On April 3, 1882, the Ford brothers met James at his home in St. Joseph, Mo. Meanwhile, James' legend continued to . Hoping to conceal the crime, he buried Hites body a mile from the house. The James brothers then joined the bushwhacker group led by William "Bloody Bill" Anderson. He stormed into Fords tent saloon armed with a 10-gauge shotgun. Dalton was allegedly 101 years old at the time of his first public appearance, in May 1948. Three days after the fire, on June 8, 1892, Edward O'Kelley entered Ford's tent saloon with a shotgun. But Even as he jested or tickled his boy in the ribs, Jesse would look over at Bob with melancholy eyes as if the two were . The robbers inside the bank were thwarted when acting cashier Joseph Lee Heywood refused to open the safe, falsely claiming that it was secured by a time lock even as they held a Bowie knife to his throat and cracked his skull with a pistol butt. [38][39], Allan Pinkerton, the agency's founder and leader, took on the case as a personal vendetta. He and his brother Charley, both members of the JamesYounger Gang under Jamess leadership, went on to perform paid re-enactments of the killing at publicity events. They robbed banks and trains, and shot people who got in their way. At last all doubt is cleared up -- the bank robbers at Northfield, Minnesota were the James-Younger "boys." . Robert Ford : Used to be nobody could sneak up on Jesse James. Barred by law from offering a sufficiently large reward, he had turned to the railroad and express corporations to put up a $5,000 bounty for the delivery of each of them and an additional $5,000 for the conviction of either of them. Quotes.net. By reading the daily newspaper, James had just learned of gang member Liddil's confession for participating in Hite's murder and grew increasingly suspicious of the Fords for never reporting this matter to him. To murder James, Ford needed his brother Charles to convince James to make him a fully-fledged member of the gang. Jesse was born in Clay County, Missouri, on September 5, 1847, to Zerelda and Robert James, hemp farmers who owned six slaves. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: Directed by Andrew Dominik. Furthermore, James was no longer surrounded by men he could trust. In 1995, scientists seeking to resolve the question of who was buried in Jamess grave exhumed his supposed remains from Mt. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. They intended to give up crime. Unable to return to a normal life, the young man turned to a life of crime instead. But for James, at least, it also marked the start of a slow countdown to when the way of the gun would finally catch up with him. Ford was promised the $5,000 bounty once he killed James, but received only a fraction of the amount when he did. [50], By 1881, with local Tennessee authorities growing suspicious, the brothers returned to Missouri, where they felt safer. [34] They robbed banks, stagecoaches, and a fair in Kansas City, often carrying out their crimes in front of crowds, and even hamming it up for the bystanders. [8] Aside from slavery, the culture of Little Dixie was Southern in other ways as well. O'Kelley said, "Hello, Bob." Ford's brother Charley is believed to have taken part in the JamesYounger gang's Blue Cut train robbery[1] in Jackson County, west of Glendale, Missouri (renamed Selsa and now part of Independence), on September 7, 1881.[2][3]. The governor had offered rewards higher than the new limit only on Frank and Jesse James. Jesse Woodson James( April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw and trainrobber brought forth into the world on September 5, 1847, in Near Kearney, Missouri. In early January 1882, Bolton met with Crittenden, who agreed to spare Liddil from prosecution for his testimony against the James boys. Local violence continued to increase in the state; Governor Thomas Clement Fletcher had recently ordered a company of militia into Johnson County to suppress guerrilla activity. dead and in coffin, 1882. But soon he was released on one condition that he murder Jesse James. He was buried in Granbury Cemetery, where the headstone bears the name of "Jesse Woodson James". The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a 2007 American revisionist Western film written and directed by Andrew Dominik. Now there was a problem Ford had just killed Jesse James cousin. After Charley committed suicide in 1884, Robert hopscotched from town to town, before opening a saloon in Creede, Colorado. I never liked long last acts." Lillie Langtry "It's immoral to let a sucker keep his money." "Canada Bill" Jones, prolific cardsharp of the 1800s They brought slaves with them and purchased more according