 Chapter No. 24 of the Border Bandits This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Shashank Jagmola The Border Bandits by J. W. Buell The attack on Samuel's residence William Pinkerton, a brother of the chief detective was sent to Kansas City immediately with the five of the most trusted men in the force. Upon arriving at that place, the Sheriff of Clay County was sent for, after which the twelve citizens of known pluck and reliability were engaged to watch the Samuel's homestead and report from hour to hour by a rapid means of communication which had been established. The greatest secrecy was enjoyed upon all engaged in the undertaking and every possible precaution was taken to prevent any alarm reaching the bandits. On the afternoon of January 25th, Jesse and Frank James were both seen in Yard, fronting the Samuel's residence and report of this quickly reached the Sheriff and Mr. Pinkerton, Hoover and Liberty. Arrangements were made for the immediate capture of the two bandits who it was confidently supposed would spend the night in their mother's house. Accordingly, the two officers rode to Kearney late in the afternoon where they organized a party of twelve men, Hoover to assist them and preparing several balls of cotton saturated with turpentine and two hand grenades. The well armed body of men proceeded to the Samuel's residence which they reached about midnight. A reconnaissance was first made with great care for indications of possible surprise and after completely surrounding the house, four of the men, with turpentine balls were sent forward to open the attack. A window on the west side of the residence was stealthily approached but in the act of raising it an old-colored woman who had for many years been a house servant and the family was awakened and she at once gave the alarm. But the window was forced up and the two lighted balls were thrown into the room and as the flames shot upward threatening destruction to the house and its content the family were speedily aroused and efforts were made to extinguish the fire. At the moment every member of the household consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel a son eight years of age and the daughter Miss Susie and the old-colored woman had partially subdued the flames. One of the detectives or at least one of the party leading the attack flung a high-on-grenade into the room among the affrighted occupants and a heavy explosion was the prelude to the dreadful havoc made by that instrument of death. A scream of anguish succeeded the report and groans from within without any evidence of the outlaw's presence convinced the detective and citizens posse that they had committed a grave and horrible crime. So without examining the premises further the party withdrew apparently with the fear that the inexcusable deed that they had just committed would be avenged speedily if they tarried in the vicinity. When the lamp was lighted by Dr. Samuel's he found his little boy in agonies of death having received a terrible wound in the side from the exploded shell. Mrs. Samuel's left arm had been shattered and hung helpless by her side but she forgot her own misfortune in the anguish she suffered at seeing the dying struggles of her little boy. What a terrible night was that memorable 25th of January to the Samuel's family alone with the dead boy whom they worship and with the desperately wounded mother who would certainly have bled to death but for the thoughtfulness of the old colored servant who hastily bandaged the arm and staunched the flow of the crimson life current. The funeral of the innocent victim did not take place until the second day after the midnight attack and then Mrs. Samuel's who had suffered an amputation of the injured member was too greatly prostrated to attend and witness the last service over her darling boy but the remains were accompanied to the grave by a very large body of sympathizing people of the neighborhood. This unfortunate and indefensible attack for a time a late public animosity against the James boys and turned the sympathy of people in western Missouri somewhat in their favor. Those who had been most earnest in their desire to see Jesse and Frank James brought to punishment began to think more likely of their crimes attributing them partly at least to the manner in which they had been haunted and persecuted. It is a notorious fact that for some times this sentiment predominated in Clay and Jackson counties and the same feeling extended to the other parts of the state and in March following lead to the introduction of a nasty bill in the legislature granting immunity for past offenses committed by Jesse and Frank James, Coleman Younger, James Younger and Robert Younger. The bill was introduced by General Jeffrey Jones of Callaway County and contained a provisional clause that amnesty would be granted the parties named in the instrument for all offenses committed during the war provided they would surrender to the lawful authorities and submit to such proceedings as might be brought against them in the several states for crimes charged against them since the war. After a stormy debate the bill was defeated although had it passed none of the bandits named would have accepted the terms for surrender meant either execution or life imprisonment. A rejection of the terms of surrender by the legislature afforded a fresh pretext, however, to the bandits to pursue their crimes of blood and pillage and it was not long before the country was again startled by the daring deeds of the outlaws. End of chapter number 24. Chapter number 25 of the Border Bandits This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Shashank Jikmola The Border Bandits by J. W. Buell Assassination of Daniel Askew Immediately after the defeat of the outlaw amnesty bill as it was called, the brigands planned the execution of new and direful schemes one of which involved the assassination of a respectable citizen of Clay County. The James Boyce concluded for reasons known only to themselves that Mr. Daniel Askew was a member of the posse which made the attack on Samuel's residence and this belief was justification sufficient in their estimation for murdering that gentleman. But the plan of its execution was equally as dastardly as the casting of the hand grenade blindly and savagely among the several members of Dr. Samuel's family. The circumstances of the assassination were as follows. Mr. Askew was an impretentious farmer living about five miles from Liberty in a neat frame house but with no neighbors nearer than one mile. He had returned home from Liberty late in the afternoon of April 12th, 1875 and after eating supper took a bucket and went to the spring which was 50 yards from the house after water. This was about eight o'clock in the evening but the moon was shining brightly and objects were plainly discernible. He returned from the spring with the water and sat the bucket upon a shelf on the porch after which he proceeded to take a drink but as he was in the act of lifting the cup to his mouth the sharp shots rang out upon the still air and Mr. Askew plunged forward on his face dead the three bullets having taken fatal effect upon his person one entering the brain and the other two reaching the vital spots in his body. At the sound of the shots and the heavy fall on the porch Mr. Askew's wife and daughter rushed out of the house just in time to see three men steal out from behind the cover of a large wood pile in front of the porch and regain their horses quickly away. The three assassins were undoubtedly Jesse and Frank James and Clell Miller for within an hour after the murder these three met a gentleman upon the highway and informed him of Mr. Askew's fate and told him the murder was in consequence of the acts of Pinkerton's detectives. This cowardly act by which a peaceable citizen had been made to surrender up his life for the sake of a savage revenge destroyed again every spark of sympathy for the desperados and the determination for the capture was renewed. Armed possession of Clay County citizens set out in search of the assassin but the pursuit was in vain and after a week of earnest effort finding no trace of the brigands the party returned to their homes each one racking how soon his turn might come to add to the glory record of the remorseless free builders. The after the murder of Mr. Askew the bandits in anticipation of renewed efforts to affect their capture left Missouri and visited their old haunts in the southwest they spent several days in the Indian territory for the purpose of learning with what persistency and the character of the search being made by the authorities finding that all effort at their apprehension was confined to western Missouri the outlaws rode into Texas and soon formed a plan for robbing the stage running between San Antonio and Austin to plan was to execute and on the 12th of May 1875 Jesse James, Clell Miller, Jim Reed and Cole and Jim Younger selected a spot on the highway about 23 miles southwest of Austin and there ambushed themselves to await the coming of the stage. It was late in the evening the sun just descending behind the hills and the chirrup of twilight insects had begun to echo in the solitude of the place 11 passengers three of whom were ladies were cheerily cracking jokes and relieving the discomforts of the journey by agreeable conversation suddenly the driver described five horsemen riding out into the road 100 yards ahead of the stage and advancing leisurely their appearance in conduct looked suspicious but as no robberies had been perpetrated on the highway for many years the driver did not realize what the act portended until as the stage bowled up the five men drawing their pistols commanded a halt the order being accompanied by such persuasive authority of course the obedience of the driver was prompt then the passengers wondered what it meant but before they could propound to question four of the brigands rode up on either side of the stage and ordered the inmates to get out the women seeing such cruel looking men and their fiercer looking pistols screamed and scrambled over the male passengers with utter disregard of propriety and created much confusion Jesse James and Cole Younger did the talking for the bandits and in courteous language assured the ladies they had nothing to fear provided the passengers acted with discretion soon the 11 but recently gay travelers were arranged in single file along the road behind the stage and as not the slightest resistance was offered Frank James and Jim Younger had no difficulty in expeditiously relieving all the passengers of their money watches and other valuables among the number was John Breckenridge president of the first national bank of San Antonio from whom $1,000 was obtained Bishop Greg of Austin contributed his gold watch and nearly $50 in money while from the other passengers sums from $25 to $50 were obtained having completed the personal plunder the bandits cut open the two mail bags from which a goodly sum of money was secured but the amount has not been estimated the haul aggregated perhaps $3,000 which they placed in a sack carried for the purpose and then bidding the passengers a due the board of desperados rode swiftly into the shadows leaving the surprise party to resume their journey in a less amiable mood End of Chapter 26 Chapter 27 of the Border Bandits This is the LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Anita Sloma Martinez The Border Bandits by J. W. Buell