The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-28

nc used to get himself sent out on
scouting expeditions with one or we
other men, and 1t WAS his amiable
custom upon such Occasions to kill
his companions and return with a
story of an attack by the enemy in
which the others lhao met death. At
last, when he had played this trick
so often that he feared detection. he
determined TO get himself clear of his
fellows. \ plan had been maturcd
FOR an attack upon the house of a rich
suvehoider. Quantrell went to the
house in advance. betrayed the plan
and arranged to join forces with the
defenders. This resulted in the death
of his seven pr eight companions. At
about this time the war came on. and
Quantrell became a famous guerrilla
leader. falling on detached bodies OF
Northern troops and mlssacring them
and e attacking iOwns-one of his
worst offences having been the mas
saCrc of most of the male inhabitants
OF "a rence. Kan. He gave as the
reason for his atrocities mis- desire
for revenge for the death of his
brother. and also used to aliegc that
he was a Southerner. though that was
not true.
| asked Frank James how he came
to join Quantrell when the wal broke
out, instead OF existing in the regular
army.
W knew he was not a very fine
character he explained. but we were
like the followers OF villa or Huerta:
We wanted to destroy the Folks that
wanted I destroy us. and we would
follow any man that would show us
how to do 1t. Besides. | was young
then. When a man is young lis blood
is hot: there's a million things he'll
do then that he won't do when he's
older. There's a story about a man
at a banquet. lie was offered cham
payne 10 drink. hut he said: I want
quick action. III take Bourbon
whiskey.' That was the way | felt,
That's why | Joined Quantrell: to get
quick action. And I got it. too. Jesse
and | We're with Quantrcll until he
was killed in Kentucky"
John Samue.S. a half brother Of the
James boys. told me the story " how
Jesse James c1me t. Join Quantrell.
Jesse was out %ploughiuC in a field,
he said. when some Northern soldier
cam, To the place 10 look for Frank
Jesse was only IL years old They
beat him up. Then they ven to th'
house and asked where Frank vas
Mother and father didn't know. bu
the soldiers wouldn't believe them
They took father out and hung hin
by the neck to a tree. After n whit
they took him down and gave HIN
another chance to tell. OF course h,
coulGn't. So they hung him up again
They did that three times. Then the'
took him back to the house and tol,
my mother they were going 70 shoe
him. She begged them not to do it
but they took him off in thu woods an,
nrcd on their guns So she'd hear. an
think they'd done il. Eut they didn'
shoot him. They Just took him owe
To- another town ami put him in jail
My mother didn't know until the mex
day that he hadn't been shot. b@caus
the soldiers ordered her To remain il
the house II she didn't want To &c
shot @ %
THAT was too much for Jesse. II
said: Nav, | can't stand il an,
long r, I'm going to Join Quantrell
And he dsd.'
After the war the wilder elemen
from the dishanded armies and guerrilla
gangs caused continued trouble. Grim
ran rampant along the bord r bctwco
Kansas and Missouri. And for man
crimes committed in the n~eighhnrhoo
in which they lived the James h1y'
who were known to he wild wer
blamed.
Mother always said declared NJ
Samuels. that Frank n Jess
wanted 10 settle down after tho wa
but that the n~ei"hhors wouldn't II
Z th.m. Everything hat went wron
around this region was always charge
To them. until, finally. they wer
= driven 10 ~outlawry.'
How much truth Is there in IN
different stories Of bank robber!es an
train rJbberies committed by them
r | asked.
81 don't know" he said. "Of cours
they did a lot Of things. But We neve