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Judge T.R. Shouse, After 56 Years, Explains Why Jesse James Was Killed
Aged and Respected Clay Countian Turns Over to Jewell Mayes and Elmer L. Pigg the Secret Statement of His father, J.W. Shouse, Who planned to Capture But Not to Kill Jesse James- A Dramatic Yet True Account of the Final Breaking-up of the James Gang.
(RAY COUNTY CHAPTERS)
(No. 458, In the Missourian of January 23, 1939, being the third and final number of the T.R. Shouse Chapters about the passing of Jesse James. See The Missourian of next Monday for a different history topic)
Today, “Ray County Chapters” present to you herewith the third and final Chapter from the manuscript bearing his signature of Judge Thomas Riley Shouse, as edited with his full approval by Elmer L. Pigg and Jewell Mayes, adding to the known history of the James boys in Clay and Ray Counties telling the true story of the why and wherefore of the killing of Jesse James.
These three Chapters prove that the thoughtless torturing of the Ford youth in trying to force him to tell of the whereabouts of his uncle, Jim Cummins, was the real cause of Bob Ford killing instead of capturing Jesse James, again demonstrating that blood is thicker than waters.
The Shouse manuscript is where completed as follows:
BY T.R. SHOUSE
My father had never approved of the detectives’ blundering attempts to capture Frank and Jesse. He was particularly resentful of that master blunder when the detectives surrounded the James home on the night of January 15th, 1875 and threw a bomb through the window of the James homes.
The exploding bomb killed Archie Peyton Samuels, Jesse’s eight and one-half year old half-brother, and tore off his mother’s right arm. Frank and Jesse were not at home that night or there would have doubtless been several more detectives killed.
My father had associated with him in his “plan”. William Wysong, James O Shouse, Joseph T. Pettigrew, William O. Dollis, William Dagley, Riley Henderson and Dick Little.
The plan was submitted to Governor Thomas T. Crittenden of Missouri, who approved every detail and armed the men for mutual protection. Jesse James was not to be killed, but to be over-powered and turned over to the officers of the law.
For several years every sheriff of Clay County had done his best to capture these outlaws. Sheriff James Timberlake, his deputy James Reed and Henry H. Craig. Police commissioner of Kansas City knew of the organizations and rendered every service possible.
This was about the middle of February, 1882,. The few meetings which this group held were at night under the utmost secrecy. It was so secret that few, very few at the time or to this day knew anything about it. No one has ever known before, prior to this statement made today, the names of the men associated with my father.
After all details were agreed upon, the next thing to do was to locate Jesse James. No one had heard of him for many weeks.All of these men lived near the James farm, and kept a constant watch for Jesse.
For some unknown reason, Jesse had decided to kill Jim Cummins, one of the neighbors and his associated. I am of the opinion that one cause of the trouble between Jesse and Jim Cummins was due to Jim accusing Jesse of killing Ed Miller. Jim always did a lot of needless talking and bragging.
In the fall of 1881, Jesse James and Dick Little gave Cummins a hot chase from some point in Arkansas, up through Missouri to William Ford’s farm. William Ford married Artella Cummins, and was a brother-in-law of Jim Cummins. The Ford farm, which was the original Cummins farm, was located in the southwest corner of Washington township, two miles south of my father’s farm, and three miles southeast of the James farm, and about four miles west of Excelsior Springs.
Williams Ford was not at home when Jesse James and Dick Little arrived at his place so they took Samuel (the fifteen year old son of William) out and tortured him until near death, trying to force him to tell where his uncle, Jim Cummins might be found. Cummins had left a short time before they arrived. This was a fatal mistake by Jesse for it made an enemy of the Fords and laid the foundation for breaking up the James band.
My father learned of this act of Jesse James and saw therein an opening for the execution of his plan. He arranged with a friend, William Wyson, who was a near neighbor of William Ford and one of the men associated with him, to see William Ford, and if possible, to get him interested in the plan.
Wyson reported in a few days that both Bill Ford and bob Ford, a nephew of Bill’s were willing to cooperate. After this agreement, it was nearly a month before they could locate Jesse James.