The Great Train Robbery at Muncie Nothing was heard of the bandits for several months after the stage robbery and their crimes were again relegated to partially forgotten incidents of the past In December following however another attack by the outlaws refreshed the memory of their deeds and threw Missouri and Kansas into a fever of intense excitement The band of desperados by some means known only to themselves learned of an intended large shipment of gold dust from Denver via Kansas Pacific Railroad and that it would be carried by a train arriving in Kansas City on a certain day The place selected at which to intercept the train bearing the valuable shipment was Muncie a little station six miles west of Wyandotte, Kansas There was a water tank near the place at which the engines almost invariably stopped to take a fresh supply of water At this point six bandits stationed themselves and awaited the train which was not due until after nightfall Prompt upon time the engine blew its shrill whistle and then rolled up under the tank and stopped In a moment the brigands left their place of concealment and boarded the train One of them, Bill McDaniels being deputed to cover and remain with the engineer and fireman The robbers rushed through the cars and commanded every passenger dreaming quiet under penalty of death Two of them stood on the platforms of the cars while the other three proceeded to the express car The bandits presented their pistols at the head of the messenger and forced him to open the safe from which the sum of $25,000 in money was taken and gold dust valued at $30,000 This total sum secured was so large that no attempt was made to rob any of the passengers and after the valuable plunder was placed in a sack Jesse James blew a keen whistle A moment after all the freebooters abandoned the train and regained their horses Soon as the passengers reached Wyandotte which was speedily, the alarm was given which spread to Kansas City and another large body of men was sent in pursuit of the daring highwaymen They chased the fugitives southward into Indian territory but the pursuit was abandoned in the Creek Nation where all traces were blotted out A month after this great robbery a police officer arrested Bill McDaniels in Kansas City for drunkenness, his participation in the train plundering not then being suspected But when searched at the police station a sheepskin bag was found on his person filled with gold dust In addition to this he had a large roll of money and being known in Kansas City as a worthless fellow suspicion was at once excited that he was a confederate of the train robbers He was placed in the Calibus and allowed to sober up and then taken upon a requisition to Lawrence, Kansas On the following day after his arrest the city marshal and Con O'Hara, the detective went into McDaniel's cell and spent two hours in a persistent endeavor to obtain a confession from him of his complicity in the robbery or the names of those who committed the act But he remained as silent as if he had lost the power of speech and not a word concerning the robbery did the officers ever hear from him Two months after his apprehension in taking him from the jail for trial McDaniels broke from the deputy sheriff and escaped After a week's search he was found but resisting arrest he was mortally wounded by a member of a citizen's posse named Bowerman McDaniels died, however, refusing to reveal anything in regard to his confederates It has since been ascertained, however, that those engaged in the Muncie robbery consisted of Jesse James, Arthur McCoy, Cole and Bob Younger, Clell Miller and McDaniels, the latter only being captured Chapter XXVIII of the Border Bandits This is the LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Anita Sloma Martinez The Border Bandits by J. W. Buell The Huntington Brink Robbery After the train robbery the highwaymen separated some going to Texas and others to Kentucky In April 1876 Frank James, Cole Younger, Tom McDaniels a brother of Bill and a small black-eyed fellow called Jack Keen, alias Tom Webb confederated together for the purpose of perpetrating another bank robbery Keen had been raised in the eastern part of Kentucky and was well acquainted with the mountainous regions of West Virginia and his native state It was decided to attack and plunder the bank in Huntington, a town of 2,500 people on the Ohio River in West Virginia About the first of September the four bandits rode into the town under the leadership of Frank James and proceeded directly to the bank which they reached at 2 p.m. Frank James and McDaniels dismounted leaving Younger and Keen guard on the outside When Frank and McDaniels entered the bank they found only R.T. Oni, the cashier and a citizen who was making a deposit These the robbers covered with their pistols and compelled the cashier to open the safe and deliver up all the money in the bank amounting to $10,000 Having secured the booty the four outlaws rode rapidly out of town not a single person in the place having the least suspicion of what had occurred until Mr. Oni spread the news A posse of 25 citizens headed by the sheriff set out in pursuit of the bandits at 3 o'clock one hour after the robbery was consummated and followed the trail with the greatest persistency The officers in other counties were notified by telegraph and armed bodies of men were sent out from a dozen towns 100 miles southwest of Huntington the robbers were sighted and in an exchange of shots McDaniels was killed This encouraged the pursuing party who pressed the bandits so hard that they were forced to abandon their horses and take to the mountain fastnesses of Kentucky The pursuit continued unabated for four weeks and at length the outlaws were driven out of Kentucky and into Tennessee Here Keen was captured and taken back to Huntington where he made a confession and was sentenced to eight years imprisonment in the penitentiary Frank James and Cole Younger eluded pursuit and returned to the Indian territory where they met Jesse James and his band of highwaymen and forthwith new plans were laid for another big robbery All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Anita Sloma Martinez The Border Bandits by J. W. Buell The Rocky Cut Train Robbery Seven months elapsed after the Muncie robbery before the desperate brigands under the leadership of Jesse James made another attempt to increase their ill-gotten gains In the meantime the band of highwaymen was increasing and organizing for another bold strike Many outlaws who had found safety in the Indian nation were anxious to attach themselves to the James and Younger brothers but very few were received The noted bandits were excellent judges of human nature and they were exceedingly careful not to repose confidence in anyone who did not possess indisputable evidence of cunning and bravery who, in the event of capture, would not betray their comrades at any sacrifice In July 1876 arrangements were completed for rifling another treasure-laden train and the Missouri Pacific Railroad was chosen as the line for their operations The reorganized party of highwaymen consisting of Jesse and Frank James, Cole, Bob and Jim Younger Collelle Miller, Hobbs Carey, Charlie Pitts and Bill Chadwell Nine in number left their rendezvous in the Indian territory and writing separately reached Otterville, Missouri by a pre-concerted understanding on the 7th of July The capture and confession of Hobbs Carey enables the giving of a minute narrative of all the circumstances connected with the robbery about to be related About one mile east of Otterville a small station in Pittis County is a place called Rocky Cut which is a deep stone cleft from which the train emerges only to strike the bridge across Otter Creek On the south side of the cut is a heavy wood and in this the robbers concealed themselves to await the train which was not due there until nearly midnight A watchman was stationed at the bridge whom Charlie Pitts and Bob Younger arrested and after taking his signal lantern and placing it in the track at the bridge approach they securely tied the helpless fellow and then joined the main party Hobbs Carey and Bill Chadwell were detailed to watch the horses and keep them prepared for sudden flight As the train came dashing through the cut the engineer saw the danger signal and at once concluded something was wrong with the bridge and he lost no time in having the brakes set and the engine reversed The train came to a stop directly in the cut and as it slowed up seven of the daredevils leaped upon the cars and with one at each door the robbers had no trouble in so intimidating the passengers as to prevent attack Jesse James, the boldest of the bold was the first to enter the express car followed by Cole Younger At the mouth of two heavy navy pistols the messenger was forced to open the safe which contained $15,000 in bank notes This money was hastily thrown into a sack and the shrill whistle was given by Jesse which was the signal for the bandits to leave the train and mount No effort was made to rob or harm any of the passengers The single purpose of the bandits agreed upon before the attack was to secure only the valuables of the express When reached Tipton, report of the robbery was telegraphed to every station along the line and also to St. Louis and Kansas City and from these points all over the country Hobbs-Carrie's statement is that after the perpetration of the crime the bandits rode southward together very rapidly until nearly daylight when they entered a deep wood and there divided the money after which the band rode off in pairs James Boyce and Cole Younger who kept together Carrie soon separated from Chadwell who was his companion and went to Fort Scott and from there to Parsons, Kansas thence to Joplin and then to Granby where he remained for nearly a week spending a great deal of money in gambling dens and in his drunken moments let drop such remarks as led to the suspicion that he was a member of the gang that robbed the train He next made a trip into Indian territory but after a short stay in that country he returned to Granby there he was arrested in the latter part of August The authorities had no difficulty in obtaining from Carrie the full particulars of the robbery and the names of his confederates detectives from all parts of the country stimulated by the large rewards offered by the express company and Governor Hardin set out in search of the bandits every state was penetrated every suspicious character put under surveillance and all the ingenuity that could be devised by experienced hunters of criminals was exercised The James and Younger Brothers and Clell Miller finding the pursuit at an end returned from the nation whether they had first fled and by stealthy night marches they succeeded in reaching Jackson County where they retired to the Robbers Cave and were there safe from pursuit End of Chapter 29 Chapter 30 of The Border Bandits This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by John Brandon The Border Bandits by J. W. Buell The fatal attack on a Minnesota bank The efforts of the detectives to capture the outlaws seemed to be chiefly confined to the Southwestern states and learning this the bandits after remaining within the seclusion of their undiscoverable haunts for a few weeks were tired of the inactivity such life imposed and as Bill Chadwell was well acquainted in Minnesota it was decided to send Bob Younger out to find him and through him to perfect a plan for