Mammoth Cave

CHAPTER XXXIV.

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 eighteen seventy nine eighty 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 while in 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 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 concord stage running between monmouth cave and cave city in edmondson county kentucky was captured by highwaymen on the afternoon of friday september third eighteen eighty and the passengers despoiled of everything they carried at this season of the year monmouth 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 concord 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 bridle 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 moustache 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 defenceless 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 moustache 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 penknife they could not resist or parley There were seven gentlemen and one lady in the coach, and the lady naturally was nervous and alarmed.

in the excitement and bustle attendant upon rising and leaving their seats mr r s roundtree of the milwaukee evening wisconsin who was making the trip with relatives slipped his pocket-book 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 the muzzle of a revolver and told to take his place in line and hold up his hands the lady a daughter of hon 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 rein 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 ga lost six hundred seventy dollars 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.

after getting all the valuables of the party the marauders returned the pocket-books 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 out-stage getting seven hundred dollars from mr george crohan one of the owners of the cave the rider 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.

CHAPTER XXXV of THE BORDER BANDITS singular as it may appear tis scarcely 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 very slim and not more than five feet six inches in height and weighs about one hundred and forty pounds he has blue eyes very light hair and usually wears a shortly cropped full beard and straggling moustache of a pale reddish colour his face is peculiar in shape being broad at the forehead and tapering abruptly from the cheek bones to the chin which is almost pointed in his motions he is neither naturally slow nor 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 highwayman with the lowest sneak-thief so great is frank's superiority in the matter of education frank has improved his opportunities and is 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 claude duval whose fictitious adventures frank has read until he can repeat them like the written narratives jesse james is a strongly made man standing five feet ten inches in height and will weigh one hundred and sixty five 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's strategy and jesse's desperate bravery that the latter has not long since been punished for his crimes in deeds of violence jesse finds especial 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 with shepard as their 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 shot 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 jess as he called him had tried to have him frank ambushed and captured in texas and that was not the first time jess 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 color 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 paralyzed his brain and destroyed his mind frank james was married to miss annie ralston of jackson county in september eighteen seventy five 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 school-girl 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 ostracized 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 highwayman 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 miss zerelda mimms in the autumn of eighteen seventy four at the home of his mother in clay county miss mimms was an orphan who had lived with a married sister in kansas city being of age there was no one to criticize her act and she stepped across the threshold of prescribed citizenship to share the perils of an outlaw's life the peculiar profession followed by jesse and frank james has 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 chapter thirty five CHAPTER XXXVI OF THE BORDER BANDITS 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 the history of these noted desperadoes we have endeavoured 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 tenth seventy seven 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 bellaring after the drive.

Remember it's business.

And a sinkhole opened up under the fucking museum.

'Cause they're not that far from Mammoth Cave.

And as-

Oh, wow

... as many people may know, Kentucky has, if not the longest, one of the longest continuous underground cave systems in the world.

Oh, wow, I didn't know that.

Spearheaded by Mammoth Cave.

Oh my God.

In the beautiful landscape of Kentucky's rolling hills and dense forests, there exists a location of fascination and marvel.

Mammoth Cave is a natural wonder that has captivated people for centuries.

The cave is a maze of intricate tunnels and grand chambers that seem to bring the earth to life.

As you journey deeper into the cave, you'll feel transported to another realm.

It's a place that makes you feel humble.

and fills you with a sense of admiration and enchantment.

In this video, we'll explore Mammoth Cave's extensive history and some alleged paranormal encounters.

Join me.

I'm looking at my screen and those are real low.

Nolan River Lake, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.

Another shout out that we just did Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.

That was another market that we just shouted out on the top of the hour.

And then we've got Denell in Florida.

The mist was continually flowing in towards my feet and legs where the body heat was least, and where evaporation proceeded fastest, that is at the height of my waist, little wisps of mist would detach themselves from the side of the funnel of clear air in which I stood, and they would, in a slow, graceful motion, accelerated somewhat towards the last, describe a downward and inward curve towards the lower part of my body before they dissolved.

I thought of that elusive and yet clearly defined layer of mist that forms in the plane of contact between the cold air flowing from Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and the ambient air of a sultry summer day.

Footnote, see Burrow's wonderful description of this phenomenon in Riverby.

End of footnote.

They think that could be one of those types of places.

Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is, which Montana, you said you've been there, but you can't really remember it very well because the weather was shitty or something.

So I experienced nothing.

And then, of course, numerous haunted sites throughout Appalachia.

Number three: Randy Rasko.

On November 19th, 2015 park rangers at the Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky noticed that a car had been sitting in the car park for around two weeks.

This immediately set off warning bells, and after doing some digging for information, they discovered that the car belonged to 40-year-old Randy Rasko.

As the car had been there for quite some time, the park rangers set about searching for Randy right away.

As painful as it was, his family respected his boundaries and assured him they would welcome him back with open arms whenever he was ready.

For the next few months, it's believed that Randy traveled all around the US all while maintaining his privacy and secrecy.

His family didn't know that anything was wrong until the Mammoth Cave National Park Rangers contacted them to let them know that his car had been found abandoned.

With this second disappearance, his family hoped that there would be a positive resolution.

There's one.

We went actually up to Mammoth Cave on Friday.

We took the kids, and there's one on the way there.

It's about 45 minutes.