined to get more
substantial employment, and with that
end In view he came to st. Louis and set
tied down with his wife and child. II
was then that he secured his place as
doorkeeper In the theater. Now, his re-
habiliation Is complete so far as 1t is pos
sible. He has OF late dabbled more or
less in politics, but, although he Is a most
pronounced democrat, he does not allow
his employment at the theater to draw
him into the circle Of politicians presided
over by the Buffers. At the party prim-
aries he fights the candidates of the Old
boss as earnestly and In as outspoken
manner as though he were thoroughly in
dependent. In his hopeful moments he
sometimes thinks there Is a future for MIN
IN politics. He has two ambitions. one Is
that he may some day be made police
commissioner, and the other that he may
be chief OF police. one day he was stand
ing IN the theater lobby talking with some
of his friends about the appointment OF
new chief OF police.
How would | do for that placer" no
asked with a smile. No one knew exact
~ what to answer There was an en-
barrassing pause, and then the old out
law drew himself up and let that hard
CLINT into hts ewes. For twenty years."
he said, II dehed them all 10 catch me,
and / guess / could do a little catching
myself, II tried"
Stlll there are other times when James
seems to realize the fOrbddlng handicap
under which he labors. The newspapers
OF st. Louis are continually referring 10
him as the ex-bandit and ex-train robber,
and Il angers him terribly.
"Why can't they leave me alone" he
cried one day, after reading one Of these
references. For twelve years I've been
trying as hard and az honestly as any man
alive 20 earn an honest living,
and they won't let me alone. They won't
give me n chancc But IN tell you this
and as he uttered the words he took or
his hat and raised his right hand-"bo-
fore God ! never did an act IN my life
that was ashamed Of, and / never stole
cent They tried TO hang me on per-
jured testimony They couldn't do it,
ColJames believes in personal liberty"
II was this sentiment that drove him UNI
der the black nag with ouantrell IN the
terrible border warfare az which Missou-
ridns stlll shudder IN memory. II was this
sentiment that made him a hunted outlaw
for twenty years. Now n has made him
tho most rabid free silver man and tho
most incorporating enemy OF trusts ana
corporations. In his eyes the country has
gone 20 the dogs. lie can sec only ruin
and revolution IN the future. and when he
talks Of what he considers the encroach-
meuts Of capital on the rights OF the COM
mon people his eyes blaze and his voice
rises 70 shrill treble. Ills views on this
question even drove him back 10 an ayOw-