The Washington herald., 1908-05-10

tous brotherhood of butchery
The exploits Of the guerrillas. in which
Jesse soon took active part, were almost
beyond belief In their reckless daring,
their frenzied brutality The affair at
Centralia illustrates the actuating spirit.
One day-it was September a. IS64-a
train bearing twenty-four Federal soldiers
rolled into the little station. Upon the
platform awaited Bill Anderson. one Of
Quantrells most savage followers, and
enough Of his associates to oYeTawe the
soldiers. The twenty-fOur were marched
out OF their car. stood in a line. and
slaughtered to a man.
Soon after 300 troops under Maj. John
son sought to punish this deed, and ap-
preached a rendezvous where there were
262 Of the guerrillas
Johnson adopted suicidal tactics. Evil
IDENTIFY he did not understand Quantrell's
way. He caused his men TO dismount
and thus they stood awaiting the on
sisught
On came the guerrillss ike a whiriwind
They could not be withstood. Human
courage could not endure against these
grinning devils who rode with teeth
barred and holding the Telns.
After one volley the troops fled. They
were pursued as foxes are pursued, and
Of the 300 only eighteen escaped. The
rest were not wounded. They were dead.
4 Butcher of Men.
In this charge Jesse James. having the
best horse, was in the lead 1t was bull
let from his unerring revolver that laid
poor johnson low, and many others were
accredited to him that dreadful day.
The guerrillss lost four men. Such was
their usual fortune
BY experiences Of this kind Jesse James
was hardened. He was a butcher Of men,
At one time. disguised as a girl, he vis-
tied a resort 10 which Federal officers
were in the habit of repairing. He pre-
tended that. with three other girls, he
would be at the place that night
The lure was held out to the officers
and they we're on hand. No girls came
but instead a dozen guerrillas, led by
Jesse James, and. shooting through win
dows, they slew nine unsuspecting officers
and fed
The attempts sat exaltatiOn Of Jesse
James do net even touch lightly upon
such episodes as this. Appreciation Of
the fact that his nature had a kindly side
cannot efface the memory of tfeachery
Sf pistolIng the mamed and helpless
These Infamous men even took to scalp
Ing their victims
Crime without Parallel.
An incident characteristics OF Jesse
James nay be related here. After the
war. travelling in Tennessee. he found the
widow Of an old eomrade.
It happened that a mortgage upon her
home was 10 be foreclosed that day. and
she was momentarily expecting the sher-
III 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 II 70 her.
Then he secreted himself by the road
side watched the officials and the lender
arrive and depart, and. stepping from
ambush with leyeled pistols. made them
disg0rge the entire amount. with which
he went on his way happy in having
saved the widows home at the cost Of
trifiing Inconvenience not in itself dis
agreeable.
After the war James found that he was
prescribed. a marked man. with q reward
on his head. He had been soreiy wound
ed and before the wound was healed
was driven away.
He was out OF the state az one time for
a year, and his mother was made an ex-
lie. She came back TO her farm and 20
persecution.
James, whose father had been a Baptist
a man of excellent heart and
morals was baptized into that church. /
and his people claim that his conversion /
was real. and his after life not inconsist-
ent with his avowed faith. However. it !
can hardly be denied that he led a career (
OF crime without parallel.
-eaa
men. His existence was one long scheme /
Of hiding his identity
Some who knew him would not betray /
him because they admired his courage. /
considered the peculiar experiences or /
which he was the outgrowth. and. truth 1
TO tell. were proud of the confidence Of !
the bandit. Others were afraid to tell /
what tley knew, for they were aware I
that the chances were against the cap
ture Of James and that his enmity would /
be a constant shadow over them
Had No Bad Habits.
Jesse James had no bad habits" He 1
did not drink nor even use tobacco His !
mother always claimed that he was will 4
ing to take up honestly and with hearty /
good will the duties Of peaceful citizen /
ship.
Be that as it may. the fact remains
that there was no opportunity for him to
do so. From 1856 TO 1859. when the bullet /
Of a despicable and cowardly pal laid him |
low. his surrender would have meant 4
prison or death, and he had Wild love 1
Of liberty.
When fully launched upon his criminal I
course, Jesse James had with him Bill 4
q md
Of the Younger brothers. as we'll as some /
others, including his own brother Frank. /
Frank has been for many years now /
reputable. law-abiding individual He al 4
ways lacked initiative. and never had I
1.-THE of the singular ability OF Jesse.
The first act known TO have been COM
nitted by the gang was the robbery Of 1
bank at COrydOn, Iowa. bold and open /
raid, which the perpetrators announced /
10 gathering Of citizens as they rode 4
away firing their pistols
In July, 1873 they robbed a train on the |
c, R. I. & p. near Council Bluffs. muir /
fering an unarmed engineer. At intervals /
followed the robbery on the Iron Noun
-ain, netting $4,000: one on the Union Pa
,ihc, where the loo5 was $50. 000 and an
other with a s17Oo0 haul on the Missouri
Pacific.
In each instance there was displayed
utter indifference as to the killing of
rainmen or passengers, although possibly
IN inclination to leave a few dead to lend
&C. the occasion.
The example cf Jesse James and the
endency of dime novel literature to make
him hero inspired many to initiate him.
N this way he was held responsible for
many robberies with which he could have
lad no connection. Indeed, as ne lay
lead in ST. Joseph, the newspapers of the
lay charged against him a robbery COM
nitted in Texas
NOrthfieId Bank Robbery.
With sporadic outbreaks the James
sang did nothing especially notable after
he Missouri Pacific robbery until Sep
ember, 1876, when they undertook to