Evening star., 1934-05-09
Dillinger, Ne,o Jesse James,
Captures Public Imagination
Careers of T,UO Famous
OUTLAWS Are Striking
Parallels.
Modern Bandit Defes
Ld,U by Walking Out
of Its Nets.

A striking parallel between the
careers of John Dillinger and Jesse
James, outlaws and killers of mark
edly different eras, is shown in brief
histories Of the two men compiled by
the Associated Press.
Dillinger appears as a modernized
| and more deadly James, with ASS,
rifles and horses giving way to auto
matics, submachine guns and swift
| motor cars.
The Place each has gained in the
popular imagination is much the
same. Wildly spreading rumors have
| endowed each with almost supernatu-
| raj ublqulty. Like James, Dillinger
and his band are reported staging
hold-ups and battling with law Off
GERS in several places at the same
| time.
Half century ago petitions were
signed by neighbors for clemency to
James and his band Recently. at
Mooresville, Ind. home of Dillinger's
father, petition asking pardon for
Dlllinger was circulated.
Both men, when pursuit of them
was at its height, eluded scores of
posses to pay swift visits to their
! homes. James to see his mother and
Dillinger his father.
Jesse James Romance"
| About the exploits of the Missouri
| bad man time has woven a sheen of
romance as yet lacking in the more
hardened popular conception of the
| twentieth century's most daring killer.
Yet each had a similar background,
coming from simple, God-fearing
| families which surrounded them with
the average comforts and advantages
| of middle-class home. Both were
natives of the Middle West
1t was a grievance which launched
the two outlaws on their careers of
| crime.
The incident said to have started
the James brothers in banditry oc-
CURED during the Civil War when
| Union militia came to the home of
their stepfather to learn the hiding
place of C. w. Quantrell, surviving
| brother of Southern guerrilla leader.
| They tortured the stepfather and the
boys mother and beat young Jesse.
Frank James joined Quantrell and
soon Jesse followed him. His first
exploit was the routing of detach-
ment of Northern soldiers. 1t is
said Jesse killed So with his pistol
while pursuing them.
Survived % Wounds.
Jesse James is reported to have
survived % wounds. Blood-stained
abandoned cars indicate Dillinger has
been wounded by pursuing officers.
When the war ended, James and
a number of Quantrell's followers
surrendered at a Federal post but
were attacked and escaped after a
bloody fight
That turned him into an outlaw
Dillinger'S grievance is said to have
been nine-year term in prison which
followed his betrayal by an accom-
plice in a hold-up. who turned
States evidence. He lost no time in
hitting back at society.
Jesse James was born September
S, 1847. His father was q farmer
preacher who settled in Clay County,
Mo-, in 1842. The father died when
Jesse was young and his mother re-
married.
Spectacular Exploits.
The Associated Press lists the fol-
lowing as among the more spectacular
exploits of the Missouri outlaw:
In March, 1868, the James band
shot up the town of Russellville. Ky,
| and IN the confusion robbed the
bank there 1t is thought the booty
amounted to 100000. but some writ
ers of the period believe this an
eXaggeration
In December, 1869 bank robbery
was combined with murder by the
James band at Gallatin. Mo.
On September 26. l872-fair day at
Kansas City-they held up the mes
sengers bearing the days fair receipts,
$4,000 in cash.
In January, 1873. the James gang
held up and robbed the stage coach
between Malvern and Hot Springs,
AK.
In July of the same year, the gang
| derailed and robbed a passenger train
| in Iowa.
One of the gangs last jobs was
DodIuIils dllO lOUpllS d Cioiii JoSe
after it left Kansas City July Is, 1881.
Son Of Farmer.
Dillinger was born in indianapolis
| in 1908. When he was 3 years old,
mis- mother died, leaving him in the
/ hands of his church-going farmer
father.
The father married again while
John was still a boy and moved to
Mooresville, Ind, where he purchased
a farm. From the first, the boy was a