The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1902-07-03
SLEEPS IN 4 NEW GRAVE.
Body Of Jesse James Disinterred and
Re-Buried Sunday.
Kansas City star, Sota.

Kansas City star, Sota.
The bones uf Jesse James, the ban
dit, were dug MP Sunday from the
grave in which they had rested for
twenty years in the door ward of his
mothers home. aud were put in a
nov coffin and taken To the cemetery
ar kehrnev and buried.
When Jesse James was killed hy
Bob Ford twenty years ago. Mrs.
Iarelda Samuels. his mother, took
the body and buried it in a corner of
her door yard beneath a giant coffee
bean tree. She buried her son there
instead of in the cemetery. because
she feared that the body would be
stolen. For twenty years the moth
or OF the notorious bandit watched
his grave. Last fall she left the old
home farm and went to live at the
hotel in kearney, three miles away.
The farm was rented, and the ones
who rented it charged - cents TO
visitors who drove out from Excel
sior Springs to see the grave. This
incensed the old lady and she decided
to have the body taken up and buri-
ed in the cemetery.
The body lay exactly as it was put
into the coffin twenty years ago.
The eform Of the body was there in life
size The hands were folded ACROSS
the breast. the flesh was gone from
them, hut the bones were vet united
by tendons. The black suit of cloth
ing looked as fresh and clean as il it
were new. The coat was buttoned
up to the chin, the trousers we're
creased and the stockinged feet of the
dead bandit stuck up from below the
trousers bottoms, as they did the
day he was buried. The flesh OF the
face was gone, hut the full beard was
there as natural as life, and the hair
was upon the scalp.
John Samuels. half brother of the
dead man, stopped down and turned
the head to one side to look for the
hole of the bullet fred by Bob Ford.
As he turned the skull sideways there
was the Jagged hole in the skull Just
behind the left ear. 1t was a bullet
hole. the bone was crushed inward.
The bullet'did not come out the op-
pOsite side of the head, Mr.. -Samnels
looked for hole there but there Was
none.
Frank James was sick in bed at the
hotel in kearnev when the pail bear
ers arrived from Kansas City on the
2 o'clock train. These were Hi
George, Of Oak Grove; Sim Whitsett.
of Lees Summit; Frank Gregg, Of
Grain Valley; William Gregg. of Kan
sas City; Warren Welch, of Tndepen-
dence, and Ben Morrow. of Lake City.
These men had fought with Frank
and Jesse James in Quantrell's guer-
rila band. They had known and
protected Frank and Jesse James.
when by saving one word they could
have earned a reward Of $50. 600 Of
fered by the state When they left
the train they went to the hotel and
to the room where Frank James Law
in bed. Heannounced his determina-
tiOn of getting up at once. no mat
ter what the consequences. And he
did get up and dressed, first ordering
an early dinner for all hands. AT
11:30 O'Clock all started in carriages
for the old James home. They reach
ed there at | o'clock. The coffin was
borne from the parlor down the gar
den path between rows OF blooming
hollyhocks and scarlet poppies to
the hearse at the gate. 1t was car
ried by the six old guerrillas. Behind
it walked Frank James, head uncov-
cred, shoulders bowed. with weak
steps Behind him walked Jesse
James. ir. They were the only ones.
Mrs Samuels sat upon the porch and
watched.
CROWD AT THE CEMETERY.
1t was a drive OF three miles to the
cemetery. There was gathered a
great crowd. The open grave was
between the graves of Mrs. Jesse
James and Archie Samuels, the child
half-brother of Jesse James, who was
killed by a dynamite bomb thrown
by Pinkerton detectives in the old
turbulent times. Into this grave the
bones of Jesse James were lowered
and the earth was filed in. There