The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-09-10
Modern Youth Feels No
Thrill at Daring Deeds
of Past
HOUSE R0TTING AWAY
Plan to Preserve Building as
Museum Rejected by His
torical Society
TOURISTS PASS IT BY
In Decaying Structure Bob
Ford Killed Desperate Who
Led Big Band
Rv DALE s. RENO.

BY DALE S. RENO.
ST. JOSEPH Mo. Sept. 9--Fame
IS tickle even to a bandit.
Nor does the fact that he may
have risen TO the highest pinnacle
i'm bandltrys Hall of Fame save him
from Inevitable oblivion in popular
interest
AT least no historical society has
vet come forward to save the house,
now rapidly falling into ruins, m
which Jesse James, king OF bad
men" met death at the hands OF his
betrayer, Bob Ford, on April 8, 1882.
Fop years the old house at No.
1918 Lafayette street was annually
visited By hundreds Of curious
visitors, who stood with eyes ana
mouth open in wonder az the elo-
quent carc,aGcr pointed to the mole
in the east wall where the bullet
from Ford's gun ifnbedded itself
after snufiing out the life OF the
notorious outlaw.
once Point of Interest.
There was a time, and 1t mas not
been such a great while ago, either,
when everyone who had read The
James Boys In Missouri and cap
Collier" in their youth. wanted 70
see the Jesse James house when
they came TO 81. Joseph. To go
back and tell the folks they had not
seen the old landmark would have
been as much Of a disgrace as to
have gone to Philadelphia on a
rubber necking" trip without look
Ing UP independence Hall.
one was always sure Of getting
vivid account of the killing from
xNynlll1
admit If pressed long enough that
he had witnessed the affair. After
a harangue about the details Of the
shooting the visitors were shown
the old rusty Colts horse pistols
James had laid on the table while
he stepped on a chair to hang a
picture for Ford's wife.
Then followed the old yellowed
newspapers which recounted the
story of the shooting, several Civ
ing anecdotes showing the better
side Of the famous bank robber.
After that tho usual procedure was
to sell the now enchanted visitor
few curlos, a piece of plaster from
around the bullet hole, n piece or
The picture frame, a runS OF the
chair, or some other bit OF doubt
full value, at comparatively tancS
price. II the lamb appeared parucu-
larly unshorn he was offered one
OF the pistols ut an exorbitant rig
ure, and the gag occasionally
worked
IncNhaustible Relics.
The task of figuring how many
rungs have been sold from the
chair, besides the other original
curios sold again and again, offers
n fine job TO some bright young
statlstician. And yet the 'orlSlha4
chair is still there! =.
The room in the front part Of
the house is still kept for visitors.
An old plush sofa stands against
the east wall, right under the pic
ture which was being hung oy
James when he was shot down by
his old COmrade. In the center OF
the room is an Old-fashioned Cen-
ter table on which rests a pink
Rlobed kerosene lamp, and beside
the lamp lay the two guns placed
there by the bandit when he en-
tered the house,
The house, an old frame build
ing, set among the trees on tho
top Of q bank, still looks just as
one would expect a bandit king 3
home to look A few hundred yards
TO the south high bluffs loom
while all around the house the un-
paved llttle-truveled streets seem
10 recall the old stage coach
routes. There are but one or two
houses in plain view OF the cottage
and these are far enough away TO
bear out the idea OF seclusion.
Few Visitors Now.
But there are few visitors 60 the
old Jesse James landmark now.
The house has not been PAINTED
since the bandit was killed. Boards
bare and rotting, window lights out
and a crumblirg foundation are the
only outward sign Ot LANDMARKS
that once lured its thousands. The
few who do occasionally seek out
the old place are no longer curious,
take little interest in the relies still
offered for sale and generally leave
with a dlsappointd "Humph!"
Two years ago there was an agita-
tlon for preserving the old house
for its historical Wlue, but when
the question came before the
Buchanan County Historical society
that august body. believing the city
had already had enough notorlety
from Jesse James residence here,
flatlv refused to take any action 70
save the ancient landmark on tho
grounds that the famous gunman
was Of no particular benefit TO the
reputation OF the city or the state
And thus perishing one of Mis-
sourls most famous landmarks So
With Buffalo Blll and Cap Collier
gone beyond the great divide with
the roundup being supervised now
by the Society for the Prevention
Of Cruelty TO Animals and with
the Pony Express stables given
over to q foundry one might wen
say: "Sic semper gloriae.'