The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1914-09-23
FRANK JAMES,
The Outlaw of Old Days Now
Leads a Quiet Life.

| don't want to think of-would TO God
| could forget it. Years before | quit
the old life was as tired of it as the
other people,"
The speaker was Frank James, mod
ern Robin Hood, brother of Jesse James,
the outlaw, and at present berry pick
er at Edgewood, Wash. The place was
G. w. Glazebro ok's grocery, in Tacoma,
one day last week.
"We got into it and it was our lives
against money" said Mr.. James.
Suffered! We have been hungry
with our pockets full of money; have
been hunted like the wolves of the prai-
rie.
Il could not write the history of my
life in five years. l have only a short
time to live, anyhow. and money is no
more to me than the dust under my feet.
| am going to live quiet life."
''The first knew that Frank James
was in this part of the country" said
Mr.. Glazebrook, the grocer, ''was when
| received crate of berries with f. e.
James written on the end. | asked Mr..
Hildgren, the rancher, about it and he
said he would take me out to see James
any time wanted 10 go.
1--WE found James sitting in the door
of his cabin, dressed like logger AS
we came close he stood up. L am very
glad to see you, sir. he said, as Mr..
Hildgren introduced us. After while
Mr.. Hildgren left. told him l was
from Kentucky and he seemed to know
how to take me then. This was two
weeks ago. Last Friday he came into
Tacoma and spent five days with me.
II asked him how he got started in
this work. He said it was the abuse he
had received at the hands of the men
who had killed his father-all through
suspicion that they were harboring the
Southern soldiers. He said he and Jesse
got 81 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
dressed as cowboys and overlook the
men. They asked them what they would
do if they should meet the James boys.
1--WE would stick them on the ends of
our guns, the men replied.
"'You are talking 10 Jesse James right
now, and that is my brother Frank stand
ing there said Jesse. They pleaded for
their lives, but the James boys told
them they had shown no mercy 10 their
young brother or to their mother.
Frank James smiled when telling of
the detectives. They thought all they
had to do was to come over there, pat us
on the shoulders and tell US to come
aleng,' he said. They never got back
themselves
''Of all their work Frank James con-
siders the Northfield robbery the big
gest. Two banks were lifted and over
$50, 900 in cash taken. The two Cobb
brothers and a man named Mitchell lost
their lives. Jim Younger was seriously
wounded AMI Frank James lost the most
of one hand.
"Jesse James was killed by Bob Ford
in Sept, 1882, while hanging up pic
ture of himself and Frank in their house.
Frank surrendered in October. 1882, and
after two years he was released on pa
role.
Several years later, disguised as a
cowboy, he met Bob Ford in Kansas
City dance hall. He offered TO treat the
crowd and stepped up TO the bar. Ten
dollars were laid on the counter. Ford
returned $3.50 Frank James told him
who he was. What followed is mat
ter of history
"James told me that when he was in
Tacoma two years ago some men asked
him to take charge of blowing the safes
of the National Bank of Commerce and
the Fidelity Trust Co.'S bank. L told
them. said James, that did not want
to have anything to do with the work;
that had never been in it for money
and that had given all that up years
ago.
flames 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 pursuit of
the bandits.
'They nveer robbed or abused wo-
men, children or the poor. He said:
While many stray piece of jexelry or
money has been fastened TO the door
knob of some house. They confined
their attention mainly to train and bank
robberies after the war was over.
Frank James will be 10 years old
next March. He has wife, four mar
ried children and l6-year-old daughter
living at Blaine. During the winter he
works as donkey engineer in the logging
camp near Tacoma. In the summer he
picks berries.
He is slim, has gray mustache, is
six feet tall and is cool and collected,
slow-spoken and apparently easy going
He seems to have very little of the Mis-
sourian dialect. He is courteous, but
reserved, and while friendly, does not
force himself forward"
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