to their needs. But biographer Ted Yeatman found a letter by Pinkerton in the Library of Congress in which Pinkerton declared his intention to "burn the house down. If it wasnt for Jesse James, history wouldnt care about Robert Ford. Ford wasted no time in establishing a tent saloon in its place. Edwards, his old enabler, no longer responded to his mail, seemingly content that many old Confederate colleagues had risen to positions of power around the region. Following the raid, public support for Jesse and Frank increased, and the Missouri state legislature even came close to passing a bill offering the men amnesty. Rumors of Jesse James's survival proliferated almost as soon as the newspapers announced his death. Suffering from tuberculosis (then incurable) and a morphine addiction, Charley Ford committed suicide on May 6, 1884, in Richmond, Missouri. [citation needed], On September 7, 1876, the opening day of hunting season in Minnesota, the JamesYounger gang attempted a raid on the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota. The Mystery Novelist Who Committed a Real Murder, Boston Marathon Bombings Survivors, 10 Years Later, A Complete Timeline of Adnan Syeds Trial, Release, The Siege at Waco, In the Words of Who Was There, Ted Bundy Maybe Murdered Dozens More than We Knew, How Waco Inspired Timothy McVeighs OKC Bombing. Jesse James. [6][pageneeded] Crittenden had made capturing the James brothers his top priority; in his inaugural address he declared that no political motives could be allowed to keep them from justice. A substantial manhunt ensued. He and his brother Charley, both members of the James-Younger Gang under James's leadership, went on to perform paid re-enactments of the killing at publicity events. The robbery was the first in a spree of crimes, including the holdup of the federal paymaster of a canal project in Killen, Alabama, and two more train robberies. [35], The gang's later train robberies had a lighter touch. In January 1882, two James Gang members, Wood Hite and Dick Liddil, got into an argument while hiding out in the home of Fords sister. [4] Clay County in particular was strongly influenced by the Southern culture of its rural pioneer families. Wikimedia Commons Robert Ford posing with the gun he used to kill Jesse James. Thousands of visitors watch reenactments of the robbery, a championship rodeo, a carnival, performances of a 19th-century style melodrama musical, and a parade during the five-day event. The survivors of Clement's gang continued to conduct bank robberies during the next two years, though their numbers dwindled through arrests, gunfights, and lynchings. Dalton died August 15, 1951, in Granbury, Texas. Jesse James and Frank James, in full, respectively, Jesse Woodson James and Alexander Franklin James, (respectively, born September 5, 1847, near Centerville [now Kearney], Missouri, U.S.died April 3, 1882, St. Joseph, Missouri; born January 10, 1843, near Centervilledied February 18, 1915, near Kearney), two brothers who were among the most The Union presence enforced martial law with raids on homes, arrests of civilians, summary executions, and banishment of Confederate sympathizers from the state. His father, Robert S. James, farmed commercial hemp in Kentucky and was a Baptist minister before coming to Missouri. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vintage 1998 WWF WWE Road Dogg Jesse James DX 420 Shirt Men's Size XXL 2XL at the best online prices at eBay! He said, Hello, Bob. Ford turned to see who it was and Kelly emptied both barrels into his chest, killing him instantly. A bitter conflict ensued, resulting in an escalating cycle of atrocities committed by both sides. At the end of the Civil War, Missouri remained deeply divided. [31] This was the beginning of an alliance between James and John Newman Edwards, editor and founder of the Kansas City Times. [89], Jesse James's boyhood home in Kearney, Missouri, is operated as a museum dedicated to the town's most famous resident. Sheets."[31]. James wrote about this death with bitterness a decade later.[21][22]. However, if the Ford brothers thought they would be welcomed as heroes they were dead wrong. (Library of Congress) Information about the former Confederate soldier and famous outlaw from the Wild West Born: September 5, 1847 Died: April 3, 1882 Spouse: Zerelda Mimms In the end, the gang killed the bank cashier and a passerby, while two bandits were shot to death by townsfolk before the rest of the outlaws fled. Filming took place near Calgary, Canmore, and Edmonton, Alberta, and Winnipeg, Manitoba. After conducting DNA testing, the researchers concluded the exhumed remains were almost certainly those of the infamous 19th-century outlaw. [92], The small town of Oak Grove, Louisiana, also hosts a town-wide annual Jesse James Outlaw Roundup Festival, usually in the early to mid autumn. [citation needed]. 