The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-28
julian Street Found Him to BE a Tame Lion Who Loved
to discuss Ethics and Morality--How Ex-Outlaw
Spent His lime on the Homestead in Missouri

IN Julian Streets clever book of
American travel. Abroad at
Home recently published by the
Century Company. he devotas
a chapter to describing a visit to
Frank James and the James home
read IN Missouri. where the famous
bandit recently died "A peac ful death.
The James farm. says Mr.. Street,
occupies a pretty bit OF rolling land,
az one corner of which. ear the road,
Frank James has built himself a neat,
substantial frame house.
before the house is a large gate.
hearing a sign as follows:
JAMES FARMS
HOME OF M JAMES
JESSE AM FRANZ
ADMISSION soc.
koDAKs Barred
that word barred Is not bad proof
reading. 1t was spelled like hat on
the sign,
As We moved in the direction OF the
house a tall, slender old man with a
large hooked hose and a white beard
and mustache walked toward us. lie
was dressed in an exceedingly neat
suit and wore a large black felt hat
IL the typ common throughout Mis-
suori Coming up. he greeted our
escort cordially. after which We were
introduced. II was Frank James.
The former outlaw IS a shrewd
boxing, well preserved man, whose
carriage. despite his s~eVenty-one
Years. IS notably erect. He looks
nor like a prosper, us farmer or the
president Of a rural bank than like
a bandit. In his manner there is a
strong mote of the Snowman. 1t is
not at all Objectionable. but il is there
n the same way that il Is there In
Buffalo Bill. Frank James is an in.
tercsting figure: on meeting him yot
see al once hat h. knows that he
= an interesting figure and that n
trades upon the fact. lie is clearly
an intelligent man. but he has beer
looked at and listen d TO for so many
years as a kind of curiosity tina
ne has the air of going through hi.
tricks for one-of getting of a lin,
~ practised patter. 1t is pretty goo,
natter as patter goes inclininS I,
ufNisill'lls 'lfE al NV hplil'AN thl4
lasuphy. delivered in an assured plat
form manner
r. may he well here to remind IN
raider OF the history OF the Jane
gang.
The father and mother Of the boys
came from Kentucky to Missouri. TIL
father was a Baptist minister and
~slavcholder. He died before the wal
and his widow married a man name
Samuels. by whom shn had severa
children.
From tho year 1886 Missouri. whic'
VA. a slave state. warrcd with Kan
sar. which was a free state. an
there was much harhari'y along IN
border. The "Jayhawkers." or Kan
sis cuerril,as. would make fnrlys int
Missouri. stealing cat'lr. hurnin
houses and committing all m nm = al
deprcdations: and lawloss gangs e.
Missourians W uld ret.llatc in kind %
Kanas. Among the most appallin
c%utthroats on the NJ ssouri side W.
q a named Qulrtrc,l, h ad of tn
Quantrell gang q body of guerrilla
which sometimes numbered upw1r
o, a thousand men. Tho James boy
were members OF this gang, Fran
James Joining 1t at the opening OF IN
evil war and Jesse two years latel
a. the age a. 16. In speaking Of join
ing Quantrell. Frank James spoke 81
going into the army" Quantre
was. however a mere border rufiia
and was dlsowned by the Confederat
army.
According TO Frank james. guam
troll. who was born In Canal Dove
OHIO. went west. with his brother,
settle. In Kansas they were set upo
nv "layhawkers' ana "Redlcgs, Wit
ne result that QuantrellS hrothc
vas killed and that Qu1ntrcN hlmse
vas wounded and left for dead. n
was however, nursrd To Life Ia
a Nez pcrCo Indian. Wncn he r"coN
cred he became determined to hav
revenge upon the klnsans. To tht
end he affected 10 be in sympath
with them, and joined some OF the
m|arauding bands. When he had Is
,ablished himself in their conhdenS