Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1908-05-29

day. The guerrllas lost four men. Such
was their usual fortune By expert
ences of this kind Jesse James was
hardened. He was butcher OF men.
Crime Without Parallel.
An Incident characteristic Of Jesse
James may be related here. After the
war, travelling in Tennessee. he found
the widow of an old comrade. 1t hap
pened that a mortgage upon her home
was to be foreclosed that day, and she
was momentarily expecting the Sheriff
and the money lender. The sum she
needed was $500. Jesse had this with
him, but no more, and he was far from
home. but he gave it to her. Then he
secreted himself by the roadside, watch.
ed the officials and the lender arrive
and depart. and stepping from ambush
with leveled pistols. made them dis
gorge the entire amount, with which he
went on his way, happy In having saved
the widows home at the cost Of a tri-
fling Inconvenience not in Itself disa.
greeable.
When fully launched upon his crlml-
nal course. Jesse had with him Bill An
derson, the Centralia butcher, and four
or the Younger brothers. as well as
some others, including his own brother
Frank. Frank has been for many years
now a reputable, law-abidng individ-
ual. He always lacked initiative, and
never had tithe of the singular abil-
ity OF Jesse. The first act known tn
have been committed by the gang was
the robbery of bank at Corydon. Iowa
bold and omen raid, which the per.
petrators announced to gathering Of
citizens as they rode away. firing their
pistols. In July. 1873, they robbed Il
train on the G. r. l. & P. near Council
Bluffs, numbering an unarmed engi-
neer. At intervals followed a robbery
on the Iron Mountain, netting $4,000 !;
one on the Union Pacific, where the
loot was $4,000, and another with Il
$4,000 haul on the Missouri Pacific. In
each instance there was displayed ut
ter Indifference as to the killing OF
trainmen or passengers, although pos
sibly an inclination to leave few dead
to lend impressiveness to the occasion.
With sporadic outbreaks the James
gang did nothing especially notable
after the Missouri Pacific robbery un.
til September, 1875, when they under.
took to rob a bank at Northfield, MINI.
The citizens fought a good fight upon
learning that the bank cashier had been
killed. Bill Chadwell, Clell Miller and
Charley Pitts were shot to death and
Bob and Jim Younger, with Jesse
James, were wounded, The wounded
Youngers, together with their brother
Cole. were captured and sentenced to
prison for life. Bob died in prison,
Cole and Jim were pardoned in 1901,
and a year later Cole committed sui
eide. Frank James managed to get the
Injured Jesse into Dakota and away.
| Killed by Treachery.
Such life as Jesse James led was
bound to culmlnate in tragedy. Gov
ernor Crittenden, of Missouri, disgusted
at the futile efforts of officers and de-
tectives to take him, offered reward
of $4,000 for his capture. One Bob"
Ford, with his brother Charles, deter
mined to secure this sum. They had
won the confidence Of the outlaw, the
solitary Instance, perhaps, in which his
Judgment OF men led him astray. These
boys had the freedom of the James
home. They were both there one warm
day in 1882 Because of the heat Jesse
had removed coat and vest and then laid
aside his arms, lack Of precaution he
had never before been known to exhib-
It. Observing that picture on the
wall was askew, he mounted chair
to adjust It. This gave the Fords their
chance. They had edged between Jesse
James and the bed on which lay his
pistols. Bob then shot him in the back
Of the head. There were few gasps
and Jesse James, bandit and outlaw
was dead. He lived just long enough
to be gathered into the arms of his
wife. The revolver that was used for
his undoing had been his own gift Ia
the man who used 1t. The Fords go;
their money, pardon from the Gov
ernor and the detestation of even the
enemies Of Jesse James. Thereafter
they, knewAno peace There was nout
so mean as to extend hand to them
Charles Ford committed suicide II
Richmond. There were no mourners
Bob Ford drifted to Colorado, became
an unwelcome habitue Of gamblins
, halls and was shot in drunken brawl
For long there has hung In the Sam
uels home framed scroll bearing thi.
Inscription:
In Loving Remembrance of my Beloved
. Son
, JESSE W. JAMES
Died Anrfl q 1882