FROM THE MORGUE
Copyright 2007 by William A. Mays, Proprietor
April 22, 1882
Jesse James Assassinated. |
This was discouraging but the band of men sent by Pinkerton to do this work were all bold, daring men and were commanded by Louis P. Lull, a good organizer and a desperate fighter. He continued his campaign and finally succeeded in tracking James and the Youngers to the Monigan woods in southwestern Missouri where the bandits were besieged in a log house in which they had taken refuge. A desperate battle was then waged between the detectives and the bandits, as illustrated by our artist on another page. In the course of the fight chief detective Lull was mortally wounded and sheriff Daniels of St. Clair county, Mo., was killed outright. The attack was a failure and the assailants drew off for reinforcements.
The robbers had one killed, John Younger, while James Younger was seriously wounded. The band then escaped to their favorite haunt in Texas and the detectives' campaign was declared a failure.
In Jan., 1875, the detectives hearing that the James boys were at their mother's residence surrounded it at night and before making an assault threw a hand grenade into one of the windows. The mother of the robbers had her right arm torn off by the explosion and her little son by her second husband was killed. The James boys were not at home after all.
At the same time they were robbing a railroad train on the Kansas Pacific road, getting $25,000 in gold dust. Then in quick succession they cleaned out a bank in Huntington, West Va., and another railroad train, realizing from the express safe on the latter $15,000 in gold.
On Sept. 7, 1876, the band rode into Northfield, Minn., and took in the bank after their usual style, in broad daylight. The cashier refused to open the vault and Jesse James shot him dead. When the band undertook to get out of the town after this they had a lively fight with the citizens. Two of their number were killed outright and all three of the Youngers were surrounded and captured.
The James boys although also wounded escaped to Dakota. Then the younger thought it time to change his form of life and settle down, but Jesse didn't reform worth a cent. On the contrary he was worse than ever, forming a new band and continuing his raids on the railroads and banks with great profit to himself and terror to the people of Missouri. His doings within the past three years have been fully detailed to the readers of the POLICE GAZETTE. We are assured that this time the bandit is dead beyond a doubt but we should not be at all surprised if he were to send us another letter next week informing us of his continued good health and his willingness to die again and again for the same money reward.
As for the Fords, they are in a ticklish position and likely to be murdered from the most unexpected covert the moment they show themselves.
The train bearing the remains of the bandit in the charge of his mother and a guard furnished by the authorities arrived at Kearney, Mo., at 1 A. M. on the 8th inst. It was met by an immense crowd of curious citizens. The corpse was taken into the Netherton hotel where it was viewed by the throng. The passenger trains passing through the town during the morning were all stopped long enough to allow the passengers to alight and view the body of the famous bandit.
At noon the coffin was borne to the Baptist church and there the funeral sermon was preached by the Rev. J. M. P. Martin. At 1 P. M. the remains were taken to the farm of Mrs. Samuels, four miles distant, for interment. The citizens for many miles around followed the body in a long procession. First came a rough wagon with the corpse, next the family of the deceased, then a troop of mounted officers and last a wagon provided by the authorities for the press. An immense crowd in wagons and on horseback brought up the rear. The pall bearers were Sheriff Timberlake, Deputy Reed, Ben Flanders, Jas. Vaughn, Charley Scott, J. B. Henderson, and J. D. Ford.
The wagon conveying the coffin was nearly upset on the way and two extra ox teams were required to haul it out of the mud. Thousands of people surrounded Mrs. Samuels' house waiting for the procession to arrive. The grave was dug in a corner of the enclosed grounds, forty feet from the house.
Sheriff Timberlake had heard that Frank James would be present to view the remains of his brother and therefore had insisted on being one of the pall bearers, assisted by a strong armed force, with the intention of capturing or killing the surviving bandit.
At the grave Mrs. Samuels turned to the sheriff and said: "Oh, Sheriff Timberlake, can you stand there and see me take my last look at the poor boy whom you have foully murdered? When you get your reward think of me. It is blood money–blood money! Mr. Reed, didn't I beg you let my poor boy live?"
Timberlake, the nearest pall bearer, replied: "Mrs. Samuels, if you are ever in want you know I'll give you my last cent, but I'll never flinch where my duty is concerned."
"Your duty?" exclaimed Mrs. Samuels, "you killed my poor boy for money."
Mrs. James was very violent against the Sheriff and at the grave's side as they were lowering the coffin Mrs. Samuels insisted on the coffin being opened and the remains examined before her husband Mr. Samuels and after it had been covered over expressed her fears that the body would be mutilated. A solid wall of plank was built over the coffin and then stone was carefully packed in on top of it. Reliefs of armed men watch the grave day and night. Jesse's widow is left penniless. The bandit had large sums of money hidden away but never revealed to her his hiding places. The search for this money through coming years will probably be as popular as the quest for Captain Kid's treasure has been in the east for half a century.
Bob Ford finds himself in a tight place and with difficulties increasing. His disgust is manifest. He says if he had known that he was going to be thrown into jail and treated like a criminal he would never have shot Jesse James. And instead of growing better his outlook is becoming daily darker. News was received in St. Louis on the 8th inst. that the body of Wood Hite, brother of Clarence Hite, now in the penitentiary for participation in the Winston train robbery, was found on the date named at Richmond, Mo. Hite was shot through the head and buried by Bob Ford and Dick Little in a spring near the Ford farm. Both Little and Ford will be tried for the murder.