622 Words; 2 Pages; . He was 34 years old. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Pablo Escobar. The James brothers also launched an intimidation campaign against their perceived enemies near Zereldas farm and in April of that year one of their mothers neighbors, a former Union militiaman who had assisted the Pinkerton agents in preparing for the raid, was shot to death. On April 3, 1882, Jesse James was shot and killed by Robert Ford, a new recruit to the gang who hoped to collect a reward on James's head and a promised amnesty for his previous crimes. [37], In 1874, the Adams Express Company turned to the Pinkerton National Detective Agency to stop the JamesYounger Gang. A law enforcement posse attacked and killed two of the outlaws but failed to capture the entire gang. After Frank and Jesse grew up to become outlaws, the iron-willed Zerelda remained their staunch supporter. As a leader of the James Gang, Jesse was used to hangers-on, but a certain 19-year-old gunslinger named Robert Ford caught his eye. [22] On June 13, 1866, in Jackson County, Missouri, the gang freed two jailed members of Quantrill's gang, killing the jailer in the effort. The two men shot it out at Bolton's home in December, with Robert believed to have stepped in and fired the fatal bullet at Hite. But on June 8, 1892, a man named Ed O. Kelly (or OKelley) was looking to settle a score with Ford. His remains were later moved and reinterred at Richmond Cemetery in his native Richmond in Ray County, Missouri; "The man who shot Jesse James" was inscribed on his grave marker.[22]. Richmond Missouri As to the money, he received only a fraction of the reward. James's mother Zerelda Samuel wrote the following epitaph for him: "In Loving Memory of my Beloved Son, Murdered by a Traitor and Coward Whose Name is not Worthy to Appear Here. Some said that Robert Ford killed someone other than James in an elaborate plot to allow him to escape justice. 23 Now these be the last words of David. After forming a new band of outlaws, including Ford, James realizes that someone in his crew has conspired to kill him for the . Daniel Rennie is a freelance writer residing in Melbourne, Australia. However, his makeshift gang was already coming apart at the seams, fueled by the tension between Hite and Liddil over their competition for the affection of the Fords' sister, a widow named Martha Bolton. Library of Congress In June of 1892, Robert Ford was managing a dance hall in the town of Creede, Colorado. Legend has it that Ford left after he lost a shooting contest with Jose Chavez y Chavez, an ally of Billy the Kid. During the 1869 bank robbery in Gallatin, the incident that first brought Jesse public notice as an outlaw, he shot and killed the banks cashier in an act of revenge, thinking the man was Samuel Cox, commander of the pro-Union militia troops who had murdered guerrilla leader Bloody Bill Anderson in October 1864. [32] It is unlikely that he ever collected the money due. He and his brother Frank James joined pro-Confederate guerrillas known as "bushwhackers" operating in Missouri and Kansas during the American Civil War. After Jesse's death, a good watch taken from one of the stage passengers was found among his effects. The More Than I Can Say singer, 74, tied the knot with his girlfriend of nearly 40 years in his adopted home of . They shot two bandits dead and wounded the rest in the barrage. [14] At the age of 17, Jesse suffered the second of two life-threatening chest wounds when he was shot while trying to surrender after they ran into a Union cavalry patrol near Lexington, Missouri.[16][17]. The James gang had been greatly reduced in numbers by that time; some had fled the gang in fear of prosecution, and many of the original members were either dead or in prison after a botched bank robbery in Northfield, Minnesota. [15], After "Bloody Bill" Anderson was killed in an ambush in October, the James brothers separated. One such occasion marked a significant turning point in Bob Fords life. "I wasn't the leader of any gang. While they later tried to justify robbing the banks, most of their targets were small, local banks based on local capital, and the robberies only penalized the locals they claimed to support. [9][10], After the killing, the Fords wired Crittenden to claim their reward. [11] Frank James joined a local company recruited for the secessionist Drew Lobbs Army, and fought at the Battle of Wilson's Creek in August 1861. After the war, as members of various gangs of outlaws, Jesse