sometimes incidents, in themselves trivial, serve to reveal the character of persons connected with them better than those actions which are esteemed as more important. the james boys are robbers, but nevertheless they are still capable of generous actions. it may be that the remembrance of former days sometimes disposes their minds to the contemplation of the true, the beautiful and the good in humanity. jesse james was once baptized, and became a member of a baptist church in clay county, missouri, and it is said that for a considerable time before the war, his conduct was exemplary in the highest degree. but he has since sadly fallen from grace.
some years ago a tenant on the samuels farm had a difficulty with the mother of jesse and frank. in the heat of passion he denounced the old lady as a liar. jesse heard of the affair, and, as he always exhibited the warmest affection for his mother, those who knew of the circumstance fully expected that the tenant would be called to account in the usual way by jesse james. one day the offending tenant was engaged in some domestic labor near his home and adjacent to a corn-field, when suddenly there was[pg 139] a rustling of the dry corn-blades and the next instant the dreaded outlaw leaped his horse over the fence and dashed up to the affrighted citizen with a heavy revolver ready cocked in his hand. "i have come to kill you!" he said, at the same time making an ominous motion with the pistol. "did you not know better than to call my mother a liar? now, if you want to make your peace with god, you had better be at it." the poor man dropped upon his knees and began to pray. as he proceeded, he became more and more fervent. he asked god to pardon his transgressions and have mercy upon him. then he commended his loved ones to the protecting care of that beneficent being to whom alone they could look, now that he was so soon to be taken away from them. the prayer had become pathetic in its earnestness. as the man proceeded, the hard lines in jesse james' features relaxed, a shade of sadness stole over his countenance, the muzzle of the pistol was unconsciously lowered, and when the poor frightened farmer had finished, the look of stern resolve was all gone, and the outlaw's pistol had been sheathed. "i cannot kill you thus," he said, "but you must leave the country," and jesse james wheeled his horse and disappeared as he had come.
what tender reminiscences may have come to jesse james then? who can tell? the farmer settled up his affairs and departed from the country soon afterward. his prayer had prevailed with jesse, and he was spared to his loved ones.
[pg 140]
the following anecdote illustrates a trait prominently developed in the character of the outlaws—that is, their willingness to make personal sacrifices to serve anyone whom they regard in a friendly light.
it was during the war. col. j. h. r. cundiff, now editor of the st. louis times, had been in north missouri on recruiting service for the confederate army. the whole country was overrun by federal soldiers, and the situation of the recruiting officers in that region was perilous. one night col. cundiff and several officers visited the house of mr. bivens, in clay county, to obtain food and secure a trusty guide to pilot them out of that region. they learned that a man who resided some miles away was thoroughly acquainted with the by-ways of the country, and could be relied upon in such an emergency. among all the men present not one knew the way to the house of the person whose services were sought. miss bivens, a beautiful and accomplished young lady, at length offered to venture through the darkness and find the guide. frank james was there, and spoke up, "oh, no, that is not necessary. just get on my horse behind me, and i will take you there." the lady, who was at that time very fond of the society of the guerrilla, trusted herself with him, and mounting on the horse behind him they rode away into the night, she indicating to him the route to be taken. though the roads were guarded by federals, the gauntlet of pickets was successfully run,[pg 141] and the guide was secured. in those days frank and jesse james were esteemed as chivalrous gentlemen, and fit guardians of female honor. col. cundiff and his fellow officers were enabled to effect a change of base in comparative security, by the chivalrous services rendered by frank james.
a story is told of jesse, which shows that he is not impervious to the appeals of the suffering. one day he was riding in a sparsely settled region in western texas. passing through a belt of timber along a stream, he came to the camping place of an emigrant family. there a most distressing spectacle presented itself. the "movers" were people in indigent circumstances, evidently. the old blind horse and poor mule which had drawn the rickety wagon seemed as if their days of toil were about numbered. the man who had driven them had died there under a tree two days before; the woman was extended on the earth, almost in the agonies of death, and three children, the eldest not more than nine years of age, were crouched around, wailing piteously for something to stay the ravages of hunger.
jesse saw the miserable condition of the unfortunate emigrant family. he at once dismounted, examined the poor sick woman, administered to her necessities as best he could, and also gave the children something to eat from his own small store of supplies. he then bid the woman be of good cheer,[pg 142] promised to come again before night, mounted his horse and galloped away in search of assistance. ten miles from the camp he found a physician, and two miles further he found a coffin-maker. the first he sent to the lonely camp by the stream, the other he set to work to make a coffin. then he found a man with a spring wagon and engaged his services. with a supply of things of present necessity, he turned once more toward the camp. arrived there he prepared the food and made the coffee himself for the unfortunate family. the physician came and prescribed for the sick lady. the undertaker brought the coffin, and the owner of the spring wagon came to remove the bereaved woman and her little ones to a place of shelter. the stranger was buried—where?—in an untimely tomb.
"no human hands with pious reverence rear'd,
but the charmed eddies of autumnal winds,
built o'er his mouldering bones a pyramid
of mouldering leaves in the waste wilderness."
the bereaved one and her orphaned children were carried to the house of a pioneer some miles away, and every want was bountifully provided for, and in a pleasant farm-house she and her children call their own home, she blesses the outlaw, and prays that he may be kept from harm, and that he may be led aright at last.
they tell a story of frank james which illustrates one peculiar trait of the outlaw's character—that is,[pg 143] his gallantry and knightly devotion to the honor of the fair sex. it happened in kentucky. there was a young lady resident in a neighborhood where frank james was a visitor, who had become the victim of the persecutions of a certain fellow whose addresses she had refused. on every possible occasion this low-bred person sought to mortify and insult the young lady, who was unfortunate in not having any near male relatives to champion her cause. one evening, at a social entertainment, the neighborhood coxcomb and instinctive ruffian approached the young lady in a very rude and offensive manner, just at the time when she was engaged in conversation with frank james, who had been only a few minutes before presented to her. without apparently noticing the insolence of the person, frank suggested a promenade, and the young lady took his arm, and they walked away. in no long time they met the rude fellow again, and he took special pains to mortify the young lady, and threw out a gratuitous insult to her escort. very politely frank begged the lady to release him for a moment, and he followed the coxcomb. coming up with him, he quietly requested him to step aside for a moment. the fellow treated the request with contempt, and added insult to injury. without the least show of passion, frank rejoined the lady and conducted her to her friends. he then calmly awaited his opportunity. it came that same evening. some persons present[pg 144] knew the desperate character of frank james, and had told the fellow he was in danger. the fellow attempted quietly to withdraw from the company, but he could not effect his purpose. frank james had his attention fixed upon the ill-mannered man. when he had gone away from the house some distance, frank arrested his progress. he had a pistol drawn, which he presented. "you deserve to die," said frank james in a low, quiet tone, "but on one condition i will spare you, under the circumstances. will you comply?" "name your conditions!" responded the other, now thoroughly frightened "these:" said frank james, "you must write a note to the lady, abjectly apologizing for your conduct. it must be done before ten o'clock to-morrow, and you must leave the country within five days, and never return. if the letter does not reach the lady by noon to-morrow, i will hunt you until i find you, and then as sure as there is a god in heaven i will kill you. if after five days you are found in this country, i will shoot you. remember what i say!" the man promised compliance, and frank james returned to the merry-makers, and no one who saw him suspected that the quiet gentleman had thoughts of bloodshed in his mind. the letter came, and in three days the neighborhood fop had disappeared.
