The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-11
KILLING OF JESSE JAMES
NEW VERSION OF THE TRAGEDY,
WITH PECULIAR FEATURES.
Luther james. q Cousin, Corrects Ac-
cepted History and Adds Sem
satfonaI Chapters.


city lie related last night what he says
is an entirely new and the only authentic
account Of the killing of Jesse James by
Bob Ford which, he insists, was April 3,
and not April 13 ISL. Mr.. James says he
had charge of the body OF his cousin after
the killing. and accompanied it 10 Kear-
ney. the old Samuels homestead, where
the burial took place, and from which the
body was disinterred and removed Satur-
day TO it's final resting place in the Kearney
cemetery.
Il will try TO cut out all the prelim-
inaries and attendant circumstances Of a
general character. which are so well known
in connection with Jesse's DEATH said Mr.
James. and give you what is a correct
historical record Of events as I know them
TO have occurred"
He then entered upon the narrative. be-
ginning with the compact which he claimed
existed between Mrs. Bolton, her brothers,
Bob and Charlie Ford; the then Governor
Of the State. Thomas T. Crittenden, and
Police Commissioners Craig, of Kansas
City. with. perhaps. others. by which the
Fords were to receive the reward and par
don. exemption from prosecution from
al past and previous acts, according to his
belief.
MIS- Bolton. you know, was sister OF
the Fords, who lived near Richmond, Mo,
on a farm" he began. Jesse James visited
the Ford family before and after the civil
war, and he knew Bob Ford from infancy.
ON Jesses visit home in the fall Of 1881
Jesse called at the Ford home and there
met Mrs. Bolton, who told him that her
brother. Bob Ford, was 'broke'-had no
u1Oney-and that she had secreted him in
the woods Jesse said: Charlie is at my
home in st. Joseph. / left him there on my
visit among my old friends in Missouri.
FFrllrn into he
brother Bob is in hiding and l will take
him back 10 my home in St Joe, and he can
live there with me, my wife and his brother
Charlie
MRS. BOTTOMS PART.
1.-THE great secret of this whole affair.""
said Mr.. James. breaking in his narrative.
'fs that at this very time Mrs. Bolton had
an understanding with the Governor of
Missouri that Bob and Charlie Ford were
TO be freed from blame and exempt from
prosecution for any past or future offense
If they killed Jesse James. Bob was to
take this news to Charlie and Mrs. Bolton
was assisting them in the plot.
Mrs. Bolton took Jesse to Bob's hiding
place" he resumed, land when they had
found Bob Jesse said: Bob, will take you
TO my own home and you live with your
brother Charlie and me- In going 10 st.
Joseph Jesse and Bob passed the old Sam
Uels homestead near Kearney. Mrs. Sam
uels, Jesse's mother. while talking with
Jesse, expressed suspicion of Bob Ford on
account of his actions. With mothers in
tuition she suspected that her son was in
danger, and that harm would come to him
through Bob Ford. whom she distrusted In
Jesse's presence she asked Bob:
What are you trying to do with my
SOM
Bob replied: I am going to his home to
I'VE with him and my brother Charlie
Then he pointed his finger heavenward and
added: ! pledge you my word to God / am
his best friend
Mrs. Samuels said TO this You don't
look like you are dressed right to be that
kind of "a man.
That night Bob and Jesse slept in the
stable at the Samuels home. While there
Jesse noticed the name Craig on Bob's
derwear He asked Bob what Craig
meant and why he had il on his underwear.
We'll. Bob stalled him some way-I don't
know just what explanation he gave but
Jesse did not know that that was the name
OF Craig, the police commissioner at Kan
Sas City. and that Craig was i'm the agree
ment at that very time. He had given the
underwear to Bob Ford while Bob was hid
ing around Kansas City, out of money and
in need Of clothing.
Jesse never rode i'm the DAYTIME but
when he and Bob started on for st. Joe it
was at night, and they arrived at Jesse's
home. on the bluff above Worlds Hotel,
In st. Joe at night or early in the morning.
After their arrival there Bob explained the
understanding that he and his sister had
with the Governor and others They were
TO kill Jesse and get the reward and pardon
Tor Whatever charges there were or might
be against them. In other words. they were
10 be exonerated- God only knows what the
reward was, because II was fixed by meet
ing OF railroad presidents at the Southern
Hotel in st. Louis. and nobody outside of
the railroad officials and those on the in
side ever knew IL was a secret that has al
ways been carefully guarded. Jesse and
Bob Ford went down to the hotel to get the
newspapers. Jesse bought a copy of a Kan
sas City paper. and, folding it, put 1t into
his overcOat pocket without looking at il.
The paper had an article with a large head
ing: The Mysterious Bob Is Going to Kill
Jesse James: Who Can Mysterious Bob
Be? Jesse did not see this, but Bob Ford
did as soon as they got back home, and
realized then that IL the plan was to be
carried out Jesse must not be allowed TO see
the paper. He told Charlie that Jesse must
be shot before he saw that article. Jesse's
wife was cleaning house and Jesse started
TO help her Jesse James, jr., who was
then little boy, was sent out of the room
by Bob Ford TO grind coffee for his mother
for breakfast. Jesse had taken off his re-
volvers and laid them on the bed in the
room where he was helping his wife hang
or take down a picture from the wall. and
laid his coat over them. As he was reach
ing up toward the wall, with his back
turned. Bob Ford fired the shot into Jesses
head that killed him. Jesse heard the click
OF the weapon as 1t was cooked and half
turned. but the bullet struck him in a vital
spot and he fell. Frank James at this time
was an outlaw and was not about.
NO LIMBS To THE BODY
Il was living at Kansas City at the time.
and as soon as learned OF Jesse's assassi-
nation I went to st. Joseph to take charge
of the body. Some of my relatives were too
good to go or TO have anything to do with
the family, but l was not / took the body
TO Kearney and attended 10 the funeral ar
rangements, the State paying the expenses.
When l arrived at Kearney with the body
/ found that Jesse's half brother. Johnny
SamuelS. had been TO party and had been
shot by man through jealousy on account
OF a girl. may say here that Johnny after
wards won the girl whom he married. and
the couple are living a quiet religious life
on farm with several little Samuels about
their hreside.
well. Sheriff Timberlake and I were
compelled to carry the casket into the
room. The doctors there attending johnny
Samuels refused admittance 10 every one
else Sheriff Timberlake had direct charee
OF the casket We placed il close alongside
Johnnys bed. so that he could see the face
Of his dead brother when the casket Was
opened Mr.. James then made a sensa-
tiOnal statement He said:
The casket was the same width at both
To our horror We found there We're no
limbs 10 the body: the limbs had been taken
of at St Joseph"
HAD you not noticed a difference in the
weight OF casket at the ends-that il was
lighter ar one end than the other-when
you carried IL into the house, Mr. James
was asked.
No. We didn't notice anything wrong IN
III the casket vas opened ne replied