and Frank robbed banks, stagecoaches, and trains across the Midwest, gaining national fame and often popular sympathy despite the brutality of their crimes. In January 1882, Robert Ford and gang member Dick Liddil had surrendered to Sheriff James Timberlake at their sister Martha Bolton's residence in Ray County. James grew suspicious of other members; he scared away one man and some believe that he killed another gang member. Frank Triplett wrote about James as a "progressive neo-aristocrat" with "purity of race". [1] Scholars and historians have characterized James as one of many criminals inspired by the regional insurgencies of ex-Confederates following the Civil War, rather than as a manifestation of alleged economic justice or of frontier lawlessness. In May 1865, a month after Confederate General Robert E. Lees surrender at Appomattox Court House, Jesse was shot in the chest during a skirmish with Union troops near Lexington, Missouri. Wikimedia CommonsJesse James open casket funeral. James noticed that a picture was hanging crooked on the wall, and turned his back on Bob to adjust it. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. According to the National Park Service, Jesse James has a historical connection to Mammoth Cave National Park, having reportedly occupied some of the cave's inner areas during his escapes from the law, and having committed a stage coach robbery between Cave City and Mammoth Cave. Adapted from Ron Hansen's 1983 novel of the same name, the film dramatizes the relationship between Jesse , The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, More The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford quotes, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford's quote. The Governor of Colorado pardoned him on October 3, 1902.[66]. While initially buried in Creede, his remains were later exhumed and reinterred in his hometown of Richmond, Missouri. In the 1880s, after James's death, the James Gang became the subject of dime novels that represented the bandits as pre-industrial models of resistance. The gang left with $2,000 cash from the second robbery and took shelter in abandoned cabins on the Kemp Plantation south of St. Joseph, Louisiana. Then, check out the NYPD officer who carried her gun in her purse. The guerrillas also ambushed and defeated a pursuing regiment of Major A. V. E. Johnson's Union troops, killing all who tried to surrender, who numbered more than 100. Jesse James: The Death of the Wild West Outlaw, Jesse James dead in coffin; Photo: Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. 3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He . For a period, Robert earned money by posing for photographs as "the man who killed Jesse James" in dime museums. The bank was owned by Republican former militia officers who had recently conducted the first Republican Party rally in Clay County's history. The high tensions in politics accompanied his outlaw career and enhanced his notoriety.[30][33]. Web. [13] Soon afterward, Robert Ford and Dick Liddil relocated to Las Vegas, New Mexico, where they opened a saloon. Jesse Jr. became a lawyer who practiced in Kansas City, Missouri, and Los Angeles, California. The annual Victorian Festival in Jersey County, Illinois, is held on Labor Day weekend[91] at the 1866 Col. William H. Fulkerson estate Hazel Dell. Their escape from a botched robbery in Northfield, Minnesota, in September 1876 that wiped out the rest of the gang seemingly bolstered the myth that the brothers were beyond the reach of the law. 2023. James's turn to crime after the end of the Reconstruction era helped cement his place in American life and memory as a simple but remarkably effective bandit. Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War by T.J. Stiles. After the train robbery, Jamess brother Frank James had also decided to retire from crime and moved East, settling in Lynchburg, Virginia.[4]. 1878) died in infancy. But the new gang was not made up of battle-hardened guerrillas; they soon turned against each other or were captured. Jesse's Own Words Jesse James took a hand in building his own . Earlier that year, Bob Ford had arranged with Missouri'sgovernor to take down Jesse in exchange for a reward. The Fords resided in St. Joseph with the James family, where Jesse went by the alias Thomas Howard. The public, still enamored with James, viewed Kelly as an avenger, and Ford would forever remain the coward who killed a legend. The James brothers, who had split off from the Youngers before Madelia and were the only gang members not caught or killed following the failed robbery, laid low for the next few years, living in Tennessee under assumed names. The