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HOW JESSE JAMES DIED.Bob Ford’* Account of How He Cameto Kill the Outlaw.F. C. Farr of Kansas City, who was Goo. Crittenden’s private secretary, has given the public through the Kansas City Star the inside facts concerning the plans laid to break up the James gang and the thrilling circumstances which led up to Bob Ford killing bis partner in crime. A great many incorrect versions of the affair have been published, but coming from the source it does this account may be ac* cepted as thoroughly trustworthy. After stating the conditions which led Gov. Crittenden to issue his famous rewards of $10,000 for the apprehension of each member of the James gang, Mr. Farr says:Two of Gov. Crittenden’s chief advisers were Sheriff James R. Timberlake of Clay county and H. H. Craig, police commissioner of Kansas City. Both were brave, determined and discreet mer.Within sixty days after the isfuance of the proclamation Dick Liddle began to make overtures for surrender to Timber-lske and Craig through his sweetheart, Mattie Collins, who also bad an interview with Gov. Crittenden. The result was that Liddltf|Rjirrendered to Sheriff Tiinberlake on terms which required him to assist in the capture of the rest of the g«ng-Later Bob Ford, who was living in Ray county with his uncle, Captain Ford, went t o Sheriff Timbevlake and informed him he believed Jesse James was hiding in noithwest Missouri somewhere. He said his brother, Charlie Ford, was with Jesse James, and said Ford: “I believe Jesse will be after me before long to help bim hold up something.”Timberlake well knew that Bob Ford had been with Jesse James on more than one expedition, and for that reason he placed a great deal of reliance on what Ford said, especially as Ford seemed anxious to earn the reward. He instructed Ford to go with Jesse if he came after him. He was to keep Timberlake posted on everything that happened, and when he had Jesse James located, he was to notify Timberlake by telegram or mail, so that a posse could be formed for his capture.Nothing was said about the killing of Jesse James, nor was it thought of.On the night of April I, 1882, Jesse James rode up to the bouse of Captain Ford, in Ray county, and called Bob outside. He told bim be had work for him to do, and the two rode away together. The next day Captain Ford notified the members of his posse to be ready to go at a moment’s notice, and kept a Hannibal engine in the round house with steam up day and night to carry the posse to St. Joseph. Dick Liddle was to bead the posse, and he assured Sheriff Timberlake that he would be the first man to enter house for Jesse. “But we’ll never take Jesse alive; he’ll shoot with both hands as long as he can stand up,” said Liddle to the sheriff. Gov. Crittenden was kept informed of every move made by Sheriff Timberlake.Several days went by, and no word came from Ford, and then, on April 3, at about 10 o’clock, telegrams were received by Sheriff Timberlake and at tbe executive mansion in Jefferson City, announcing that Ford bad shot and killed Jesse James.I was alone in governor's private office when the telegram came. It was addressed to the governor, but he was in St. Louis on business and 1 opened it, as I did all his letters and telegrams in his absence. The telegram read:“I have killed Jesse James.“St. Joseph. Mo. Bob Fobd.”I immediately telegraphed the authorities at St. Joseph for particulars, and in reply was informed that Jesse James had been shot and killed by Bob Ford, who had been arrested and was in jail. Governor Crittenden reached Jefferson City; from St. Louis on the noon train and I met him at tbe depot. When he stepped off the train I shook hands with him and said:“Governor, they’ve captured Jesse James.”“Have they, indeed? Did Timberlake get him?”“No, Bob and Charlie Ford killed him this morning.”I handed the governor the telegrams and after be bad read them we walked together to the executive mansion, diseasing as we went the probable reason for the killing and how it was done. The governor said over and over that be regretted they did not capture him alive.BOB FORD’S-STORY.Later on, after Bob Ford had pleaded guilty to murder and bad been pardoned, he told the governor iB n.y presence the story of the killing. He related it in a dramatic manner, with a carefulness as to detail, which convinced us he was telling the truth. This was his story:“When Jesse came to me at my uncle’s that night he told me that my brother Charlie was with him and that they had planned to rob the Platte City bank. It would take three men to do the job, and he needed my help. After we got to his house in the suburbs of St. Joseph he seemed suspicious of me for some reason and never allowed me out of bis sight for even a moment. He had me sleep in the same room with him and even followed me when I would go out to the stable. He seemld to pay no attention to Charlie, but watched me so closely that I had no chance to communicate with Timberlake. Each morning before breakfast he would take me down town with him to get the morning papers, which he read every day* —.