raiding one of the banks in that state The means of communication between the bandits was such that Chadwell was soon found and brought into conference with the other members The purpose of going into Minnesota could not have been merely because of a supposition that a mere ample booty might be secured in that state for there were many richer banks much nearer One of the prime motives of the outlaws was undoubtedly to make a stroke in the far north which would confuse the officers in pursuit of them and thereby draw the attention of the detectives away from the favorite haunts Aside from this no sufficient reason for the strange determination of the brigands is assignable A decision was soon reached and it was decided to make an examination of the country and raid the bank which gave promise of the largest reward with the least chances of surprise or capture Cole Younger and Chadwell were accordingly dispatched as a reconnoitering party and were to ride three days in advance of the others take observations and make report by leaving certain prearrange signals along the route to sighted upon those engaged in the intended enterprise were the two James boys Cole, Jim and Bob Younger Charlie Pitts Clale Miller and Bill Chadwell The expedition started for Minnesota about the 3rd of September 1876 Proceeding by railroads directly to Mankato the place appointed for a meeting with the two bandits sent in advance The second consultation held at that place on the 6th of September resulted in a decision to strike the bank at Northfield, Rice County a town of 2,500 people on the INM division of the Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad On the afternoon of the 7th the 8 Desperados entered Northfield at a furious pace discharging their pistols and by direful threats endeavoring to so intimidate the citizens as to prevent resistance They rode direct for the bank which was located fronting the public square and stopping in front of the institution Frank and Jesse James and Bob Younger quickly dismounted and entered the bank while the other robbers were left to guard against attack from the outside J. L. Haywood, the cashier A. E. Bunker, Teller and Frank Wilcox, bookkeeper were the only persons in the bank at the time of the entrance of the bandits Jesse James drew a pistol and presented it at the cashier's head and commanded him to open the safe Haywood promptly refused and the next instant he lay dead at the bandits feet his brain pierced with a bullet At this Bunker and Wilcox fled out of the back door but as they reached the step a bullet from Frank James's pistol plunged through Bunker's shoulder but it did not impede his flight The robbers were left alone in the bank but beyond a small amount lying upon the counter no money could be found and the bandits hearing firing in the streets rushed out just in time to see Bill Chadwell fall from his horse his heart pierced with a musket ball and in a few seconds after Clell Miller received a bullet in his breast and with a groan tumbled mortally wounded to the ground while his horse galloped rider-less up the street By this time the citizens came rushing to the attack and the firing became general Some younger were shot in the mouth and a horse was wounded The effective shots were fired by Dr. Henry Wheeler from a second-story window in the damn-fear house facing the bank The six unharmed bandits rushed for their horses and rode at their highest speed out of town followed in 15 minutes afterward by 50 well-mounted citizens Then succeeded a flight and pursuit which for persistency, endurance, courage, and results is without a parallel Information of the murder and robbery was telegraphed in every direction and each hour the pursuing force was augmented by volunteers who sprang up in the pathways of the robbers and guarded every highway and bridle path The chase led through Shieldsville and from there into Le Sur County where being pressed closely to Jesse and Frank James insisted on killing Jim Younger the blood from whose wound was furnishing a trail for the pursuers This proposition resulted in the separation of the outlaws Jesse and Frank James remaining together and the younger boys and Charlie Pitts whose real name was Sam Wells remaining in a body The country was fairly filled with resolute men determined upon the death of the bandits It was very soon discovered that the robbers had separated and the pursuing parties were divided and put upon the two trails About 150 miles southwest of Northfield near a place called Medalia the youngers and Charlie Pitts were surrounded in a swamp captured after a desperate fight with the citizen's posse Pitts being killed and all the youngers receiving fresh wounds Pitts was buried and the youngers always under guard after months of suffering finally recovered After their recovery they pleaded guilty to the charges against them and were sentenced to prison for the term of their natural lives They are yet in the Minnesota Penitentiary at Stillwater Jesse and Frank James were more fortunate although so closely pressed that a hundred times they could see and hear the voices of their pursuers yet they were not discovered Day and night the James boys continued their fight unable to cook anything subsisting on green corn and raw potatoes never daring to show their faces swimming streams and confining their route to the least accessible sections of the country Extraordinary cunning, a knowledge of men and adaptability to circumstances After ten days of a most remarkable pursuit covering their tracks by waiting for miles in streams of water Jesse and Frank James eluded their pursuers and regained their secure haunts in Jackson County End of Chapter 30 Recording by John Brandon Chapter 31 of the Border Bandits This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by John Brandon The Border Bandits by J. W. Buell At Glendale, the last great train robbery Three years elapsed from the time of the attack at Northfield until the James boys were heard of again in connection with criminal escapades Their names existed in tradition and the horror which was once manifested at the mention of their savage natures had become dwarfed into mere expressions of surprise It was reported that Frank James had died of consumption in the Indian nation and that Jesse was living peaceably in one of the remote territories following the profitable occupation of cattle raising On the evening of October 7th, 1879 the people of western Missouri were suddenly shocked by the intelligence of another great train robbery committed in the old guerrilla haunts where crime had held such high carnival during the dark period of the Great Rebellion On the day in question Jesse James, Jim Cummings Ed Miller, a brother of Clell Daniel, better known as Tucker Basem and seven others whose names are not known appeared suddenly at the little station of Glendale which is on the line of the Chicago, Alton and St. Louis Railroad 22 miles from Kansas City The town consists of a post office and store combined and a station house and is a flag station only About six o'clock in the evening the party of bandits rode into the place and proceeded at once to put everyone present under arrest which they readily accomplished as there were but three men at the station and these were locked in the station house The train going east was due at 6.45 p.m. at a time when darkness clothed the scene and the masked robbers compelled the station operator to display his signal to stop the train Previous to this preliminary the masked bandits had piled a large number of condemned ties on the track only a few hundred yards east of Glendale and had everything fully prepared to execute their purpose expeditiously The train was on time and seeing the stop signal displayed the engineer obeyed its import and in a moment the conductor John Greenman was facing an ominous pistol while others of the robbers covered the engineer and demanded submission meeting with no resistance the bandits broke in the door of the express car but in their efforts to break in the door William Grimes, the messenger hastily unlocked the safe and took out $35,000 in money and valuables which he attempted to conceal He was too late however for at the moment he was placing the money bag behind some boxes in the car the door yielded and three robbers rushed on him Refusing to deliver the safe key Grimes was knocked down and badly punished The key was taken from him and the few remaining contents of value in the safe were appropriated as was also the bag containing the money The haul was a very rich one and the attempt having been successful the passengers were not molested and the train was permitted to depart after a detention of no more than ten minutes The commission of this crime again aroused the officers and as Glendale is in Jackson County Major James Leggett, the county marshal took immediate steps to discover and arrest the perpetrators Being a shrewd and fearless man he went to work intelligently and unceasingly He soon discovered who composed the party that committed the robbery not withstanding the fact that they were heavily masked Tucker Basem, one of the robbers was raised in Jackson County and was arrested directly after the deed was accomplished He left the county for a time but returned and buried his share of the booty which was $1,100 Soon he began to exhibit an unusual amount of money and a spy was placed upon him until enough information was obtained to conclusively establish his connection with the robbery But Marshal Leggett deferred the arrest with the hope that he might learn of some communication between Basem and other members of the gang and accomplish their arrest In June last, 1880 Deputy Marshal's W.G. Kessler and M.M. Langhorn arrested Basem and lodged him in the jail in Kansas City Shortly afterward, Major Leggett obtained a full confession from his prisoner which was reduced to writing and made in the form of an affidavit End of Chapter 31 Recording by John Brandon Chapter 32 of the Border Bandits This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by John Brandon The Border Bandits by J.W. Buell Shooting of Jesse James by George Shepard The pursuit of the Glendale Robbers did not cease after a week's efforts as previously but Major Leggett was determined to accomplish his purpose He resolved upon an expedient which evidences his cunning and strategy Living in Kansas City at the time of the robbery was George Shepard one of the most courageous men that ever faced danger He was one of Quantrell's lieutenants and fought in all the terrible and unmerciful encounters of that chief of the Black Banner He was at Lawrence and rode beside the James boys in that dreadful cyclone of remorseless murder He had run the gauntlet of a hundred rifles and fought against odds which had appeared impossible to escape After the close of the war Jesse James accepted George Shepard as a leader and followed him into Texas and would still be following his councils had not circumstances separated them Major Leggett evolved a scheme out of his hours of study looking towards the capture of Jesse James He sent for Shepard who was working for Jesse Nolan a leading dry goods merchant of Kansas City and to the ex-carrilla he proposed his scheme It was this Shepard being known to have formerly been a comrade of Jesse James it was to be reported that undoubted information had reached the authorities establishing Shepard's connection with the Glendale robbery A report of this was to be printed