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Some Have Even LivedOff Jesse James MythsThe author of this article, who lives in Chicago, spent four summer vacations in the areas of Missouri where Jesse James ■' live, pit! (Ml* Besides persons who lived in the area, he talked with relatives of the late Homer Croy, who shared Croy’s interest in the Missouri outlaw.By Irwin Ross In The Kansas City Star JESSE JAMES was betrayed and killed by one of his own men on an April day in 1882. The amount of misinformation about Jesse James is large and impressive. Although quite a few motion pictures have been made about him, not one has told the truth.A good example is a motion picture called “Jesse James made in 1937 with Henry Fonda and Tyrone Power playing “The Boys (that’s what they call them in Missouri). The picture told how Jesse and Frank went bad because the railroad ran through their farm and wouldn't pay them a cent. Well, that railroad was four miles from the farm. Portrait of a Gentleman There have been hundreds ofks and articles about JesseJames and his men. in a book titled “Jesse James, Gentleman,” Jesse was more of a gentleman than Lord Chesterfield. He bowed to the waist, kissed ladies’ hands and wore lace cuffs. If Jesse had read this, he would have leaped on his horse, ridden to the author’s house, called him to the door and shot him down.In Missouri John R. Mustek made a living tor 10 years by writing books about Jesse lames. Another man, Frank Doughty, wrote under the name of “New York Detective.” Hemade a living for four years writing about Jesse James.The late Robert L. Ripley, who drew “Believe It or Not,” prided himself on never being wrong. On November 5, 1937, he had a thrilling picture with the caption, “Frank James Buried 2 Million Dollars—Then Forgot Whe.re He Buried It.” Ripley told how careless Frank had buried the money in the Wichita mountains in Oklahoma, and had let the matter slip from his mind.No Buried Treasure The whole thing was a fine story. The only flaw was that neither Frank nor Jesse ever buried even a plugged nickel. Once Jesse put some money overnight in the crotch of a tree while he was being pressed by the gentlemen of the law. But next morning, bright and early, he went back to the tree and grabbed the money. That is as near as the boys ever came to burying money. In fact, in all their professional work, Jesse and Frank never got even close to a million dollars, let alone 2 million.There are 11 Jesse James caves in the United States; that is, caves where the chamber of commerce, or local promoters, say that Jesse hid from people who wished him ill. Five of these charge admission. The Jesse James cave idea has )wn into big business.But there is one bothersome fact. Jesse James never hid in a cave in his life. He always said that a man in a cave was like a ground squirrel in the ground; all that the pursuers had to do was to come up and they had him dead to rights, dead being the exact word. Instead of hiding in caves, orTHE TREASURY OF INSPIRATIONAL CLASSICSCompiled by BLISS ALBRIGHTFrom Of the Imitation of Christ to The Story of the Other Wise Man ... nine timeless gems, inspirational prose and poetry you’ve long wanted to read, to re-read, to share with someone you love. Beautifully bound, a book for the bedside, a wonderful gift for anyone, any time. $3.95BIBLE BOOK STOREN. KINGSHIGHWAY471-3251dressing up like rougn charac- featherduster in his hand, and ters down by the coalpockets, began to brush off a picture of Frank and Jesse were well- “Skyrocket,” a famous race dressed and lived like gentle- horse of that day. He saw the men, in towns, hotels and people passing and called to rented houses. Zee, ”1 don't want them to seeMany Impersonations me with my holster, so I'll take Another choice bit of misin- it off.” He threw it on the cot-formation is that Jesse James bed in the room and reached to was not killed that April day in ! brush the framed picture.St. Joseph, Mo. In fact, since Bob Ford saw this and came that event, five men have gone into the room with a casual over the country saying they manner; in a moment he was were Jesse. The last one was between Jesse and Jesse’s pis-J. Frank Dalton. He was the best tols. Instantly Ford whipped and most successful Jesse out the gun that Jesse had giv-james of all. He had a press en him and cocked it. Jesse agent, a nurse and a manager, heard the noise and turned to and raked in the dough like a see what it meant. Ford excroupier at Monte Carlo. tended the gun and pulled theOne year the town of North- trigger; a report shook the lit— field, Minn., where the James tie house. Jesse swayed a mo-gang held up the bank with dis- ment, then collapsed on the un-astrous results for the gang, de- carpeted floor, cided to have a Jesse James Notified the Governor day. Well, the chamber of com- Ford raced out of the house merce wanted to add some- and to the telegraph station and thing, so they wired J, Frank sent a telegram to the gov-Dalton and asked him if he ernor of Missouri announcing would come and lead a parade, triumphantly that he had killed He wired back that he'd be glad Jesse James. The governor to oblige, but that he would promptly pardoned him. The have to be paid $1,000 a day. enterprising young man soon The chamber of commerce peo- joined an acting company, and pie were flabbergasted. They between scenes in the play he wired back, “We’ve been held told how he had killed Jesse up before, but not like this.’