Robert Ford

CHAPTER VIII.

the death of my father did not bring a cessation of train or bank robberies this nefarious method of robbery went right on and has continued to the present time and probably will go on like tennyson's brook forever the death of my father created one of the greatest sensations that the west had ever known he was killed april third eighteen eighty two i have clipped from the kansas city journal of april fourth eighteen eighty two the news account headlines and all of that tragedy and here reproduce a part of it as a bit of history that will be found deeply interesting to all who have been interested enough in the story this book tells to have read this far into it good-bye jesse the notorious outlaw and bandit jesse james killed at st joseph by r ford of ray county a young man but twenty-one years of age the deadly weapon used presented to his slayer by his victim but a short time since jesse in kansas city during the past year and residing on one of the principal streets kansas city excited over the receipt of the news talks with people life of the dead man i've got him sure was the telegram that came to the city yesterday it was meaningless to almost everybody yet it contained news of the greatest importance jesse james was the person referred to and as he was a corpse the sender of the dispatch was confident that he had him sure at nine o'clock yesterday morning jesse james was shot dead at st joseph missouri by robert ford a young man about twenty-one years of age from ray county ford being acquainted with the james gang recently planned the death of jesse this plan was concocted in this city and was as it has been seen successfully carried out His brother Charles was with him at the time of the killing, and the wife of Jesse was in the kitchen of the house in which they were living.

At his death, Jesse was hanging pictures.

He had but a few minutes before being killed, divested himself of his coat and his revolvers.

SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE KANSAS CITY JOURNAL.

ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI, APRIL 3.

BETWEEN EIGHT AND NINE O'CLOCK THIS MORNING, JESSE JAMES, THE MISSOURI OUTLAW, BEFORE WHOSE RECORD THE DEEDS OF FREY DIAVOLO, DICK TURPIN, AND SHINTER HAINES DWINDLE INTO INSIGNIFICANCE, WAS KILLED BY A BOY TWENTY-ONE YEARS OLD, NAMED ROBERT FORD, AT HIS TEMPORARY RESIDENCE ON 13TH AND LAFAYETTE STREETS IN THIS CITY.

In the light of all moral reasoning, the shooting was wholly unjustifiable.

Was it a case of alien abduction? [graphics whooshing] In May of 1963, a bizarre creature terrorized Centerville, Illinois, prompting over 50 calls to the police from alarmed residents.

Descriptions ranged from a half-man, half-woman to a half-man, half-horse.

[graphics whooshing] But first, we step into the Wild West, where no matter how tough and rugged you might be, you can never defeat Old Man Death.

And he was creative in how he dispensed his touch.

The West can mean anything west of the Mississippi River or just the desert Southwest, depending on who you ask.

Many settlers traveled through the West on the Oregon Trail.

With so many stories from the Wild West or Old West, it's easy to imagine yourself there.

Think about dusty trails, thirsty horses, six-shooters, and coyotes as you consider what it might have been like to face the challenges of the Wild West.

Howard was an alias for Jesse James.

And a man named Robert Ford shot him in St. Joseph, Missouri in April 3rd, 1882.

And he was known at that time as Thomas Howard, an alias.

Jesse James had a wife, a mourner all her life, children they were brave, or the dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard, he laid poor Jesse in his grave.

And then he was like, all right then.

And so, you know, Robert Ford, there's a clip of Robert Ford, the former ambassador to Syria, talking about how they engaged in this great PR campaign with a British NGO to help, you know, essentially rehabilitate these guys.

And you know what, Jim? I got over there on the shelf these two books that I haven't read yet.

One of them is by Aaron Lund, I think, who's like always was on these guys' side back in the Obama years too.

Jesse James was the person referred to, and as he was a corpse, the sender of the dispatch was confident that he had him, sure.

At 9 o'clock yesterday morning, Jesse James was shot dead at St. Joseph, Missouri, by Robert Ford, a young man about 21 years of age, from Ray County.

ford being acquainted with the james gang recently planned the death of jesse this plan was concocted in this city and was as it has been seen successfully carried out His brother Charles was with him at the time of the killing, and the wife of Jesse was in the kitchen of the house in which they were living.

At his death, Jesse was hanging pictures.

He never spoke a word after falling to the floor.

The slayers gave themselves up soon after the killing, and an inquest over the remains was begun.

the killing in detail special dispatch to the kansas city journal st joseph missouri april third between eight and nine o'clock this morning jesse james the missouri outlaw before whose record the deeds of fray diavolo dick turpin and shinter haines dwindle into insignificance was killed by a boy twenty-one years old named robert ford at his temporary residence on thirteenth and lafayette streets in this city In the light of all moral reasoning, the shooting was wholly unjustifiable.

But the law is vindicated, and the $10,000 reward offered by the state will doubtless go to the man who had the courage to draw a revolver on the notorious outlaw when his back was turned, as in this case.

It's the morning of April 3rd, 1882, in the kitchen of a house in St. Joseph, Missouri, six years after the Northfield bank raid.

Robert Ford sits across a breakfast table from the outlaw Jesse James.

He only half-listens as Jesse explains a plan for their next robbery.

As soon as they finish breakfast, Jesse wants to hit the road and ride to nearby Platte City.

But this time around, Jesse struggled to find men he could count on.

His brother, Frank, rejoined him, but Frank's heart wasn't in it, and many of those who tried to be a part of Jesse's gang weren't up to Jesse's standards, and he ran them off.

But Robert Ford was the exception.

Jesse's grown to like him and trust him.

He would actually sometimes leave messages with the victims at the banks that he robbed or actually leave notes for the press of the banks he robbed and trying to justify, you know, some of his robberies.

Um, he was shot by a gang member, Robert Ford shot in the back of the head as he was dusting a picture on a mantle or something because Robert wanted to get the, uh, Reward money against them.

But as their gang, in just two years, from 1860 to 1862, they robbed more than 20 banks and several train robberies and stole close to $200,000, which is a ton of money back then.

A ton of money.

He touched his cap with a bob of mock humility.

I'm Bob Ford, he said.

Come back out of kingdom come, so to say.

Me as went down with the Mooltan, safe dead five years gone.

"Ah," said Ford, looking about him, "you've been pretty comfortable, them chairs and things," jerking his pipe toward them.

"'Was hers.

Mine, that is to say, speaking straight and man to man." He sat down, puffing meditatively at his pipe, and presently, "Well," he continued, "here I am again, old Bob Ford, dead and done for, gone down in the mole ton.

Only I ain't done for, see?" And he pointed the stem of his pipe at Simmons' waistcoat.

[laughs]

... th- that killed Robert Ford.

Hm.

Okay.

The gun that killed Robert Ford, who killed Jesse James.

You want that one.

I want that shotgun.