Wednesday, January 14, 2015

James Boys On Western Wednesday...!

I know we have talked about the James boys before, but here's a glance from another perspective.

The Pinkertons took a real beating over some of their mis-advntures in trying to catch the James boys. This is just one example.

Jan 26, 1875:
Pinkertons maim Frank and Jesse James' mother

Mistakenly believing Frank and Jesse James are hiding out at their family home, a gang of men--likely led by Pinkerton detectives--mount a raid that leaves the outlaws' mother permanently maimed and their nine-year-old half-brother dead.

The Chicago-based Pinkerton Detective Agency had been pursuing the James brothers and their gang since 1874, when several big railroad companies first hired the Pinkertons to stop the outlaws. Responsible for a string of bank and train robberies, the James brothers were already famous for their daring style, and some even viewed the men as modern-day Robin Hoods. The Pinkertons, though, had no such romantic illusions about the outlaws. One of their best operatives working on the case, John W. Witcher, had been found dead from a bullet wound to the stomach, with his head, shoulder, and face eaten away by wild hogs. The Pinkertons were convinced Jesse James and another gang member had murdered Witcher, and they were determined to stop the outlaws.

In late 1874, the Pinkertons learned that Jesse and Frank James periodically returned to their old family farm in Clay County, Missouri, to visit with their mother and other family. On the night of January 26, 1875, a gang of men surrounded the James farm in the mistaken belief that the James brothers were inside. In an attempt to flush the outlaws out of the house, the gang threw several flares through the windows. Unexpectedly, one of the flares exploded instantly, killing Frank and Jesse's young half-brother and blowing away their mother's arm. Though the identity of the gang members has never been determined with absolute certainty, contemporary admirers of the James Brothers and modern-day historians agree that the Pinkertons were probably responsible. Regardless, the incident gave credence to the popular view that the men were innocent victims of the powerful railroads that had hired the Pinkertons to wipe them out.

After the attack on the James farm, the Pinkertons appear to have backed off from their more aggressive tactics. One of his own gang members, not a Pinkerton operative, killed Jesse James for a bounty in 1882. Frank James surrendered shortly thereafter, but no jury would convict him, and he remained a free and law-abiding citizen until his death in 1915. The grave of Jesse, who was buried in the front yard of his mother's farm, became a popular tourist attraction. For many years, tourists could pay Mrs. James 25ÝF to visit the grave and listen to her tearful and melodramatic account of how venal Pinkertons and evil railroad barons had so unjustly persecuted her good and utterly innocent sons.

The Pinkertons just couldn't win sometimes. It's hard to outshine a legend, I reckon!

Coffee out on the patio this morning. Almost 50, so that ain't too bad!

7 comments:

linda m said...

Boy, does 50 degrees sound lovely to me - 6 degrees here this AM. I always liked the legend of the James brothers and don't think they were as evil as the Railroad barons made them out to be. coffee on the patio will really brighten my cold morning. I'll bring some hot corn muffins.

Chickenmom said...

Hubby loves the Jessie James tales - thanks! Bitter cold here, too. Corn muffins are perfect for today!

HermitJim said...

Hey Linda M...
Like all western tales they probably get blown out of proportion. Still, we can only go by the records that are left!

Thanks for coming by today!



Hey Phyllis...
I'm glad he liked the story. That's why I put these articles on here!

Thanks for coming by this morning!

JO said...

Sad story, When these early lawless law people took it upon themselves to bring law an order they did more damage that some of the criminals.

Very foggy here this morning could hardly see across the street. And it look like it is getting thicker instead of less. Well there goes that early run to the store. Pass the pot I have plenty of time. :)

Mamahen said...

Another great look into the past...thank you...24° here..so 50 sounds woderful :))

Rob said...

The Frank James story was really interesting!
Quantrill's raider, bank & train robber, historical legend lives free to die of old age at 73.

Dizzy-Dick said...

Do you remember my post on Frank James? In case you don't., here is a link: http://dizzydick.blogspot.com/2014/07/wondering-about-half-of-james-brothers.html