The Washington herald., 1914-07-27
FAMOUS OUTLAW
TRIES TO FORGET
Frank James Is Now a Berry
Picker, Leading Simple
Life in West.
DRIVEN TO KILL AND ROB
Brother of Notorious Jesse. Now Sew
enty Years Old. Asks Only to
Live in Peace.
DRIVEN TO KILL AND ROB

Tacoma. July 2S-'Thcre has been
much in my life that l don't want to
think Of-would to God could forget It
YSa.s before ! quit the old life l was as
uTed OF 1t as the other people"
The speaker was Frank James, modern
Robin Hood. brother OF Jesse James, the
outlaw, and at present a berry picker at
Edgewood Wash. The place was G. w.
GlazebroOk's grocery store in Tacoma;
the time, this week.
I'VE got into it, and II was our lives
against money. We have been hunted
like the wolves OF the prairie.
How His Career Began.
Il could not write the history Of my
life in five years. / have only a short
time to live, anyhow, and money is no
more to me than dust under my feet /
am going to live a quiet life"
Il asked Frank James how he got
started on his criminal career" said Mr..
Glazebrook. the grocer. He said IL was
the abuse he had received at the hands
Of the men who had killed his father
all through suspicion they were harbor-
ing Southern soldiers. He said he and
Jesse got twenty-one OF them and that
God Almighty got the other.
After six detectives. as James calls
them, had thrown a bomb into their
house. killing his younger brother and
wounding his mother. the James boys
men. They asked them what they would
do IL they met the James boys.
I'VE would stick them on the end
of our guns the men replied.
You are talking to Jesse James right
now and that is my brother. Frank.
standing there said Jesse. They pleaded
for their lives. but the James boys told
them they had shown no mercy to their
brother or their mother.
Frank JAMES smiled when telling OF
the detectives. They thought all they
on the shoulders and tell US to come
along he said. They never got back.
$4,000 Robbery.
"Of all their work Frank James con-
siders the NOrthfield robbery the biggest
Two banks were lifted and more than
$50 900 in cash taken. The two Cobb
brothers and a man named Mitchell lost
their lives Jim Younger was seriously
injured, and Frank James lost the most
of his hand.
Jesse James was killed by Bob Ford
in September of 1852 while hanging up a
picture Of himself and Frank in their
house. Frank surrendered in October,
1852, and after two years was released
on parole.
Several years later, disguised as a
cowboy, he met Bob Ford in a Kansas
City dance hall He offered to treat the
crowd and stepped up to the bar. Ten
dollars was laid down on the counter
Ford returned $3.50. Frank Jones told
him who he was. What followed Is a
matter of history.
James told me that when he was in
TQrODna asked
him to take charge of blowing the safes
of the National Bank Of Commerce and
the Fidelity Trust Company's bank I
told them. said James, that I did not
want TO have anything to do with the
work. That had never been in 1t for
money, and that had given all that up
years ago
"BeInE on the Train.
James always speaks of his adven-
lures as being on the trail He says
that instead Of using masks they had
a dark stain. After the job was over
they removed the stain quickly and
changed clothes. often joining in the pur-
suit Of the bandits.
They never robbed or abused wom-
en-, children, or the poor" James says.
while many a riece of stray jewelry
or money has been found fastened to
the doorknob of some house. They
confined their attentions mainly to
train and bank robberies after the war
was over.
Frank James will be seventy years
next March, he says. He has wife
four married children, and a sixteen
year-old daughter living at Blaine.
During the winter he works as donkey
engineer in the logging camps near
Tacoma. In summer he picks berries.
He Is slim, has a gray mustache, Is
six feet tall, and is cool and collected.
slow spoken, and apparently easy go
ing. He seems to have very little OF
the Missouri dialect He Is courteous
but reserved, and while friendly does
not force himself forward"