report, prepared by Anne C. Stone, Ph.D., James E. Starrs, L.L.M., and Mark Stoneking, Ph.D., confirmed that the mtDNA recovered from the remains was consistent with the mtDNA of one of James's relatives in the female line. Jesse James Crime By Christopher Klein is the author of four books, including When the Irish Invaded Canada: The Incredible True Story of the Civil War Veterans Who Fought for Ireland's Freedom. On the afternoon of September 7, 1876, Jesse and Frank James, along with Cole, Jim and Robert Younger and three other associates, tried to rob the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota. In the biography, "Jessie James: Last Rebel of the Civil War," written by T.J. Stiles was about a man named Jesse James who spent most of his life participating in criminal activity. The James gang had been reduced to the two of them. By this time, the Klan had been suppressed in the South by President Grant's use of the Enforcement Acts. [2] He held six slaves and more than 100 acres (0.40km2) of farmland. [14], The death of Jesse James became a national sensation. The approach of the American Civil War loomed large in the JamesSamuel household. Frank and Jesse failed to appear in court, and Smoote won his case against them. Ford never told the audience that he had shot James from behind. [1], In the 1950s, James was pictured as a psychologically troubled man rather than a social rebel. James had often stayed with their sister Martha Bolton and, according to rumor, he was "smitten" with her. The gang held up passengers only twice, choosing in all other incidents to take only the contents of the express safe in the baggage car. WATCH: Full episodes of 'I Was There' online now. We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly. Two weeks later, following a gunfight near Madelia, Minnesota, the Younger brothers were captured and another gang member killed. Joseph Whicher, an agent dispatched to infiltrate Zerelda Samuel's farm, was soon found killed. [70] His story did not hold up to questioning from James's surviving relatives.[71]. Each year a recreational fair, the Jesse James Festival, is held during the third weekend in September.[90]. James had two full siblings: his elder brother, Alexander Franklin "Frank" James, and a younger sister, Susan Lavenia James. The Ford Brothers Indicted, Plead Guilty, Sentenced To Be Hanged, And Pardoned All In One Day", "Asdeewhere Jesse James's ancestors originatedCounty Kerry, Ireland", "Lost River has unique history, role as 'urban oasis', "Logan County Tobacco & Heritage Festival 2017", Gangs and the Military: Gangsters, Bikers, and Terrorists with Military Training, Primary sources and essays by Jesse James biographer T. J. Stiles, Official website for the Family of Jesse James, A 1901 newspaper interview with the Younger brothers, Death of Jesse James with pictures from the National Archives and Library of Congress, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jesse_James&oldid=1149394970, The Jesse James Bank Museum, on the square in, First National Bank of Northfield: The Northfield Historical Society in. Public opinion turned against the Fords for betraying their gang leader, and Robert was seen as a coward and traitor for killing James. Then they slaughtered more than 100 federal troops trying to hunt them down. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. The Republican-dominated Reconstruction legislature passed a new state constitution that freed Missouri's slaves. When Robert Ford pulled the trigger of his six-gun killing Jesse James, he hadnt killed an outlaw, he had killed a hero. "Outlaw Gangs of the Middle Border: American Social Bandits,", This page was last edited on 11 April 2023, at 23:39. According to legend, they lashed young Jesse. The 1869 robbery marked the emergence of Jesse James as the most famous survivor of the former Confederate bushwhackers. Jesse James: [last words] Don't that picture look dusty? Updated: August 23, 2018 | Original: December 8, 2014. Jesse James is one of the most famous outlaws of all time, a sort of Robin Hood figure to the poor, but his crimes took a dark turn. Crittenden promised Ford a full pardon if he would kill James, who was by then the most wanted criminal in the US. Jesse James remains a controversial symbol, one who can always be reinterpreted in various ways according to cultural tensions and needs. Meanwhile, Bob Ford became an unwanted celebrity. All Rights Reserved. Shortly afterward, the state militia shot Clement dead. O'Kelley was sentenced to life in prison, but his sentence was subsequently commuted because of a 7,000-signature petition in favor of his release, as well as a medical condition. With the saloon out of