on the morning following the robbery, an examination of the immediate vicinity about where the train was stopped, resulted in finding where the robbers had tied their horses, and there, lying on the ground, was found the following letter:
kansas city, july 12.
charlie—i got your letter to-day, and was glad to hear that you had got everything ready in time for the 15th. we will be on hand at that time. bill will be with us. we will be on the train; don't fear. we will be in the smoker at winston. have the horses and boys in good fix for fast work. we will make this point again on the night of the 16th. all is right here. frank will meet us at cameron. look sharp and be well fixed. have the horses well gaunted, for we may have some running to do. don't get excited, but keep cool till right time. wilcox or wolcott will be on the engine. i think best to send this to kidder. yours time and through death.
slick.
after receiving the first particulars of the robbery by telegraph, i went to kansas city, and from thence to various points in the vicinity, for the purpose of prosecuting an investigation with the view of discovering, if possible, who the outlaws were, where they came from, whither they went, and how the authorities prosecuted the pursuit. from these efforts i am prepared to state, with circumstantial [pg 156]positiveness, that frank james and jim cummings were the parties who planned, and with the aid of their confreres, executed the robbery at winston, and that the proof may not be wanting, the following several facts are recited:
a few weeks ago i received a letter from frank james, acknowledging the receipt of a copy of "border outlaws," which i sent to him by a relative. shortly after its receipt, this same relative, who is known to be in communication with frank james, visited st. louis and confidentially conferred with my publisher upon the advantages which we might mutually reap by a sudden stimulation in the sale of "border outlaws," for which he was then acting as agent. his proposition embraced a statement that frank james and jim cummings were at that time in missouri planning a campaign; that a large robbery would soon be consummated, attended with some startling results. all these facts he agreed to furnish us the very moment the robbery should be completed, comprising the names of those engaged, how they had organized, where assembled, cause for their acts, etc., provided my publisher would give him a certain sum of money. the incentive on our part to comply with his proposition was in securing this reliable information, which might be added as an appendix to a new edition of "border outlaws," and issued contemporaneously with the first newspaper reports, thereby creating a largely increased demand for the book. of course there appeared so much doubt involved in this singular proffer, and the [pg 157]proposition within itself being of such questionable character, that it was rejected with little consideration of the probability of a robbery such as was declared about to take place. at this time, however, the assertions then made assume an interest which throws much light upon the problem, "who committed the robbery?"
but this is not all the evidence i am in possession of respecting this latest adventure of the old gang. in pursuing my investigations i visited olathe, kas., twenty miles south of kansas city, and there found a gentleman well known in that town, who had met frank james walking on the south side of olathe's public square, well-armed, on the 10th inst., or only five days before the robbery occurred. it was not a mistaken identity, for the gentleman in question was raised within four miles of the present residence of the james boys' parents, and was for years upon terms of the greatest social intimacy with them, attending the same school, participating in the same sports, and in later years meeting with them as old acquaintances. being well acquainted myself in olathe, i can positively state that this information regarding the presence of frank james in the town referred to is true beyond all doubt. but what his business was or when he left, i could not ascertain.
within eighteen hours after the robbery, mrs. samuels appeared in kansas city, evidently for the purpose of collecting such information as might be useful to frank james and his confederates. she talked freely of the robbery, but protested, with repeated[pg 158] declarations, that both frank and jesse were dead, going so far in her assertions as to say that frank died three years ago of consumption, in texas. what she hoped to gain by a claim so easily disproved it is difficult to conjecture.
from the best evidence attainable, the gang who robbed the rock island and pacific train, among whom were frank james, ed. miller, jim cummings and dick little, after leaving the train, mounted their horses and rode southwestwardly until they reached the outskirts of cameron, when they turned and took to the brush again, making directly for the missouri river, which they crossed near sibley's landing, and on the following evening, the 16th, they certainly passed through sni-a-bar township of jackson county, and, taking a southwestwardly course, continued on to the indian territory. the party, however, did not remain intact, but divided up into couples, so as to destroy the trail which so large a number as seven riders would have made conspicuous. they were at no time so far apart, though, but that a prearranged signal would have concentrated the outlaws.
it is a singular fact that with all the atrocious crimes credited to the james boys and their confederates, there was not so much as one dollar of reward offered at the time of the winston robbery, although at one time the rewards offered by the state and railroad and express companies aggregated $75,000. during gov. hardin's administration nearly all the rewards offered by the state were withdrawn,[pg 159] then the private corporations that had suffered so seriously at the hands of the bold knights of the road withdrew the incentives they had advertised, after which gov. phelps wiped out the few figures remaining.
on the 26th of july, eleven days after the train robbery at winston, governor crittenden visited st. louis and called a meeting of leading railroad officials in the gentlemen's parlor of the southern hotel. the call was responded to by representatives from nearly all the principal roads running into kansas city and st. louis, and upon assembling plans were thoroughly discussed for the apprehension of the notorious outlaws who have wrought such injury to missouri's reputation. the session lasted for nearly four hours, though there was the greatest unanimity of feeling and disposition, and at its conclusion the governor expressed much gratification at the results. the power of the executive is limited by law, so that he could not offer a state reward sufficiently large to accomplish the arrest of such notorious desperadoes as the james boys and their gang are known to be, so he conceived the excellent idea of calling upon the interested railroad corporations for needful assistance. the result of this conference was the immediate issuance of a proclamation by governor crittenden, in which an aggregate reward of fifty-five thousand dollars ($55,000) was offered for the capture of the seven train robbers, or five thousand dollars for the arrest and conviction of each one of the robber gang. this proclamation was supplemented [pg 160]by the offer of an additional reward of five thousand dollars each for the arrest of jesse and frank james, and delivery of their bodies to the sheriff of daviess county, and a further reward of five thousand dollars each for their conviction.
the public which, generally speaking, believe that jesse james was never shot by geo. shepherd, credit the assertion made by many that both frank and jesse were engaged in the winston robbery, but whatever the impression, this belief is undoubtedly without foundation. the most intimate acquaintances of jesse james, those who have seen him many times during the past year, are ready to make oath that he is a paralytic from the effects of geo. shepherd's shot; in fact, in a demented, helpless condition.
at one time arrangements were about perfected, through the outlaws' cousin, by which i was to have a personal interview with frank james, each of us to be accompanied by a friend, but owing to some engagement, which was never explained to me, that meeting never occurred. frank, after receiving a copy of "border outlaws," expressed a desire to make a statement, with the understanding that i would embody it in all subsequent editions of the book; this i agreed to do, but i am now convinced that the intended interview was not granted because of the engagement which was kept at winston.
