Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-13
PLACES HIS HONOR
ABOVE BIG SCOOP
ST. LOUIS NEWSPAPER MAN
SENDS RIVALS STORY OVER
TELEGRAPH WIRE. g
RECALLED BY DEATH
Interesting Incident OF The Old Days
Is Disclosed In Connection With
Recent Passing Of Frank
James. -t

Frank James is dead Cole Younger
is at liberty and the sensational crime
drama of the 70's has retired behind
the final ringing down of the curtain.
1t was 80 years ago last fall since
Jess James was shot in the back OF
the head at St. Joseph, Mo-, by Bob
Ford, an intimate personal associate to
earn $4,000 reward which Governor
Crittenden Of Missouri had offered for
the man, dead or alive. When Bob
Ford sold his soul for dollars he un.
consciously wiped out the gang which
had given Missouri unpleasant motor
iety. for Jesse James was the leader in
the insurgent move which had set itself
against the world writes C. r. Webb in
the st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
But this story has nothing to do with
the exploits of the so-called James
gang These things are matters of
history, which can be dealt with else
course of Governor Crittenden, who
/
considered stain on the good name Of
the state. 1t has simply to do with a
manifestation Of manhood and true
honor probably unparalleled in the his.
tory of newspaper work, and which
puts to the front hero who can easily
rank with "Napoleon's drummer boy
or any of the others who have shown
the quality of dead gameness" In the
story Of life
Decides to Surrender.
In the fall of 1882. when Bob Ford
perpetrated his unspeakable act at st.
Joseph, Frank James was farming in
Tennessee. He had decided to quit 1.-The
road" forever and live an honest life.
He thought he was hidden from the
public eye and could pursue his calling
indefinitely without molestation. But
when the news came to him of the
killing of Jesse, he knew that the fates
had turned-a new era was on and the
pursuit of the law was relentless. So
he determined to surrender and take
his chances
Means and ways were now only to be
considered. How should he go about
1t?
Communication must be had with
Governor Crittendon-but how? Going
over the roll OF men he knew In Mis-
souri, who were friendly to him, he
thought of Major John N. Edwards.
Everybody over 80 years old in Mis-
souri, remembers John N. Edwards, the
gallant confederate soldier, the bril-
liant writer, author of SHELBY and his
Men," editor at different times of the
old st. Louis Times, the Kansas City
Times and the St. Joseph Gazette, the
man who never failed friend or an
enemy" and undoubtedly the best
loved man in the state.
Surrender Is Arranged.
In some way Frank James got into
communication with Major Edwards
and plan was concocted by which
James should surrender to Governor
Crittenden and stand trial. Details Of
the negotiations are not known-never
will be known--for Edwards passed !
over the great divide long ago and now
Frank is gone. But it is almost certain ,
that the generous heart of Governor
Crittenden granted that enough blood
had been shed and he was willing to
make kindly terms with the remaining
brother of the bandit gang.
Whether terms were explicitly made |
or there was only tacit agreement !
is not known, but the facts are that !
Frank James wrote most eloquent |
letter to the governor, offering to sur
render; that this reached Governor
Crittenden, was favorably considered;
that details were arranged and meet
ings of mutual friends were held: that |
James surrendered, some sort of trial
was held, but he was never punished
and had led decent and honest life
for over 30 years until claimed by
DEATH
The Newspaper End.
These are the main facts and what
the public knows. The unique, one
might say remarkable, newspaper end
of 1t remains.
Frank R. O'Neil was then a promi-
nent figure on the st. Louis Republi-
can, now the Republic. In some way
he got into the game and aided James
and Edwards in arranging the details.
Whether he or Edwards wrote the re-
markable letter to the governor Is not
known Both werem asters of English
and James was not. Whoever wrote
It, it was historic document, worthy
to rank in human interest with the
best efforts of the human mind
When the time was ripe. O'Neill, Ed
wards and James were together at In
Mo-, the letter was for
warded and the surrender made. The
was that O'Neill should
nave scoop" for his paper of the
etter and the whole story was written
md filed with the telegraph company.
In the meantime William Sphinx, COM {
monty known as Billy SPHINX, tele-
,raphed editor of the Globe-Democrat,
lad gotten next that something was ]
going on He didn't know what 1t was,
,ut he knew that O'Neill was in it. SO '
le followed him and when Frank start '
ID west over Missouri, Sphinx was close ]