THE DEATH OF JESSE JAMES

Jesse and Frank James were guerrilla warriors during the Civil War as teenagers. They took part in killing civilians who were supporters of the Union. After the war ended, they naturally turned to a life of crime. They robbed their first bank in Liberty, Missouri on Feb. 13, 1866. They formed a gang that robbed a couple of banks a year. In 1873, they robbed their first train. Even though innocent people were sometimes killed, Jesse became a Robin Hood type figure in Missouri. No one would rat them out. Their luck ran out in 1876 when their gang, including the Younger brothers, attempted to rob the bank in Northfield, Minnesota. The people of the town fought back, killing or wounding most of the gang. Only Frank and Jesse escaped. The brothers decided to lay low as farmers for a couple of years, but since that was boring, they formed a new gang. Times had changed and by now Reconstruction was over and there was less support for the good old days of slavery. The Governor of Missouri pledged to end Jesse’s crime spree. He got the legislature to up the bounty to $10,000. Previously, the reward had been capped at an unenticing $300. Two new members of  Jesse’s gang made contact with the governor who promised to pardon them as well as the reward. Ironically, Jesse had had some problems with his new gang, but he trusted the Fords. On April 3, 1882, Charles and Bob Ford met at Jesse’s house to plan their next robbery. While his mother cooked pancakes, the trio talked. Bob Ford had decided to collect the reward for Jesse. When Jesse stood on a stool to straighten a picture, Ford shot him in the back. Jesse’s tombstone read “Jesse W. James, Died April 3, 1882, Aged 34 years, 6 months, 28 days, Murdered by a traitor and a coward whose name is not worthy to appear here.”

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/april-3/jesse-james-is-murdered

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/james-death/