It was a strange break of fate that caused Jesse to reveal his hiding place. It came about in this way. Charles Ford, a brother of Bob’s had been living with Jesse James at No. 1381 Lafayette Street, St. Joseph, Missouri, since November 3rd, 1881, but no one of us knew it.
Jesse James and charley Ford were planning to robe a bank at Platte City, Missouri and needed help, as all the rest of the gang were either dead or in prison, except Frank James and he was still in hiding.
Jesse asked Charley whom he thought they could get to help do the job. Charley replied that he thought Bob might be included to help, if they could see him. They decided to ride down to Richmond, Ray County, Missouri, to see Bob. They went to J.T. Ford’s home, which was a short distance east of Richmond. J.T. Ford was the father of Bob and Charley. Mrs. Martha Bolton, who was a sister of bob and Charley Ford, was living there with her father, keeping house for him. It was at this home that Dick Little killed Wood Hite at daylight on Sunday morning, December 4th, 1881.
When Jesse and Charley arrived at the J.T. Ford home, they learned that Bob was in Clay County at the home of his uncle, Bill Ford. They then started back to Clay County. This was in the latter part of March, 1882.
When they arrived at Bill Ford’s it was in the night. They called Bob out, and stated their business. Bob agreed to go with them. After all the arrangements had been completed, Jesse said to Bob, “Tell Bill to come out, I want to have a talk with him.”
Bob delivered the message Bill Ford replied. “I will not go out and talk with him.” Bob assured his uncle that if he would go out, that he would have his gun ready, and, if Jesse made an attempt to draw, he would shoot him. Bill then consented to go out and talk with Jesse.
They seemingly smoothed matters over, and then Jesse James, Charley and bob Ford rode away, spending the night at the home of mother Samuels.
At the first opportunity after they arrived at St. Joseph, Bib revealed the “plan” to Charley who flatly refused to cooperate. Bob replied “If you do not cooperate with me in this matter, Jesse or I will have to die”.
Charley then had to decide between his brother and Jesse. He finally agreed to become a silent partner.
It was more than a week before the opportunity came- and it was when Jesse James threw his guns on the bed, and got up on a chair to arrange a picture on the wall, when the fatal shot was fired.
My father never intended that Jesse James should be killed, but the feeling engendered from the day Jesse took Bill Ford’s fifteen year old son out and tortured him stood in the way of much friendship between the Fords and Jesse James.
This is the complete story as told me by my father, although I was kept posted during all the negotiations.
I met Frank James some time after his surrender in St. Louis. He was taking tickets at the Standard Theater. It was the first time that we had met in many years. The recognition was mutual. He asked, “Where are you putting up?”. I named the hotel and after the show he came to see me and we had quite a long visit.
Among his remarks he said, “I want to tell you that there are some people who live in this community (near the James farm) who owe their lives to my mother. I would have killed them if I had to crawl or if no other way. I would have poisoned their wells, but she pleaded for their lives.”
The only answer I could give was, “Your mother is a wise woman, and gave you good advice.”
There have been many versions published that claimed to tell the why and how or the killing of Jesse James. Borne of the stories have been in part true, but most of them have been fictitious. In the interest of correct history, I have today made this statement which is the plain truth of what brought about the killing of Jesse James at his home in St. Joseph, by Bob Ford of Richmond. Bob Ford was killed at Creede, Colorado, to an Irishman named Kelly in his (Ford’s) saloon on June 8, 1892. Kelly was killed in Oklahoma City by a policeman, Joe Barnette in 1893.
(This ends the third and final Chapter of the Shouse manuscript about Jesse James…..)
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< ![endif]–>My own notes to this Chapter. I have typed word for word along with the names spelled the way Mr. Mayes has spelled them. I will include names in the tags and as I don’t presume to correct the editor of this article, but, since these articles have come out and history has delved deeper into the history of these men, spellings of the names have changed or corrected. Karen Windsor-Bush- Site Owner of Ray County Historical Society.
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