upon a slip of paper having printed matter upon the reverse side so as to appear like a newspaper clipping Shepard was to take this printed slip find Jesse James and propose to join him saying that he was being hounded by detectives and although innocent he felt that his only safety was in uniting his fortunes with Jesse and his fearless band This being accomplished Shepard was to find an opportunity for killing Jesse James and the reward for him, dead or alive was to be divided In addition to this Shepard was to be provided with a horse and to receive $50 per month during the time of his service The conditions and terms were satisfactory to Shepard and in the latter part of October about two weeks after the Glendale robbery he started out in quest of Jesse James The plan of Shepard's operations and the manner in which he accomplished his hazardous undertaking is herewith detailed just as he related the story to the writer and other corroborative testimony establishes its truth When Shepard left Kansas City he was mounted upon a sorrel horse and his weapons consisted of 32 caliber single barrel pistol and a small pocket knife He rode directly to the Samuel's residence which he reached at dusk and tied his horse in a thicket about 200 yards from the house He found Mrs. Samuel's and the doctor at home just preparing to sit down to supper The story that any enmity existed on the part of Jesse James against Shepard is untrue Reports of this kind may have been circulated but there was not a semblance of truth in them Shepard was warmly received by Mrs. Samuel's and her husband and at their invitation he took supper with them While they were eating Shepard explained that his life and liberty were in great jeopardy and that owing to reports false as they were of his connection with the Glendale robbery he had been forced to flee and for mutual protection he wished to join Jesse James and his Confederates Thereupon Shepard produced the apparently newspaper clipping already referred to which doctor and Mrs. Samuel's both read After finishing supper Dr. Samuel's told Shepard to ride to a certain point in the main highway where he would meet Jesse and some of his associates The doctor went out into the woods where he knew the bandits were concealed While Shepard mounted his horse and rode to the spot indicated where after waiting for less than five minutes he was met by Jesse James Jim Cummings Ed Miller and another party whom Shepard did not know Shepard repeated his story to Jesse James and showed him the clipping after which he was immediately received into the full confidence of Jesse and the band Why should Jesse have entertained suspicions? Shepard had been his intimate comrade for many years The two had ridden and fought together in a hundred terrible conflicts and were associated together in the Kentucky bank robbery Shepard was the main man of all others whom Jesse wanted for a companion in his daring deeds and it was unnatural under the circumstances for any of the bandits to doubt Shepard's story The party remained all night at the Samuel's residence and on the following day they proceeded to a spot in Jackson County called Six Mile which is 18 miles from Kansas City and spent the day at Benjamin Mars It was here a plan was laid for robbing the bank at Empire City in Jasper County After the scheme was fully understood Shepard told Jesse that it would be necessary for him to procure a better horse and some effective weapons which he could do with a friend near Kansas City Jesse urged Shepard then to return at night to the friend's place get a good horse and at least two heavy pistols and meet the party at Six Mile on the third night following Shepard then rode back to Kansas City and imparted the information of his meeting and arrangements with Jesse James to Major Legget who provided Shepard with a splendid horse and three large-sized Smith and Weston pistols But in order to prevent any possibility of deception Major Legget took Shepard to Independence and placed him in jail and then sent three trusted men to Six Mile for the purpose of ascertaining If Jesse James and his party were really rendezvoused at that point Major Legget soon learned that Shepard had reported nothing but facts and he was then sent out splendidly armed and mounted for the meeting place Shepard did not reach the tristing spot until the morning after the time agreed upon and he found Jesse and his followers gone But the party at whose house the meeting was to occurred Bench Mars gave Shepard the following letter which is herewith copied verbatim Friend George I can't wait for you here I want you to meet me at Rogues Island and we will talk about that business we spoke of I would wait for you but the boys wants to leave here Don't fail to come and if we don't buy them cattle I will come back with you Come to the place where we meet going south that time and stay in that neighborhood until I find you Your friend Jay Thus instructed Shepard started for Rogues Island but met Jesse James at the head of Grand River This fact furnishes one of the proofs of Jesse's anxiety to have Shepard as a comrade for he was so anxious less Shepard would not meet them or fail to get the letter he left with Mars that he returned to find him Jesse and Shepard returned to the camp where they found Cummings, Miller and the Unknown and then the party rode directly for Empire City the vicinity of which they reached about noon on Saturday, November 1st, 1879 They went into camp on Short Creek, 8 miles south of Empire City and at 4 o'clock in the afternoon it was agreed that Shepard should ride into the town and learn what he could respecting the surroundings and location of the bank It was after dark when Shepard reached the place and pursuing his story he was astonished at finding the bank lighted up and a close inspection revealed to him a dozen men inside the bank armed with double-barreled shotguns Shepard stated to the writer that Major Legget must have notified the bank officers of the intended raid by Telegraph but Major Legget denies having done so and says that Shepard must have told some person who communicated with the bank Anyhow, the arrangement was that Major Legget was to be in Empire City with a good force of assistance and was to be aided by Shepard in capturing the outlaws when the attack on the bank should be made Circumstances prevented Major Legget from appearing in Empire City at the time agreed upon but he sent word to the town authorities Finding everything in readiness to meet the intended attack Shepard went into a restaurant and while eating his supper Tom Cleary, an old acquaintance came in and greeted him After supper the two went to Cleary's house and remained all night and Shepard told his friend the part he was acting in the effort to capture Jesse James Ed Cleary, a brother of Tom's was also informed of the scheme and Shepard asked their assistance or to at least follow him the next morning to the camp of the bandits The understanding was at the time Shepard left the outlaws that he should return to the camp by nine o'clock Sunday morning and if his report was favorable the raid on the bank would be made Sunday night Shepard kept the appointment and returned to the place where the bandits had encamped but found the camp deserted He thought this strange but soon found the old sign of a turnout had been made to let him know where they were It is well known that the James boys and their comrades frequently separate They have a sign however by which it is not difficult for them to find one another This sign is the crossing of two twigs along the highway which indicates that one or more of the parties according to the number of twigs has turned out of the highway at that point Shepard saw the twigs and after riding about a half a mile in the direction the branches lay he found the party all of whom were slightly intoxicated He knew they had no wishy with them when he left on Saturday afternoon and at once concluded they had been in town Cummings was the first to speak said he The bank is guarded, how is this? Shepard responded yes and I think the best thing for us to do is to separate and get out of this Cummings had written into Galena on Saturday night where he had purchased some whiskey and there heard rumors of the intended bank raid The party agreed with Shepard that it would be wise for them to get out of that section and they mounted their horses and divided riding southward Ed Miller's position was 100 yards to the right while Cummings and the unknown rode at the same distance to the left of the center which was taken by Jesse James and Shepard The woods were open enough for all parties to remain in sight of each other When they reached a point 12 miles south of Galena all parties maintaining their respective positions Shepard gave a smart jerk to the bridal rain which caused his horse to stop while Jesse rode on It was the work of an instant for as Jesse's horse gained two steps forward Shepard drew one of his large pistols and without speaking a word fired the ball taking effect in Jesse's head one inch behind the left ear Only the one shot was fired for Shepard saw the result of the shot and Jesse plunged headlong from his horse and lay motionless on the ground as if death had been instantaneous Shepard says he viewed the body for nearly one minute before either of the other outlaws made any demonstration Ed Miller first started toward him in a walking pace and then Cummings and the unknown drew their pistols and rode swiftly after him Shepard's horse was swift and he put him to the greatest speed soon distancing the unknown but Cummings was mounted on a superior animal and the chase for three miles was a hot one Each of the two kept firing but the rapid rate at which they were riding made the shots ineffectual Seeing that he was pursued only by Cummings and was gaining on him Shepard stopped and wheeled his horse and at that moment a bullet struck him in the left leg just below the knee producing however only a flesh wound As Cummings dashed up Shepard took deliberate aim and fired and Cummings reeled in the saddle turned his horse and retreated Shepard says he feels confident that he struck Cummings hard in the side that he killed Jesse James He rode back to Galena where he remained two weeks under a surgeon's care and after recovery returned to Kansas City and Shepard told the truth there is no room for doubt and he had the best reasons for believing that he had killed Jesse James but two parties at least whose word is reliable affirmed that they have seen Jesse James since the shooting and that Cummings has also been met by them who stated that Shepard did shoot Jesse and that the bullet did strike him just behind the left ear but instead of penetrating the brain it had coursed around the skull partially paralyzing the brain and spine Cummings further stated that while Jesse James was still living his career as a bandit was ended forever by the bullet from Shepard's pistol In other words Jesse's mind has been totally destroyed How much truth there is in this report is left for conjecture Mrs. Samuels says she believes that Jesse is dead and a meeting which he had with Shepard since the shooting was such as caused those who witnessed it to believe the woman was earnest in that opinion End of Chapter 32 Recording by John Brandon Chapter 33 of the Border Bandits This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by John Brandon The Border Bandits by J. W. Buell Why did Shepard shoot