The Winslow mail., 1901-03-14
The Daring Jesse James.
Incidents in the Life of the Bandit
King Recalled.

the door and called out "St
Joe, " two men, sitting near each
other in the smoker, hastily
threw up the windows and
forcing themselves halfway out
looked up and down wisely and
excitedly, and. drawing in from
the frosty air, simultaneously
exclaimed: ''This is where Jesse
James lived"
On the high ground that
stretches southwark from the
beautiful convent grounds to the
old, historic Patee house, where
Gene Field,in his early literary
career, courted the muse, stands
house, once cut and defaced
by relic hunters, and saved only
by the vigilance of a special pa
troll. Thousands and thousands
of the city 's,strangers have stood
before it with mingled awe and
curiosity, taying to peek into
the room in which was enacted
one of the most cold-blooded
tragedies of the century.
The man who lived in that
house on the hill was known as
Mr.. Howard, and his wife, a re-
firing, modest woman, was a
member of the church and deep
lyreligious. He was, seemingly,
domestic, dressed plainly, gave
no sign of having either occupa-
tion or profession, and went and
came at his pleasure. He was
gentle, kind, liked by neighbors,
was extremely fond of little
children, who on all his walks
he would pet and caress; while
all who ever looked into his eyes
thought their expression so kind
and charming as to be almost
angelic.
One day this man, who always
keptpeople in front of his wonder
ful eyes, and who, to use the
words OF the sport, "never gave
one an opportunity to get the
drop on him." was hanging a
picture in one of the rooms of his
house, when he fell dead, from
the chair on which he was stand
ing, shot through the heart,
from behind; and his slayer.
holding a pistol from which the
smoke was still creeping, looked
down upon tho body of a man
whose name had been a house.
hold word on two continents, a
terror to the people Of Missouri
and the west.
Yes, Jesse James was dead al
last. Killed by his companion
and friend! Killed by Bob Ford
the only man whom he ever
trusted.
There was only one person il
St. Joseph, young woman, The
wife of a prominent travelling
man, to whom the news of Jesse
James death came like a bene
diction, for it unsealed lips that
had been closed for a year.
One night, when the shadows
were cut here and there by the
fickering lights OF the tower
she entered the drug store about
three blocks from her home tc
get something for her husband
who had just come home with a
high fever, when she overheard
two men talking about a rumo1
that Jesse James was in town,
the papers of that day having
contained full particulars of an,
other Of his celebrated raids and
train hoIdups. -
She grew alarmed and had
Just said to the druggist that she
was afraid to go home alone,
when who should step in but
Mr.. Howard. She knew him we'll.
was a near neighbor of his, and.
stepping up to him said: "Mr.
Howard, will you take me
home?" to which he nodded as
sent.
Outside the door she lost nc
time in telling him of her fright;
how she had just read about
Jesse James last raid and the
conversation she had heard ir
the drug store as to his being il
the city; the awful fear she had
of narhanS meeting that ferrihl Il