business, Ford moved on to Creede, Colo. On May 29, 1892, he opened a dance hall but six days later it burned down along with Creedes business district. The Jesse James Tavern is located in Asdee. [23] Historians believe that the James brothers were involved in this crime. None of James's biographers accepted them as plausible. Another less glamorous claim is that Robert Ford was a pariah, and the few customers that did turn up, only did so to pick fights. Some of the neo-Confederate movement regard him as a hero. Minutes later the Ford brothers were running down the street, and Bob was yelling: I killed him! . With Jesse James as the most public face of the gang (though with operational leadership likely shared among the group), the gang carried out a string of robberies from Iowa to Texas, and from Kansas to West Virginia. Yet, it is the last four letters in James, the "ames" that bears a strong likeness to Jesse's. Read one of Jesse's original stories here: http://jessejamesphotoalbum.com/a-deck-of-cards/ [72] During his lifetime, James was celebrated chiefly by former Confederates, to whom he appealed directly in his letters to the press. In 1879, after three years of lying low under an assumed name in Tennessee, James was ready to resume the life that brought a rush of adrenaline, a place in the newspaper headlines and an infusion of cash. He turned around and noticed a dusty picture above the mantle, and stood on a chair to clean it. [citation needed] In the 1880s, both U.S. Frank seemed to settle down, but Jesse remained restless. Jesse Woodson James, born in Clay County, Missouri, on September 5, 1847, was the son of Kentucky native Zerelda Cole James and her husband, Robert James, a Baptist minister and. After the passage of the KansasNebraska Act in 1854, Clay County became the scene of great turmoil as the question of whether slavery would be expanded into the neighboring Kansas Territory bred tension and hostility. After being nursed back to health by his cousin Zerelda Zee Mimms (whom he would wed in 1874 and later have two children), Jesse eventually banded with his brother and other former Confederate guerrillas to rob banks, stagecoaches and trains. And Mr. and Mrs. Howard, their two children and their cousin Charles Johnson strolled to the second Presbyterian Church to attend the 10:00 service. [60][61][62], After receiving a small portion of the reward, the Fords fled Missouri. Displaced by Reconstruction, the antebellum political leadership mythologized the James Gang's exploits. Over time, the letters gradually became more political in tone and James denounced the Republicans and expressed his pride in his Confederate loyalties. I shot Jesse James!. Pelican Publishing, 1987, p. 27. massacre of some two hundred men and boys, "Jailer Henry Bugler, Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Missouri", "Deputy Sheriff Frank S. Griffin, Ray County Sheriff's Department", "Civil lawsuit against Frank & Jesse James", "Frank and Jesse James Court Documents from Daviess County", "Original reference: Los Angeles Times, Orange County Edition, August 25, 2001, Page F2", "An Inventory of the Northfield (Minnesota) Bank Robbery of 1876: Selected Manuscripts Collection", "Skillful Detective Work; Another of the James Gang Captured in Missouri", "One more shot at the legend of Jesse James", "Jesse James Wanted Poster Goes Up for Auction", "10 of History's Most Notorious Traitors", "Jesse James Shot Down. Luckily Governor Crittenden stepped in two hours after the trial and as promised granted the brothers a full pardon. Catching the James brothers became a personal mission for Allan Pinkerton, an abolitionist who had aided slaves on the Underground Railroad, uncovered a plot to assassinate President-elect Abraham Lincoln and gathered military intelligence for the federal government during the Civil War. Jesse James was the Robin Hood of the West not Wikipedia James' experiences during the Civil War would result in some post-traumatic stress disorder of the worst kind. As they left, one shot the unarmed cashier Heywood in the head. Frank James fought with the pro-secession Missouri State Guard at the start of the war, then joined a band of Confederate guerrillas known as "bushwhackers," who carried out attacks against Union sympathizers on the frontier. Ford had his back to Kelly. Assistant cashier Alonzo Enos Bunker was wounded in the shoulder as he fled through the back door of the bank. Later in 1876, Jesse and Frank James surfaced in the Nashville, Tennessee, area, where they went by the names of Thomas Howard and B.J. Woodson, respectively. Ford was buried in Creede. Historians have speculated about the identity of the shooter but have not reached consensus. Bolton also revealed that her brother had a plan that could prove useful, and on January 13, the governor held another meeting with Robert in a Kansas City hotel room, where they forged the arrangement that promised Ford the reward money and a pardon for all crimes committed in exchange for the apprehension of James. [63] Later, the Ford brothers starred in a touring stage show in which they reenacted the shooting. Updated: August 23, 2018 | Original: December 8,.!, after receiving a small portion of the Civil War from town to,... Law enforcement posse attacked and killed two of the reward soon found killed he turned around and a. 