* James.In fact, when the real jesse Through the years, people James held up the Northfield from all over the country trav-bank, he didn't get a dime. J. eled to Sidenfaden’s, the under-Frank Dalton, until his death in taker's, just to stare at a grim 1948, made more money lectur- entry in a tall, narrow journal, ing about Jesse James than This was what was written by Jesse James himself did in all pen on a yellowed page: his professional career. April 3 — Mr. Jesse JamesOne of Jesse’s imitators once killed. Number, US. casket with had the nerve to go to St. Jo- shroud, $250. Shroud $10. Paid, seph and give a lecture at the The “Mr.” was to show it Electric theater, saying that he was a man—not a Jessie—and was the real outlaw. During the the “S” meant it was a state lecture, he paused, gazed into casket, /ee did not have enough the audience and said, “If I am money to pay for the casket; not Jesse James, then who am the funeral expenses were paid I?” by friends. In fact, all she had“Clara Bow,” a voice called, to her name was $250. ThisThis Jesse was so shaken that was all that Jesse James left, it was a minute tefore ho could except his horses and guns, go on with his recital of daring She was so poor that she went deeds. out, briefly, as a lecturer. ButBob Ford, who lived a few she was not good at it. Fi-miles from the James family, nally a professional speaker sent word to Jesse one day that was engaged. Zee sat with her he wanted to “Join” the gang, two children on the stage and, Jesse was a remarkable leader at the end of the lecture, an-of men; from beginning to end swered question* from the au-he ha ^ at various times, a total dience. of 30 under him. But he made Had Sense of Humor one mistake in his judgment ofmen, and it cost him his life. Jesse, you may be surprised He took Bob Ford into hts home to know, had a sense of humor, in St. Joseph and gave him a He was the life of the party— horse and even the pistol that and sometimes the death of a laid Jesse James in his grave, party.And there lived this man, eat- Once he and his boys were intug Jesse's food, sleeping in his the foothills of the Ozarks, and bed, playing with his children, stopped for noon dinner at a waiting for the moment. humble cabin. Jesse promisedOn a Balmy Day the mountaineer woman that ifThe first Sunday in April was she would prepare dinner for warm and balmy. Jesse and them he would pay her well. Bob curried and fed the horses, The woman was delighted and then came to the kitchen where ran down two chickens. When Jesse’s wife, Zee James, was Jesse came into the kitchen for cooking breakfast. Jesse walked a drink of water, he found the through the kttehen, into the front woman silently weeping. He asked *lnlt;l opened the door for what was her trouble, a breath of spring. There was She told him her plight. She a sidewalk in front of the house was a widow and owed $800 on and people were jassingbyon the her house and little hillside farm, way to church. all that she had in the world.Jesse mounted a chair, a That afternoon a skinflint moneylender was coming to collect. If she did not have the money, he would foreclose. Jesse was touched.“Ma’am,” he said, “it so happens we are cattle buyers and we have some money with us. Now this is what I want you to do. I will lend you the money to pay this man, but before you give it to him, I want you to make him sign a receipt for it, so it won't ever be his word against yours. My business experience has taught me that this is bad. We will write out a receipt for you. Have him sign it, then give him the money.'’Robbed of His MoneyThey ate and paid for their meal and rode away. That afternoon at 4 o'clock the old skinflint came down the road, through a patch of woods, on his way back from the widow’s. Suddenly four armed men leaped out, all masked and robbed him. He had $800. The men told him to get out of the rig and walk into the brush. Then they lashed his horse which went flving down the road. Then the men mounted their own horses and rode off. No one knew who the four men were. They all seemed well-fed.I’m afraid I've made Jesse James out too glamorous. He was bad and no two ways about it. But, on the other hand, he didn’t make a practice of robbing individuals. He robbed banks and railroads; at that time they all were unregulated; a bank could charge any amount of interest it wished, and a railroad could gouge people right and left.So when people heard that a railroad or a bank had been robbed they didn't get too worked up over it. When a posse was formed to chase Jesse and his men, they rode madly after them in a walk. They didn’t want to tangle with the best shots in America.British May B Devaluate PoiNEW YORK (AP) - When the British pound sterling is dis* ' cussed these days, the talk inev* i itably turns to the probability that the government might decide to lower its official value.Such talk is like pouring salt into an open sore in the hide of the British Labor government, for devaluation is the very thing it has dedicated itself to avoid* ing—but always finds itself far..As some financial men view it, the longer the British economy remains weak in relation to some of its neighbors, the great* er is the chance that the govern* ment might consent to devalua*.A nation's currency is only as strong as the nation. It is its symbol* A nation cannot have a weak economy and a strong cur*'rency,
Newspaper Details
Sikeston Daily Standard
Sikeston, Missouri, US
Wed, Nov 15, 1967
Page 27
Full Page
Clipped by
Joplin P.
MO, USA 03 Aug 2024
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