The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-19

(From the Kansas City s,ar.)

Trom the Kansas City Star0
The Kansas City of the period begin
ming with the close Of the Civil War
and into the first years OF the sos was
subject to excitements from causes that.
happily, have passed away Those were
the DAYS when Jesse James and his band
Of outlaws robbed and murdered with
freedom a later generation finds hard
to understand.
The region surrounding the city ire.
ouently was the scene Of their criminal
exploits. The officers OF the Ia" were
or the alert. but the murderers escaped.
This was not because the officers were
in collision with the outlaws or were not
In earnest and did not try to DO thelr
duty, but because OF certain friendliness
and sympathy among the country peopio
for Jesse James and his companions
which had its origin In the associations,
hatreds and passions of the war. on &C
count of this, though the sheriffs. win
their posses, searched and sought and
wore themselves out with hard riding by
night and by day. their efforts were
futile.
Many steady. middle-aged man now
IN Kansas City has keen recollectlons OF
how. in the days OF his youth. ne roae
with a posse on a hunt for Jesse James
This writer, too. once rode on such
quest. one morning early In the ss
the city heard of the robbery OF Chi-
ca 20 and Alton express train at the Blue
cut a few miles to the east. inc oe-
tails in the morning papers showed the
robbery to have been the work OF such
masters Of deviltry rs only Jesse James
and his gang could lay claim to be. Citl-
.ans discussed the affair with their fam
ii,es nj breakfast, gathered in knots to
stalk about 1t on the way down town, ana
avery office and store soon hummen WIN
II There were rumors Of posses FORMING
and from somewhere an invitation came
to the writer to Join one which ne ac-
repted with enthusiasm, Tor ne was
Young then and just foolish enough 70
Shut his eyes. sail In, and gran danger
by the tail. ,.,o,, II
This posse assembled at o'clock IN
,,,o AFTERNOON in front of the old police
headouarters at Fourth and Main streets
Twenty-four young men were we, all OF,
horseback. The rabble gathered ana
ieered at us. Chief speers looked OUT
,;non us from the window or MS den -
the second story, and smile sp'ehu a.,
over his kind old face. Reporters erlni.ea
and tool, hasty notes, which reappeared
,s paragraphs in the afternoon papers,
cruel and sarcastic paragraphs hhey
we're, hut for all that the reporters slzeu
ne IN nretty accurately for what we were
worth and what we would ACCOMPLISH,
We were impressively sworn IN as oe'
nutles of some kind. Whether as sheillts,
constables, or metropolitan police 90 no'
know now, and do not think Kne" co
ac,,v At the time. When each man OF us
was given a heavy doubled barreled,
breach loading shotgun and twenty shells
loaded with buckshot. ] cannot recall
where the others stored this ammunition;
nohody had a cartridge belt, but as for
myself deposited mine, after loading In
the tall pockets of a prince Albert coat
was wearing. ] wore those long-talled
nominations In those days constantly
on account of the nature and grown-up
appearance they gave the 'wearer
The posse moved up Main Street looking
AS dangerous and serious as 1t knew how
That posse was dangerous too, especially
So 10 itself 1t was a squad of awkward
riders hampered with those unwleldedly
shotguns. But the Lord took care Of us
through the city streets and also tooS
care of the bystanders. In the southern
suburbs we divided into two parties. Ono
yeered off to the southeast with design
10 cross the Blue and patrol the country
bet ween Independence and Raytown This
party was commanded by wal'like attor-
ney. for whom the name OF Major Fro
cure Bacon will do as well as any other.
1t would be unktHu nv " S'No ne 's''
name The other party. OF which the
writer was member. rode to the south
over road which correspondent in gen
eral location and direction with the
Troost Avenue OF to-day, Our captain
was police commissioner at the time
and was in dead earnest In his persistent
efforts to break up the James gang, No
succession OF disheartening or ridiculous
failures discouraged him or caused him
to cease trying his best to rid the country
of the outlaws. In the final undoing Of
Jesse James he was CHIEF factor. means
after means he tried u7tll az !ast me rod
Der went down.
iority of the members of that particular
posse. There was a glamor about the
thing that made it attractive. The invita-
ton to join was most catering reeoG-
milton of qualities that every youth likes