Jesse James? The prime motive which actuated George Shepard in shooting Jesse James has never been suspicion by more than one man and acting upon suggestions made by that single person the writer verified the theory It is true that the rewards amounting to nearly $100,000 for the apprehension or dead body of Jesse James were a strong temptation and it certainly had its influence with Shepard but there was a stronger motive Directly after the war, Ike Flannery a nephew of George Shepard reached the age of manhood and came into possession of $5,000 a sum he had inherited from the estate of his deceased father Ike was somewhat wayward and was well acquainted with the James boys and the gorillas Jesse James and Jim Anderson, a brother of the notorious Bill knew of Ike Flannery's inheritance and they induced him to buckle on his pistols take his money and go with them upon a pretended expedition Near Glasgow, Missouri the three stopped at the house of a friend where there were three girls the men of the house being away on business After eating dinner, the three started away but they had been gone only a few moments when the report of two pistol shots was heard and Jim Anderson came riding back to the house where they had died and told the girls that his party had been fired on by the militia and that Flannery had been killed Jesse James and Anderson rode away while the girls notified some of the neighbors and when the body of Flannery was found in the road there were two bullet holes in the head and the $5,000 were missing Shepard did not learn all the circumstances connected with Flannery's death until some time afterward but when he was told how Anderson and Jesse James acted he was convinced that they murdered his nephew under his dead body It was more than one year after this tragic occurrence before Shepard met either of the murderers He was in Sherman, Texas when Jim Anderson came up to him with a cordial greeting little suspecting the terrible result of that meeting The two drank together and appeared on the best of terms until the hour of 11 o'clock at night The saloon was closing in the darkness without the most uninviting Shepard asked Anderson to accompany him over to the courthouse yard as he wanted to talk secretly concerning a certain transaction When the two reached the yard and about them was nothing but somber shadow and a quiet of sleep cautiously, yet determinately Shepard drew from his sheath a long, bright, deadly knife which gathered on its blade and focused the light unseen before and then made ready for a horrible deed Anderson had never thought of danger until the keen edge of the terrible weapon was at his throat Said Shepard, you murdered Ike Flannery and robbed his body of five thousand dollars I have determined to avenge his death and to accomplish my purpose I brought you here What have you got to say? Anderson had killed many men and he knew how to die There was no begging, no denying only a realization of what he could not avert and he accepted fate with the stoicism worthy of a religious fanatic Before receiving the fatal stroke, however he told Shepard that Jesse James was the one who proposed the murder of young Flannery and that each fired a fatal shot and then divided the stolen money When this admission escaped his lips Shepard sprang upon him like a tiger drew the glittering blade of the terrible knife across his throat and the spirit of the murderer and robber took its flight into the realms of the unknown On the following morning a dead body with a ghastly gash in the throat from which the blood had poured until it died the grass a yard in diameter was found and identified as that of Jim Anderson D. Hart, an old-time guerrilla was in Sherman at the time of the murder and was known to have a grudge against the murdered man so suspicion attached to him so strongly that he had to leave Texas No one ever suspected Shepard of the murder but his own confessions to the writer are given in this account of Anderson's execution Shepard has longed for an opportunity to kill Jesse James but the surroundings even during a long association were never sufficiently favorable The opportunity was exceedingly unfavorable at Short Creek but revenge and the promise of such an immense reward Nerved him to the undertaking End of chapter 33 Recording by John Brandon Chapter 34 of the Border Bandits This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by John Brandon Robbery of the Mammoth Cave Stages The James boys and especially Frank have remained in seclusion for a considerable period and with the shooting of Jesse whom many still believe to be dead it was thought that the old remnants of guerrilla plunderers had entirely disappeared It is positively known that Frank James resided in Baltimore during the winter of 1879-80 and his home was located on one of the principal residence streets At that time he wore full whiskers which were very long reaching to his waist The name he bore Wyland Baltimore the writer has not been able to learn for obvious reasons He disappeared from that city in March last and it is reported by Kansas City police officers that Frank was seen in Jackson County, Missouri by two of his acquaintances in the latter part of July 1880 and that his whiskers were cut short The following account of the robbery of the Mammoth Cave stage again brings Frank James and Jim Cummings prominently into notice The Concorde stage running between Mammoth Cave and Cave City in Edmason County, Kentucky was captured by highwaymen on the afternoon of Friday, September 3, 1880 and the passengers despoiled of everything they carried At this season of the year Mammoth Cave is visited by thousands of tourists and sightseers who are usually people of means furnishing fat pickings for the robbers One of the routes to the Cave and the one selected by the large majority of its visitors is by way of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad to Cave City and thence by the Concorde stages to the Cave which is about eight or ten miles distant The stage road is through a lonely and rocky region and about midway on the route it runs through a dense wood which adds considerably to its dreariness About six o'clock Friday evening while the coach from the cave was coming to Cave City it reached this wood and while coming through the narrow road in a walk two men one mounted on a thin black thoroughbred horse and the other on a fine sorrel rode out of the dense forest and dashing up to the stage covered the driver and passengers with their revolvers and called a halt The stage was pulled up the driver was ordered down and to the door of his vehicle and then calmly dismounting and holding their horses by the bridal reins the work of delivering the booty began The rider of the black horse, a man about thirty five years old with a straggling red mustache and beard was the leader and spokesman He was rather small not appearing to be over five feet six inches in height and would weigh about a hundred forty pounds He had light blue eyes, a pleasant smile and distributed his attentions to the defenseless party of eight passengers with a sang froid and easy politeness which did much to alleviate their feelings His accomplice was about the same age with black whiskers and mustache rather ragged in trim and had a pair of black eyes He was rather slow in his movements but the business in hand suffered nothing for that Come out of the stage, please said the spokesman in a light high pitched voice The passengers looked through the open windows and saw the muzzles of the impassive revolvers covering the whole length of the vehicle and as there was not a weapon in the party as large as a pen knife they could not resist or parlay There were seven gentlemen and one lady in the coach and the lady naturally was nervous and alarmed In the excitement and bustle abandoned upon rising and leaving their seats Mr. R. S. Roundtree of the Milwaukee Evening, Wisconsin who was making the trip with relatives slipped his pocketbook and gold watch under the cushion of the seat Very few words were spoken though the highwaymen seemed impatient and ordered them to hurry up As each gentleman stepped out he was covered with a muzzle of a revolver and told to take his place in line and hold up his hands The lady, a daughter of honorable R. H. Roundtree of Lebanon, Kentucky was permitted to remain in the stage After the passengers were all out the leader of the two villains tossed his reign to his accomplice who covered the line while the spokesman proceeded to rifle their pockets talking pleasantly as he went J. E. Craig Jr. of Lawrenceville, Georgia lost $670 Honorable R. H. Roundtree of Lebanon, Kentucky handed out a handsome gold watch valued at $200 and $55 in cash S. W. Shelton of Calhoun, Tennessee gave up about $50 Ms. Lizzie Roundtree of Lebanon, Kentucky lost nothing but rings one of them a handsome diamond S. H. Brolichstein of Mobile, Alabama lost $23 George M. Paisley of Pittsburgh gave up $33 W. G. Welch of Pittsburgh lost $5 and a handsome watch R. S. Roundtree of Milwaukee saved his money as stated Honorable R. H. Roundtree felt very sore over the loss of an elegant engraved watch which was presented by Honorable J. Proctor Knot the member of Congress from the 4th district The spokesmen of the Marauders explained that they were not highwaymen but moonshiners and were pursued so hotly by the government officers that they were compelled to have money out of the country He asked each passenger his name and place of residence and noted them down saying that someday he would repay them their losses When he came to Mr. Craig of Georgia he remarked that he hated to take his money because he had fought in a Georgia regiment during the war but the case was a desperate one and he was compelled to do it When Miss. Roundtree gave her name and place of residence at Lebanon a pleased smile lighted up the robber's face and he asked Do you know the Misses of Lebanon? Quite well answered the young lady So do I he rejoined and they are nice girls Give them my regards when you see them and tell them I will make this right someday After getting all the valuables of the party the Marauders returned the pocketbooks with the railway passes and tickets and giving the passengers orders to get in, mounted and rode off They told the passengers for consolation that they had robbed the outstage getting $700 from Mr. George Crohan one of the owners of the cave The writer of the black horse was Frank James and his companion was Jim Cummings These facts have been fully established by information of an indisputable character which came into the possession of the writer since the robbery End of Chapter 34 Recording by John Brandon The Border Bandits by J. W. Biel Personal Characteristics of the James Boys Singular as it may appear did is castley a single feature of similarity in the character of the James Brothers Frank James is a man of more than ordinary education and his manners show some effort at refinement He is a man of more than ordinary education and his manners show some effort at refinement He is very slim and not more than 5 feet 6 inches in height and weighs about 140 pounds He has blue eyes, very light hair and usually wears a shortly cropped full beard and straggling mustache of a pale reddish colour His face is peculiar in shape being broad at the forehead and tapering abruptly from the cheekbones to the chin which is almost pointed In his motions he is neither naturally slow not quick but at times he