—: -He would buy the St. Joseph and St. Louis papers and I wanted to get tbe Kansas City papers and after we had read them would exchange. Timberlake had told me that I must keep the papers from Jesse if I could, as the reporters were onto the fact that something was in the wind, and it might leak out and be published thst Dick Liddle had surrendered, which fact, up to that time, had been kept ont of tbe papers.“Soon after my arrival in St. Joseph Jesse questioned me closely about Dick Liddle and I told him I had not heard anything about him for a long time.“The days kept slipping by and it was getting hotter for me every hour. I knew anything might happen .at any time to tip my hand to Jesse and I scanned the papers each morning eagerly. On the morning of April 3 Jesse and I went down town, as usual, before breakfast for the papers. We were to go that night to Platte City 10 rob the bank and I had made up my mind that I was in for a raid on the bank sure enough. We got down to the house about 8 o’clock and sat down in the front room. Jesse was sitting in front of me, with bis back to me. reding the St. Louis Republican. I looked over the Kansas City Journal and seeing nothing of interest I threw it on the bed and picked up the Times and the first thing 1 saw in big headlines, almost a foot long on the first page, was the story about Dick Liddle’s surrender. Just then Mrs. James came in from the kitchen and said breakfast was ready. My only thought was to hide the paper from Jesse. Beside me was a chair with a shawl on it, and as quick as a flash I lifted it and shoved it under. Jesse couldn’t have seen me, but he got up, walked over to tbe chair, picked up the shawl and threw it on the bed, and taking the paper, went out to the kitchen. I felt that tbe jig was up, but I followed and sat down at tbe table opposite Jesse. I moved my belt around so tbe revolver was close to my right hand. I proposed to die game if Jess began to shoot.“Mrs James poured the coffee and then sat down at one end of the table. Charlie was at the other end, and the two children sat one on each side of tbeir mother. Jess spread the paper on tbe table in front of bim and sort of folded his hsnds on it and began to look over the headlines. My heart went up in my throat, and I couldn’t have eaten a bite then to save my life. All at once Jess said, ‘Hello, here, the surrender of Dick Liddle,’ and he looked across at me with a glare in his eyes that i had seen there before. *“ ‘Young man, I thought you told me you did not know that Dick bad surrendered,’ he said.“I told him I didn’t know it.“‘Well,’ he said, ‘it’s very strange. He surrendered three weeks ago and you was right there in the neighborhood. It looks fishy.’“He continued to glare at me, and I got up and went into the front room. In a minute I heard Jess push his chair back and walk to the door. I expected tbe shooting to begin right there, and if it had Jess would have got me, for I was nervous. But he came in smiling, and said pleasantly: ‘Well, Bob, it’s all'right anyway.’“Instantly his real purpose flashed upon my mind. I knewl had not fooled him. He was too sharp for that. He knew at that moment as well as I did that I was there to betray him. But he was not going to kill me in the presence of his wife and children, and so he was smiling and pleasant to throw me off my guard, intending when we were on the road to rob tbe bank that night to finish me. He walked over to the bed, and deliberately unbuckled his belt with four revolvers, in it, and threw it on the bed. It .was the first time in my life I had seen him without that belt on, and I knew in an instant that he threw it off to further qfciet any suspicions I might have that be had tumbled to my scheme.“He seemed to want to busy himself with something to make an impression on my mind that he had forgotton the incident of the moment before at the breakfast table and he picked up a dust brush from the table, and said: ‘That picture is awfullydusty.’“There wasn’t a speck of dust that I could see on the picture, but he stood a chair beneath it and then got upon it and began to dust the picture on the wall.“Dp to that moment tbe thought of killing him had never entered my mind, but as he stood there, unarmed, with bis back to me, it came to me suddenly:“ ‘Now or never is my chance. If you don’t get him now he’ll get you to-night.’“Without further thought or a moment’s delay, I palled my revolver and leveled it as I sat. He heard the hammer click as I cocked it with my thumb on throwing it down on a line with bis head. He recognized the sound and started to turn and I pulled the trigger. The ball struck him just behind tbe.ear and he fell like a log, dead. I didn’t go near his body. I knew when I saw that 44-caliber bullet strike that it was all up with Jess.“Charlie ran into the room and right behind was Mrs. James, who began to mourn and upbraid me. I called a passer- ( by who was going toward town and told , him to notify the police that we bad killed , Jesse James. In a little while the officials f came and we were surrendered.”This is the story told to us by Bob j Ford and corroborated by Charlie and others, said Mr. Farr. I have never had reason to doubt its truthfulness.I* Crosse Lumber Co. ]Sever Fail to Please, i
Newspaper Details
Troy Free Press
Troy, Missouri, US
Fri, Nov 08, 1895
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Joplin P.
MO, USA 20 Sep 2024
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