The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-03-03
JESSE JAMES TRIAL!
\ Passenger on the Robbed Train
Positively Identifies Jesse.
WHAT HAS BEEN PROVEN.
inc witness After Another Affi the
Testimony Already Given-Every Point
OF loves Confession Apparently Sus-
tained-No Link In the Chain Gone.

KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Feb. 27.-In all
he history of criminal courts in this
country there has never been trial in
VII ch there was so much strained at
ention by the spectators in the court
'oom 10 every word and everything
lone as there is in the trial of Jesse
lanes for train robbery, now on in
he criminal court here. IN
This deep interest is probably be-
:ause of the fact that the your man
IN trial is the son of Jesse james, the
I'D rough riding bandit who kept the
newspapers of the country we'll filled
With news of his doings hereabouts
or good many years, and it is
hing quite remarkable that this
'oung man, if he is guilty ,sh, >uld have
aiken up the desperate calling of his
father.
The most positive Identification of
Jesse James as one of the Leeds train
'obbers was made in the court room
lis afternoon by William j. Smith of
stokes berry Mo-, who was passen-
ger on the Missouri Pacific train the
- ~ ~ "ho iiSist uP NollLGil GCSCtllCu
that he was riding in the smoking ear
md got out when the train was held
Up and walked up among the robbers
One Of the ROBBERS put gul against
lis breast and ordered him back into
he car
Did that man have anything over
lis fAce?' as!.ed Prosecutor Reed.
''1e had nc Jhing over his face. He
lad something back around his neck,
rs il it were mask slipped down"
"How light was it?''
1T was very light. The light
streamcd out the mail car door"
Did you get a good look at that
uan?"
"Yes, sir, I got good look at him
do you see that man in the court
'oom?"
MIR. Smith pointed at Jesse James,
itting facing him, and said:
Yes, sir, there he sits right over
here"
"You mean the defendant, Jesse
Tames?"
''Yes, sir, it was Jesse James,"
If Jesse James is innocent he is the
'ictim of one of the most gigantic
:onspiracies ever concocted to convict
man. If there is such conspiracy
he police department of this city, the
'lstants, the Off .ials of the Missouri
Pacific railroad anu the Pacific
Express company, the Pinherton
Detective agency and great
many who are witnesses for the
tate are united toget Ter to con-
gict Jesse James. The inference made
oy the defense in all its cross-exAmi-
1ation OF witnesses is that such con-
iplracy does exist. Nearly every wit
less put on the stand SO far by the
state has been asked particularly by
he defense If he talked to detectives
lbout the case, and if the ue.ectives
IND police and the prosecutor did not
uggest what he was to swear to.
The state, to make out case
against Jesse Jane, must disprove
his suggested conspiracy, by proving
hat the story of the ROBBERY told by
w. w. Lowe is true Everything de-
pends uHon the truth or fais.ty Of
loves ALory. If Loves story is cor
.oborated in most of its important de-
.ails it will be absolute proof of the
quilt of Jesse James So far there has
been much strong testimony co-robor-
ltive of the truth of part of loves S
tory.
1t has been shown that Jesse James
md Lowe did meet and talk several
times together in Justice krutg.r's
:ourt, that Lowe and Andy Ryan went
often to the court house after that to
talk to Jesse. Lowe ID that he and
Iesse walked to Belt Line junction
Sunday, August %, to loon over the
scene OF the robbery they mad p aimed,
and that at Leeds they stopped at a
store and got a drink. This storekeeper
and two others testified tnat Jesse and
Lowe were there that sunday after
1oon. Three men working to finish a
abroad bridge near the scene Of the
'obbery that Sunday afternoon testi-
fed that Jesse and another man were
there Lowe describ in his story
IllC iooIC IiaFSiSu w CiiG wv DuS
yies that carried the robbers TO
the Belt Line junction, how they
,ut the Darbcd wire fence, how
the hold-up was done and how they
an the horses back to town. The
trains crew story Of how the robbery
was done agrees exactly with loves.
There is not 4 point of difference. Per-
sons living along the rock road testify
about hearing and seeing the two bug
gies driving furiously back to town
after the. robbery; other witnesses tell
,bout seeing the buggies. Lowe testi.
des that the Sunday afternoon they
were at Belt Line junction he and
Jesse rode back on a freight train
The conductor of this train corrobo