affects either His cunning and coolness are remarkable and to compare the two boys in this respect would be like comparing the boldest high women with the lowest sneak-thief so great as Frank's superiority In the matter of education Frank has improved his opportunities and as a student being a lover of books and familiar with the different phases of life He has murdered many men and yet he is not destitute of mercy and finds no gratification in deeds of blood He has tried to imitate the traditions of Cloudy Dovel whose fictitious adventure Frank has read until he can repeat them like the written narratives Jesse James is a strongly made man standing 5 feet 10 inches in height and will weigh 165 pounds He has brown eyes, dark hair and is of a nervous temperament Jesse's peculiarity is in his eyes which are never at rest In his youth Jesse was troubled with granulated eyelids from which he has never fully recovered which is seen in the constant batting of his eyes and a slight irritation of his lids Besides this marked peculiarity the first joint of the forefinger on his left hand is missing He usually wears full whiskers of apparently one month's growth His education is very limited barely enabling him to read and write He is revengeful in his nature always sanguine, imperious, almost heedless It is due to Frank James' strategy and Jesse's desperate bravery that the latter has not long since been punished for his crimes In deeds of violence Jesse finds a special delight and in his entire nature there is not a trace of mercy It is asserted by those who know them best that Jesse and Frank are only half brothers having the same mother but that Jesse's father is a physician in Clay County What truth there is in this report the writer does not assume the responsibility of confirming giving it only as the assertion of many prominent men of Clay County On one occasion so George Shepard relates while Jesse and Frank were dining with their mother which Shepard as a guest a dispute arose over a trivial matter in which the brothers became very angry and drew their pistols Mrs. Samuels made no effort to interfere and the difficulty terminated without a fight In the row Frank told Jesse that he knew they were not brothers to which assertion neither Jesse nor Mrs. Samuels made any reply It is well known among the confederates of the James boys and it has been so declared by Shepard the younger boys and Cummings that there was no love between Frank and Jesse and Shepard told the writer that instead of Frank avenging the attack on Jesse at Short Creek, he would applaud it Going still farther Shepard said that at his last meeting with Frank two years ago the latter declared he would kill Jesse if he ever met him again that Jesse, as he called him had tried to have him, Frank, ambushed and captured in Texas and that was not the first time Jesse had played the stakes to have him murdered The fact of Jim Cummings' association with Frank James in the Robbery of the Mammoth Cave stagecoaches gives colour of truth to Shepard's declaration that he killed Jesse James near Galena or to come in statement that Shepard's shot while not killing Jesse had paralysed his brain and destroyed his mind Frank James was married to Miss Annie Ralston of Jackson County in September 1875 The marriage was one of those romantic episodes which brought great sorrow to Mr. Ralston an industrious farmer living eight miles from Kansas City Miss Annie was but a schoolgirl whose reading of dime novels had so far impaired her judgment as to make her long for the association of a hero Her meeting with Frank James was accidental but she had read of his exploits and he was her idol Annie left her home clandestinely and met Frank James many miles from the old homestead A Baptist minister performed the ceremony and the outlaw and his now ostracised wife went into the shadows of cave and forest severing the bonds which bound them to society and civilization When Mr. Ralston learned of the desperate step taken by his daughter he was almost crazed with grief He went direct to Kansas City and with eyes suffused with tears begged Judge Mumford of the times to prepare for him and publish an article which would relieve him of the stigma which might attach to him by the error of his daughter Mr. Ralston was anxious the public should know that he never had any association with the outlaw and that though Annie had been a child who had filled his heart with love yet her alliance with the highwaymen had banished the very memory of her from the fond heart which would know her no more Such an article did appear in the times and if Mr. Ralston ever reconciled to his bandit son-in-law his neighbours never learned the fact Jesse James was married to his cousin Ms. Zeralda Mims in the autumn of 1874 at the home of his mother in Clay County Ms. Mims was an orphan who had lived with a married sister in Kansas City Being of age there was no one to criticise her act and she stepped across the threshold of prescribed citizenship to share the petals of an outlaw's life The peculiar profession followed by Jesse and Frank James prevented them from having any permanent residence and their wives have been compelled in a measure to lead a life of seclusion travelling from place to place concealing their identity and experiencing few pleasures because of the constant anxiety to which they are subjected It is understood that Frank is the father of two children and Jesse finds consolation in two little boys and a baby girl The outlaw brothers make affectionate husbands and loving and indulgent fathers End of chapter number 35 Chapter number 36 of The Border Bandits This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Shashank Jagmola The Border Bandits by J. W. Biel The Union Pacific Express Robbery The following account of the Union Pacific train robbery is not published in chronological order with other robberies because it is not certainly known that the James boys had any connection with it and in this history of these noted desperados we have endeavored to give only such facts as are sustained by indisputable evidence It is generally believed however that the two noted brothers led the party and with their usual shrewdness succeeded in escaping southward with a large amount of booty The following letter written by Jesse James to a former comrade in March previous to the robbery is strong presumptive evidence that he and Frank were the planners and executors of the scheme and they had it in the contemplation even before the raid into Minnesota Fort Worth March 10, 77 The boys will soon be ready As soon as the road dries up and the streams run down we will drive We expect to take in a good bunch of cattle You may look out There will be lots of bell-ring after the drive Remember its business The range is good, Alan between Sydney and Deadwood You may go to the pasture somewhere in that region You will hear of it Tell Sam to come to Honeygrove, Texas before the drive season comes There is money in the stock As ever, Jesse J There is a mystery connected with the Union Pacific Railroad robbery which, for more than three years has remained impenetrable and will, doubtless, continue so to the end of time The particulars of this daring outrage gathered principally from newspaper reports at the time are as follows On the 10th day of September 1877 a party of nine men well armed and mounted rode to a point on the Union Pacific Railroad near Ogallala the capital of Keith County in the extreme western part of Nebraska They made no special effort to deceive the people of the town as the purpose of their visit was never mentioned On the day following the encampment one of the party, afterwards known to be Jim Berry a former resident of the state went into Ogallala and purchased four large red handkerchief and a gallon of whisky That night the camp presented a hilarious scene The authorities were continued such an unusually long time that the citizens began to make remarks respecting the character of the nine strange men Three days afterward the camp was abandoned none of the citizens knowing which direction the party had taken so that suspicion was directed against the object of the singular visitors On the 18th following the mysterious nine suddenly appeared at a small station called Big Springs 15 miles west of Ogallala where the engines of the Union Pacific railroad almost invariably stopped for water The express train was due from west at 8 o'clock p.m. and the party disposed themselves directly after dark in favourable positions for the work in hand promptly upon time the train came thundering up to the station and the engine stopped under the water tank as the fireman was about to mount the tender for the purpose of directing the water spout two men wearing red handkerchiefs for a mask pushed up towards the engine For some reason the engineer had a pre-sentiment that some trouble was brewing so seizing his pistol he stepped to the side of the cab and peered into the darkness It was too late The fire through the open furnace door reflected his actions distinctly and in a moment the engineer realised that he was looking down into the fatal depths of four navy revolvers and he and the firemen were forced to surrender and keep quiet At the same time the two robbers took possession of the engine two others with the same mask of red handkerchiefs boarded the express car while the other five commenced discharging their pistols in order to intimidate the passengers The express messenger made an effort at resistance but he was struck a desperate blow on the head with the pistol and then forced to deliver up the keys to the wells, Fargo and Coase safe The contents of the safe in gold, silver and currency amounted to $60,000 besides 300,000 ounces of silver and bars the latter consigned to the treasury at Washington The robbers could not handle the heavy silver bars so they were compelled to be satisfied with the other contents of the safe and about $2,000 which they took from the passengers They then permitted the train to go on its way and having defied it their plunder they loaded the coin on three packmules and made off with it The men had been carelessly masked and a passenger had recognized one of them as a fellow named Joel Collins who had been passing for a stockman about that section From this the railroad detectives obtained information on which to act and though the pursuit which was organized failed to overtake the outlaws there was still a hope of recovering some of the treasure Part of the gang had gone directly south into Kansas and word was sent along the Kansas Pacific to be on the lookout for them On the 25th of September Sheriff Bradley and 10 soldiers were patrolling a section of the road near Buffalo Station They had a description of one of the parties who were expected to strike about that point and sure enough two men were seen coming down from the north with a pack animal The soldiers kept out of sight in a ravine nearby and when the men reached the station after watering their horses the sheriff talked with them long enough to be satisfied that they were the men he was expecting They only stopped a few minutes then pushed on south The sheriff immediately bought out his squad and demanded a halt calling Collins by name The men even then did not seem to apprehend that they were known as the trained robbers but on being told to surrender they drew their pistols This brought a volley from the cavalry and took them both In the pack was found $20,000 of the