In June 1892, Robert Ford ran a ballroom in Creed, Colorado. The man said: "When an out-of-town deputy sheriff named Ed O'Kelly walked in with a shotgun, he was already famous, but he was still very well dressed. Ford turned, and O'Kelly greeted him politely. Ford found himself standing at O'Kelly's gun. It was the last thing he saw. "
In prison, O'Kelly was almost drowned in fan letters. His sudden popularity stemmed from the fact that he shot and killed One of America's most famous outlaws, Jesse James.
Before Jesse James's death, he was a legend. Some believe he was Robin Hood, robbing banks and giving cash to the poor. Others, including President Ulysses S. Grant, considered him a murderer. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any evidence that he redistributed his ill-gotten gains. As for his violence, there seems to be a very specific historical context.
Born in 1847, he and his brother Frank came of age during the American Civil War. They joined the Confederate army as a teenager, and although the war ended in 1865, for the James brothers, the war never really ended.
Stiles is the award-winning author of Jesse James: The Last Rebels of the Civil War. In an email interview, he enumerated some of the conditions that led Jesse James toward a life of violent crime after the Civil War.
<h1>Adverse effects</h1>
The first effect was his friendship with Archie Clement. Stiles said Archie Clement was "one of the most violent leaders in the Missouri Confederate guerrillas." Clement continued the rebellion long after the end of the war. The Republican Unity Party controlled Missouri, including the state's banks. So Clement robbed as many people as possible and did his best to manipulate the election to the detriment of the Republican Party. The state militia eventually killed Clement, which Stiles said "pained Jesse James."
Jesse wasn't the only one who admired Clement. His mother, Zerielda, named her other son after the fallen leader. In fact, Stiles asserted that Zerierda was "a staunch partisan and an outspoken supporter of the Confederacy cause." "Jesse James grew up in a strong political atmosphere."
The influences of Zerierda and Archie Clement, combined with Jesse James' war experiences, contributed to James's career of political violence. Stiles noted that the Confederate guerrillas he joined at the age of 16 were "essentially a death squad, fighting one field after another in the county where he grew up, killing farmers in their fields or homes simply because of their loyalty." ”
In other words, the war told him that he could commit terrorist acts and then go unpunished. Post-Civil War politics were closely linked to his criminal career. Stiles explains: "Jesse James was able to live freely for more than 10 years as a fugitive, much longer than the average outlaw, because he was regarded as a political hero by the former Confederates and was trained by him." But the protection that that this status gives him won't last forever.
After a bank robbery in Minnesota, Jesse's gang was nearly caught. They fled back to Missouri, and while his brother Frank James seemed to settle down, Jesse embarked on another crime spree. Missouri's new governor, Thomas Crittenden, persuaded private companies to offer huge rewards for capturing and convicting the James brothers. He then arranged a secret meeting at a hotel after a ball with the last two members of Jesse's gang in Kansas City, Charlie and Robert Ford. At this point, Jesse became paranoid, and the Ford brothers were the only people he trusted.
His level of trust is low.
<h1>Ambushes and murders</h1>
On the morning of April 3, 1882, Jesse and the Ford brothers had breakfast together, then returned to the living room to discuss plans for the impending robbery. Jesse noticed a dusty painting hanging on the wall and decided it was time to clean. He climbed up a chair to reach it. Robert Ford took a deep breath and drew his gun. Jesse was someone Ford had always admired. A man he had imitated. However, Ford aimed the gun at Jesse in the back of the head and fired.
After the Ford brothers informed authorities, they were arrested and thrown in jail for murder. They pleaded guilty and were sentenced to death. But that appears to be part of the governor's plan.
Given the current situation, Mr Stiles said, it was almost certain that when Governor Crittenden met with the Ford brothers before the shooting, he promised that if they faced an extrajudicial execution, he would let them escape responsibility when the time came.
Stiles said: "When Jesse James was sentenced to death, his career had come to an end. Reconstruction efforts were reversed nationwide and within Missouri. In Missouri, the former Confederacy controls the ruling Democratic Party. This outlaw has no more political support; He was just a criminal. Suffice it to say that Creetenden is free. Two things indicate that Clittenden explicitly authorized the Ford brothers to kill Jesse James at a secret meeting after the Kansas City Prom: First, the two brothers turned themselves in to authorities immediately after the murder and pleaded guilty. (Pardon can only be granted after conviction.) If they can't be sure of pardons, they hardly do. Second, they were pardoned. I found it impossible to draw conclusions without a clear understanding. ”
After being released from prison, the Ford brothers used their notoriety to stage a tour that recreated the scene where Jesse James was killed. But over time, public opinion began to oppose them. They ended the show and went their separate ways.
Frank James surrendered to the authorities after his brother's death. He spent a year and three weeks in prison but was never convicted of many crimes. He got married, had children, and eventually returned to his mother's farm.
Some people do not believe that Jesse James was killed on April 3, 1882; These people claim that his death was forged and that he actually died of old age many years later. There is some controversy as to whether James actually stood in his chair or had just turned his back on Robert Ford, but most historians do believe that James stood in the chair to do some housework.