The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-08
MISSOURI BANDITS.
NEW STORY OF THE BREAKING UP
OF THE JAMES GANG.


..Dick" Liddle's surrender-The
..VeiIed Woman" - Charles and
Robert Ford-Some Bits of Ro-
nance and Tragedy-An Unsolved
Mystery.
From the st. Louis Globe-Democrat
, The death of Richard Liddle, which
occurred at Cincinnati.a few days ago,
following so close after the liberation
of Cole and James Younger from the
Minnesota state prison, recalls most
wildly those distressful days when the
James and Younger gang gathered tri-
butte from express trains and bank
vaults, sometimes varying their labors
by looting the cash box of a country
store or that of the Kansas City Fair
Association.
Liddle did not become member of
the band until after the Mortified
raid. Once admitted, he became a very
useful man. He was with Jesse James
at Winston, and participated in the
Blue Cut affair, near Independence.
Afterward, for the love of a woman,
he gave UP train robbing and became
an honest man. The story of the break
ing up of this band may not prove un-
interesting at this time.
When news reached Western Mis-
souri, of the fatal raid on Northfield,
Mimi, and that all of the band except
Frank and Jesse James were either
killed or captured, high hopes were en-.
tertained that a stop had been put to
train and bank robbing in Missouri
For several years it seemed this hope
was in full process of realization, but
on the night of Sept. Z, 1879, a hold-up
occurred at Glendale, six miles south
east of Independence, and fifteen
from Kansas City. Every exertion was
made by the officers to apprehend the
bandits, but proved futile. The year
following, however, a man named
Bassham, who had lived in a section of
the county called Cracker Neck" and
of which Glendale was the center, was
arrested on suspicion of having been
one of those engaged in the robbery.
1t was remembered that Bassham who
was a worthless wight, had left the
country within a week after the at
tack on the train, had returned after
an absence Of several months, and
seemed to be in flush circumstances.
Suspicion ripened into arrest, and
Bassham was put in the sweat box
Believing that he had been BETRAYED.
Jesse James as the leader, Dick Lid
die, Bill Ryan, Ed Miller and three
others. Bassham was sentenced to the
penitentiary for ten years, but his
written confession remained in the
hands of the county and state of.
ficials. Ite was subsequently pardoned,
that his testimony could be used
against other members of the band.
In 1880 Thomas-T. Crittenden was
Nf
liam HI. Wallace prosecuting attorney
of jackson county. Crittenden had an
nounced it to be his intention to break
up the James gang. Wallace had pledg-
ed himself to do all that could be done
in his office to sustain law and order
and punish crime. AS if in defiance of
the new administration, a train robbery
was planned and executed on the 18th
OF July, 1881, near a small station call
ed Winston, on the Chicago, Rock ISL
and and Pacific Railroad. This was
the most desperate and brutal of the
hold-ups up to that time. Without
proVocation Jesse James shot the con-
ductor in cold blood and one of his
pals murdered a passenger. The ban
dts stopped not here. On the night of
Sept. z, 1881, they again appeared in
Jackson county, stopped and robbed a
train on the Chicago and Alton road
two and one-half miles from Indepen-
dence, disappearing from the scene as
II the earth had swallowed them up.
Indeed, the gang seemed to be strong
er and more daring than ever.
Then were the people of Jackson
county aroused as they never had been
before. 1t was plainly evident to many
that the facility with which these ban
ditti could commit crimes and escape
capture was because they had friends
living near, by whom they were har-
bored; that they had spies and confed-
crates in Independence and Kansas
City who gave information of the
movements of officers in their attempts
to bring the outlaws to justice.
The organization of secret commit
/ tee of safety was effected. This COM
mtttee adopted signs. signals and pass
words, and soon had a membership of
nearly 500 determined men, nearly all
OF whom had served in the Confeder-
ate armies. For a wholesome effect
upon the friends of the outlaws they
used for calling Emergency meetings a
broad red seal. upon which were writ
ten hieroglyphics understood only by
the members. These were posted only
at night, and not infrequeitly placed
on front door or gate post of known
friend of the gang. This gave grave
alarm to these gentry, but as they
could not understand the seals, they
presumed they were meant to convey
a warning. At the same time covert
threats were thrown out that in case
of any more roberries within the limits
of the county the suspected harborers
of the outlaws would themselves be
summarily dealt with.
In the meantime Gov. Crittenden had
called meeting of the superintendent
of these railroads operating in the
state, and the result was the offering
OF a reward of $4,000 for the death or
arrest of Frank and Jesse James.
Shortly after Wallace became prose-
cutting attorney Bill Ryan, one of the
most trusted of the James gang, rob-
bed United States paymaster of sew
eral thousand dollars near Mussel
Shoals. Tenn. A few days later he ap-
peared in Nashville, and was arrested,
charged with drunkenness. Wallace
saw the notice of Ryan's arrest and
wired the officials to hold him pend
ing a requisition from Gov. Crittenden,
and Deputy Marshal Wing Keshlear
was sent to bring him to Missouri.
Keshlear reached Jackson county while
the grand jury was in session; an in
dictrnent was found charging Ryan
with completely in the Glendale rob-
berry He made a bitter fight, but the
nleshes Wallace had drawn around him
We're too strong to he broken, and he
received a twenty sentence.
This was the first real important cap