gold Collins' companion's name was Bas and he is generally supposed to have been the Texas Desperado Sam Bas The point at which this treasure was first recovered was only 300 miles south of where the robbery occurred Subsequently, the detectives succeeded in tracing several others of the band and making them give up some of the money but the greater part was lost It was claimed at the time that Jesse and Frank James were along with this band and that they made enough out of the hall to reimburse themselves very well for what they lost on the Northfield trip After the fight at Buffalo the remaining bandits separated for the purpose of dividing the trail which was being followed closely and the hope was indulged for some time that all the robbers would certainly be apprehended But after the bandits divided the chase was unavailing parties returned to their homes Nearly three weeks after the robbery Jim Berry returned to Mexico, Missouri with a large sum of money principally in gold He had been a resident of the neighborhood but had left for the Black Hills so he claimed some months before He had never born a good character and was known to be an acquaintance at least of the James and the younger boys and other noted outlaws Further than this, he was seen in Nebraska near the place of the robbery by parties who knew him The exhibition of so much suddenly acquired wealth together with the circumstances of expressed robbery fresh in the memory of everyone created a suspicion on part of the sheriff of Audrian country that Berry was one of the robbers He kept his own council however and awaited further developments They came soon enough Berry sold several thousand dollars in gold to the Southern Bank at Mexico Exhibited several fine golds watches which he offered to sell at surprisingly low prices and besides this he exchanged his ordinary habit for the finest clothes he could have have made Another very suspicious circumstance was in the conduct of Berry He kept himself in secret places and appeared apprehensive of some effort to catch him The sheriff, Mr Glasscock now felt certain that his suspicions were reported upon facts In the middle of October a young fellow by the name of Boseman Casey came into Mexico with an order from Berry for a suit of clothes then made by a tailor of the place The sheriff learned of this and he at once arrested Casey after which a posse consisting of Robert Steele, John Carter John Coons and Sam Morey was deputized by the sheriff to assist in the capture of Berry Casey was compelled to act as guide and on the 14th of October the official party set out for the haunts of Berry near Casey's house They reached the latter's home before daylight on Sunday morning and leaving their prisoner in the custody of Steele the remainder of the party surrounded the house for the purpose of catching Berry when he should come to obtain the clothes he expected Casey to bring Shortly after daylight Sheriff Glasscock made a little tour out in the woods and after skirting a bridal path at some distance he saw Berry h�ching his horse preparatory to walking to Casey's house The sheriff crept cautiously towards Berry and was within 40 feet of him before the latter discovered the officer Berry then started to run heedless of the sheriff's cry to halt and never paused until the second just charge of buckshot from Sheriff's gun tore through his legs and felled him to the ground Prostrate as he was the bandit tried to draw but the sheriff was upon him too quickly Berry was disarmed and then carried to Casey's house and surgical aid speedily summoned On his person was found nearly $1,000 in money and a fine gold watch and chain After the surgeon arrived Mooray, Coons and Steele were left in charge of the wounded man and Casey while the sheriff and John Carter rode over to Berry's house to see if new discoveries might not be made When they entered the house the sheriff addressed Mrs. Berry and said Mrs. Berry, where is your husband? I'm sure I have no idea She responded He has not been at home for several days Then let me inform you said the sheriff that we have just captured him but in doing so he was badly wounded You had better go over and see him at Casey's house Mrs. Berry manifested the greatest grief and the feelings of the wife and little children quite unnerved the sheriff and his deputy for some time but they had to do their duty and before leaving the house was thoroughly searched for money and valuables but nothing was discovered On the same afternoon Berry was taken to Mexico in an ambulance and given quarters in the Ringo Hotel where he was attended by the best surgeons in the town The wound was much more severe than at first supposed Seven buckshot had penetrated the leg cutting the arteries and fracturing the tibia bone His sufferings were excruciating until the Monday night when mortification began and on the following day he died At all times Berry positively refused to give the names of his associates in the express robbery nor did he ever admit his own participation The mystery connected with the robbery is found in the impenetrable veil which masks the identity of the robber band The three who were killed gave no clue as to who were their comrades In the absence of any proof judgment being laid entirely upon circumstances and conjecture it is popularly supposed that the four whose personnel has never been discovered were Sam Bass, Jack Davis and the two James boys End of chapter number 36 Chapter number 37 of the Border Bandits This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Shashank Jakhmola The Border Bandits by J. W. Biel An interview with the younger brothers In the early part of September 1880 Colonel George Gaston of Kansas City while spending a summer vacation at Minnetonka and the Minnesota lakes went to still water for the purpose of seeing the younger boys whom he had known before the war He was accorded an interview with the imprisoned bandits the result of which was published in the Kansas City Times of September 6th from which the following is taken This interview is of special value considering the obscurity which surrounds the shooting of Jesse James by George Shepard and his boys in the Northfield Robbery After describing his introduction to the prisoner authorities and entrance into the penicherry Mr. Gaston proceeds as follows There was a man at the top of the steps to receive us another official with the conventional bunch of keys Come this way said he and we followed him into a square room with walls and ceilings of stone There were chairs and we sat down A door at one side opened and three men walked in They were Cole, Jim and Bob Younger They took chairs opposite and directly facing us They wore the prison garb and their faces were shaven and their heads cropped close They looked so genteel despite the striped clothings that my nervousness disappeared at once I told them who I was and whence I came and introduced my wife They were very courteous and bowed and said they were glad to see me Jim hitched back in his chair and addressing my wife said laughingly It is so long since we have been permitted to converse with anybody that I don't know as we can talk Then followed a desultory conversation Cole said his health was poor He complained of suffering from the effects of the wound in his head received at the time of his capture The rifle ball entered near the right ear and lodged under the left ear and has never been removed Jim was shot in the mouth but there are now no signs of a wound Bob had his jaw broken but he too has entirely recovered and is the handsomest one in the trial He's the youngest I remember him as a boy He has developed into a robust fine looking young man The escape from death these men had at the time of their capture was a miracle 60 guns were discharged at once Cole and Jim lay on the ground the one with the bullet through the head and the other with a frightful wound in his mouth Bob's jaw had been broken but he did not fall He threw up his arms and cried down fire again gentlemen they're all dead and so they were to all appearance The perceivers picked them up and carried them back slowly they began to mend and ultimately they recovered By pleading guilty to the crime charged they escaped the death penalty and were sentenced to life imprisonment It was really very touching pursued common old Gaston to hear them talk of the past and of the present Cole told of his army life How at the age of 19 he had been promoted to captaincy in the confederate army He spoke of the murder of his father and of his career since the close of the war My exploits in the army were exaggerated said he just as my exploits as an outlaw have been exaggerated In one instance I have been too highly praised and in the other grossly wronged Along from their own lips the story of their prison life Cole Younger is a changed man I found him positively entertaining He converses with the correctness fluency and grace that are charming None of the brothers are compelled to do very much work They spend a great deal of their time reading in their cells Jim is reading law books and Bob is studying medicine Cole seems to have developed a theological turn of mind These three men are great favourites in the prison They are looked up to by their companions as sort of demigods Creatures immeasurably above the ordinary and inattentury The most dreadful feature of their life said Colonel Gaston is the fact that though they occupy adjoining cells they are not permitted to converse with each other It is only once a month that they can meet and talk to one another and then only for a few moments They told me that they prayed earnestly every night that the month might pass quickly It was touching beyond expression to hear Cole speak of his early days and the misspent life he charges to the faults of his early training He says he was taught to be ruled by his passions and his passions alone and as he talked in this vein Teteas came into his eyes and I felt that he was indeed a penitent man He inquired after his old army friends and I told him what I knew of them and their whereabouts In the course of our conversation the James boys were mentioned Do you believe Jesse is dead? I asked Cole straightened up glanced quick as a lightning flash at his brothers on either side of him and replied he is If George Shepard says he is I asked him what he meant and he answered There are sometimes two things alike in the world and Jesse James and George Shepard were as near alike as they could be in character I mean Both are quick nervous and brave Jesse was so nervous that sometimes he did things rashly As Cole said this he leveled out his right arm as if he were aiming a pistol Instantaneously it struck me that he sought to convey the impression that it was Jesse James who perpetrated the Norsefield Bank murder in a moment of nervous rashness But the subject was pursued no further As we left them I felt that we were leaving the most wretched and hopeless of men Colonel Gaston said that upon his return from his interview with the youngest Inspector Lee told him the following which has never before been made public A short time before the Norsefield robbery said the inspector I was on my way to St. Paul from a point in Ihova I endeavoured to secure a Pullman car berth but found that I had been preceded by two men who had engaged eight berths the only ones remaining in the car However, I was informed that I could have one of the berth as one of the party had failed to put in