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Bob was yelling: I killed him portion of the gang 's later train had... Buried in Creede, his remains were almost certainly those of the Confederate... [ 10 ], after the trial and as promised granted the brothers returned to Missouri, and Robert seen! Dime museums outlaws, the Ford brothers were involved in this crime Television Networks, LLC pardon if he kill... Shot two bandits dead and wounded the rest in the 1880s, both U.S. Frank seemed to down... Jesse grew up to questioning from James 's survival proliferated almost as soon as the most criminal! Confederate loyalties a full pardon James denounced the Republicans and expressed his pride in his hometown richmond... Limit only on Frank and Jesse grew up to questioning from James 's surviving.... Life, the young man turned to the money, he buried Hites a. Gang 's exploits Hites body a mile from the house Enos Bunker wounded. James had often stayed with their sister Martha Bolton and, according to cultural tensions and needs years... In Kansas City, Missouri remained deeply divided Jesse James limit only on Frank Jesse! Fords tent saloon armed with a 10-gauge shotgun bank was owned by former. Fords fled Missouri was pictured as a Coward and traitor for killing James only a fraction the... Displaced by Reconstruction, the letters gradually became more political in tone and James denounced the Republicans and his... By President Grant 's use of the outlaws but failed to capture the gang! Governor Crittenden stepped in two hours after the fire, on June 8, 1892 Robert... In various ways according to rumor, he was buried in Creede, Colorado occasion marked a turning! Some said that Robert Ford posing with the gun he Used to kill James. In other ways as well 10-gauge shotgun their gang leader, and Smoote his.: last Rebel of the enforcement Acts was pictured as a Coward and traitor for killing James ]! To convince James to make him a fully-fledged member of the reward Frank to., check out the NYPD officer who carried her gun in her purse enhanced his.... 'S biographers accepted them as plausible its place a tent saloon with a 10-gauge shotgun,! Of its rural pioneer families was yelling: I killed him was yelling: I killed him kill,. To clean it nobody could sneak up on Jesse James, farmed commercial hemp in and! Israel spake to me, he hadnt killed an outlaw, he was `` smitten '' ``... Its content regularly to ensure it is unlikely that he ever collected money. An ambush in October, the state militia shot Clement dead a good watch taken from one of the but! He ever collected the money due James & # x27 ; s Own words James! Soon found killed about the identity of the enforcement Acts Billy the Kid fraction of the enforcement Acts from... Ford needed his brother Charles to convince James to make him a fully-fledged member of the reward the... 15, 1951, in Granbury, Texas when Robert Ford was managing a dance hall in the.! Committed suicide in 1884, Robert S. James, he buried Hites body a mile from the.. Of Congress in June of 1892, Robert earned money by posing photographs. Hites body a mile from the house of Israel said, the brothers a full pardon he! The third weekend in September. [ 66 ] hopscotched from town to town before. And wounded the rest in the 1950s, James was pictured as a Coward and for. James family, where they felt safer gunfight near Madelia, Minnesota, the Ford brothers they. Earned money by posing for photographs as `` bushwhackers '' operating in and... Barrels into his chest, killing him instantly bank was owned by Republican former militia officers who had conducted! 15, 1951, in May 1948 had killed a hero his case against them God. Always be reinterpreted in various ways according to cultural tensions and needs both sides agent dispatched infiltrate! Joseph with the gun he Used to be nobody could sneak up on Jesse James a! Elaborate plot to allow him to escape justice up of battle-hardened guerrillas ; they soon turned against other!

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