an appearance As I sat in that car that evening a man wearing a slouch hat sat directly behind me In the seat opposite him was a man whom I subsequently discovered was Cole Younger While the seated a big boisterous country man accompanied by his young lady entered the car and demanded my seat We've been to a dance and are tired That was his apology I told him that his lady could sit beside me but I didn't propose to yield my seat to a man As we were arguing the man in the slouch hat came over and said to me quietly Why don't you throw the Yahoo out of the window I made no reply whereupon he turned to my persecutor and said Here, you loafer If you don't go about your business I'll throw you off the train I was dancing and enjoying yourself and I guess he can stand up a while This gentleman has a long way to travel He has paid for his seat and by... he shall keep it This was quite enough The big man moved off The next day when I was in my bank invoked two strange men who had secured the birds on the car They asked for a bank almanac of last year I told them we had none to spare that the almanacs were issued and were really invaluable Then they asked if they could borrow an almanac of the previous year and I said yes, if they would be sure to return it As I passed it over the counter the man in the slouch hat pushed a $10 bill towards me Take this, said he So you will be compensated if we should fail to return the book I reminded him he had promised to return the book that it was part of a file and could not be spared However, that I should retain the money because something might occur preventing the return of the almanac Well, the book never came back Three days later the Northfield bank was robbed and shortly afterward I identified Cole Younger as one of the two men who had taken the almanac from me From the descriptions I have read and the pictures I have seen of the men I am satisfied that the other man the man with the slouch hat that I had rescued on the train was the notorious outlaw Jesse James End of chapter number 37 Chapter number 38 of The Border Bandits This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Shashank Jagmola The Border Bandits by J. W. Buell of Jesse and Frank James Sometimes incident, in themselves trivial serve to reveal the character of persons connected with them better than those actions which are esteemed as more important The James boys are robbers but nevertheless they are still capable of generous actions It may be that the remembrance of former days sometimes disposes their mind to the contemplation of the true the beautiful and the good in humanity Jesse James was once baptized and became a member of a Baptist church in Clay County, Missouri and it is said that for a considerable time before the war his conduct was exemplary in the highest degree but he has since sadly fallen from grace Some years ago a tenant on the Samuel's farm had a difficulty with the mother of Jesse and Frank In the heat of fashion he denounced the old lady as a liar and she heard of the affair and as he always exhibited the warmest affection for his mother those who knew of the circumstance fully expected that the tenant would be called to account in the usual way by Jesse James One day the offending tenant was engaged in some domestic labor near his home and adjacent to a corn field when suddenly there was a rustling of the dry corn blades and the next instant the dreaded outlaw leaped over the fence and dashed up to the affrighted citizen with the heavy revolver ready cocked in his hand I have come to kill you he said at the same time making an ominous motion with the pistol Did you not know better than to call my mother a liar? Now, if you want to make your peace with God you had better be at it The poor man dropped upon his knees and began to pray As he proceeded he became more fervent He asked God to pardon his transgressions and have mercy upon him Then he commended his loved ones to the protecting care of that beneficial being to whom alone they could look now that he was so soon to be taken away from them The prayer had become pathetic in its earnestness as the man proceeded the hard lines in Jesse James's feature relaxed a shade of sadness stole over the countenance the muzzle of the pistol was unconsciously lowered and when the poor frightened farmer had finished the look of stern resolve was all gone and the outlaws pistol had been sheathed I cannot kill you thus he said but you must leave the country and Jesse James veiled his horse and disappeared as he had come What tender reminiscence he may have come to Jesse James then? Who can tell? The farmer settled up his affairs and departed from the country soon afterwards. His prayer had prevailed with Jesse and he was spared to his loved ones The following anecdote illustrates a trait prominently developed in the character of the outlaws that is their willingness to make personal sacrifices to serve anyone whom they regard in a friendly light It was during the war Col. J. H. R. Cundiff now editor of the St. Louis Times had been in North Missouri on recruiting service for the Confederate army The whole country was overrun by federal soldiers and the situation of the recruiting officers in that region was perilous One night, Col. Cundiff and several officers visited the house of Mr. Bivens in Clay County to obtain food and secure a trustee guide to pilot them out of that region They learned that a man who decided some miles away was totally acquainted with the byways of the country and could be relied upon in such an emergency Among all the men present not one knew the way to the house of the person whose services were sought Miss Bivens, a beautiful and accomplished young lady at length offered to venture through the darkness and find the guide Frank James was there Oh no, that is not necessary Just get on my horse behind me and I will take you there The lady, who was at that time very fond of the society of the guerrilla trusted herself with him and mounting on the horse behind him they rode away into the night she indicating to him the route to be taken Though the roads were guarded by Federals the gauntlet of pickets was successfully run and the guide was secured In those days Frank and Jesse James were esteemed as chivalrous gentlemen and fed guardians of female honour Colonel Cundiff and his fellow officers were unable to effect a change of pace in competitive security by the chivalrous services rendered by Frank James A story is told of Jesse which shows that he is not impervious to the appeals of the suffering One day he was riding in a sparsely settled region west in Texas Passing through a belt of timber along a stream, he came to the camping place of an emigrant family There, a most distressing spectacle presented itself The movers were people in indigent circumstances evidently The old blind horse and poor mule which had drawn the rickety wagon seemed as if their days of toil were about numbered The man who had driven them had died there under a tree two days before The woman was extended on the earth almost in the agonies of death and three children, the eldest not more than nine years of age, were crouched around, veiling piteously for something to stay the ravages of hunger Jesse saw the miserable condition of the unfortunate emigrant family He at once dismounted examined the poor sick woman administered to her necessities as best he could and also gave the children something to eat from his own small store of supplies He then with the woman be of good cheer, promised to come again before night, mounted his horse and galloped away in search of assistance Ten miles from the camp he found a physician and two miles further he found a coffin maker The first he sent to the lonely camp by the stream, the other he set to work to make a coffin Then he found a man with a spring wagon and engaged his services. With the supply of things of present necessity he turned once more toward the camp Arrived there he prepared the food and made the coffee himself for the unfortunate family The physician came and prescribed for the sick lady The undertaker brought the coffin and the owner of the spring wagon came to remove the bereaved woman and her little ones to a place of shelter The stranger was buried where, in an untimely tomb, no human hand with pious reverence reared but the charmed eddies of the autumnal winds built were his mouldering bones a pyramid of mouldering leaves in the waste wilderness The bereaved one and her orphaned children were carried to the house of a pioneer some miles away and every want was boundfully provided for and in a pleasant farm house she and her children called their own home, she blesses the outlaw and prays that he may be kept from harm and that he may be led alright at last They tell a story of Frank James which illustrates one peculiar trade of the outlaw's character that is his gallantry and nightly devotion to the honour of the fair sex It happened in Kentucky There was a young lady resident in a neighbourhood where Frank James was a visitor who had become the victim of the persecutions of a certain fellow who's addresses she had refused On every possible occasion this low bread person sought to mortify and insult the young lady who was unfortunate in not having any near male relatives to champion her cause One evening at a social entertainment the neighbourhood cockscom and instinctive ruffians approached the young lady in a very rude and offensive manner just at the time when she was engaged in conversation with Frank James that had been only a few minutes before presented to her without apparently noticing the insolence of the person Frank suggested a promenade and the young lady took his arm and they walked away In no long time they met the rude fellow again and he took special pains to modify the young lady and threw out a gratuitous insult to her escort very politely Frank begged the lady to release him for a moment Coming up with him he quietly requested him to step aside for a moment The fellow treated the request with contempt and added insult to injury Without the least show of passion Frank rejoined the lady and conducted her to her friends He then calmly awaited his opportunity It came that same evening Some persons present knew the desperate character of Frank James and had told the fellow he was in danger The fellow attempted quietly to withdraw from the company but he could not affect his purpose Frank James had his attention fixed upon the ill-mannered man When he had gone away from the house some distance Frank arrested his progress He had a pistol drawn which he presented You deserve to die said Frank James in a low quiet tone But on one condition I will spare you under the circumstances Will you comply? Name your conditions Responded the other Now totally frightened These said Frank James You must write a note to the lady abjectly apologizing for your conduct It must be done before 10 o'clock tomorrow and you must leave the country within five days and never return If the letter does not reach the lady by noon tomorrow I will hunt you until I find you and then assure as there is God in heaven I will kill you If after five days you are found in this country I will shoot you Remember what I say The man promised compliance and Frank James returned to the merry-makers and no one who saw him suspected that the quiet gentleman had thoughts of bloodshed in his mind The letter came and in three days the neighborhood fop had disappeared End of chapter number 38