Jesse James Treasures: Do They Likely Still Exist?

DiggerGal said:
From Bill O'Riley's book Legends and Lies The Real West:
" In early September 1881, the James Gang, now including newcomer Charley Ford, flagged down a St. Louis, Alton & Chicago Railroad train as it slowed to go through an area known as the Blue Cut in Glendale, Missouri. Although five of the robbers were masked, Jesse James was not and actually told passengers who was holding them up. The train’s safe was almost empty, so the gang relieved the passengers of their money, watches, and jewelry, fleeing with about a thousand dollars. As it turned out, this was Jesse James’s last robbery.
That ten-thousand-dollar reward stirred up a lot of interest. Jesse was no longer that larger-than-life character whose name alone evoked terror. Realizing that there were now few people he could trust, Jesse settled with his family in St. Joseph, Missouri, living there under the name of Thomas Howard.
To keep his gang close, Jesse let Charley and his younger brother Bob Ford stay with him. The rest of his gang was scattered nearby: His cousin Wood Hite was staying with another gang member, Dick Liddil, at the home of Charley Ford’s sister Martha Bolton. Apparently Martha was a lovely woman, as both Hite and Liddil were said to be smitten with her. There were even some reports that Jesse also had cast his eyes in her direction. But something happened in that house in early December. There already was some bad blood between Hite and Liddil about the split on the Blue Cut job, but the tension erupted one morning and they took to shooting at each other. Both men were wounded, but probably not seriously. Then Martha and Bob Ford came upon the scene, and the twenty-one-year-old Bob Ford shot Hite once in the head, settling the dispute. Jesse James’s cousin was buried in a shallow grave on the property. Liddil and Ford knew they had a serious problem: No one wanted to hazard a guess at what actions Jesse might take when he learned his cousin had been killed.
Charley and Bob Ford were looking for a way out of this mess, and in January they found it. They met secretly with Governor Crittenden and the Clay County sheriff and were not at all surprised to discover they shared some goals, the foremost of which was to rid Missouri, and perhaps the world, of Jesse James. In addition to the ten-thousand-dollar reward, the Ford brothers wanted a blanket pardon for all their crimes, including the murder they were about to commit, as well as a pardon for Liddil. The governor apparently was amenable, although the extent of that amenability would later be debated. Several days later, Liddil surrendered to the sheriff, although no announcement was made to the press so as not to alert Jesse.
Sometime in March 1882, Jesse began planning his next stickup, finally deciding to rob the bank in Platte City, Missouri. To pull it off, though, he told Charley Ford, he needed some other people. Ford suggested his brother Bob. Preparations were stepped up in late March. The robbery was planned for the first week in April.
At breakfast on the morning of April 3, Jesse was surprised to find an article in the local newspaper reporting that Liddil had surrendered. Word had leaked out. Oddly, he didn’t ask the Ford brothers if they knew anything about this, a natural question, and the fact that he didn’t ask made them very nervous. Instead, he cursed Liddil as a traitor and declared that he deserved to hang. After breakfast, Jesse had some chores to do. It was a warm day, so he took off his coat. Jesse always wore his guns, but he also wore a coat so no one would wonder why a peaceful man named Tom Howard was carrying two six-shooters. When he took off his coat, he also took off his gun belt and laid his guns on the bed. This was very unusual for him, as he was never to be found without his guns at arms’ length. It was the opportunity the Fords had been waiting for. As they were talking, Jesse suddenly noticed that a picture hanging on the wall was askew and did something completely out of character. He stood on a chair, turned his back to the Fords, and started straightening the picture, or dusting it.
Bob Ford shot him dead. Both Ford brothers had pulled their weapons; there were reports that Charley fired too and missed. But Bob Ford’s one shot hit Jesse James under his right ear, and he fell. He was thirty-four years old when he died.
Bob Ford sent wires to the governor and the sheriff, claiming the reward, then both brothers surrendered to the local marshal. As word spread that Thomas Howard was actually the feared killer Jesse James, the people of St. Joseph rushed to the house to catch a glimpse of the body, stunned to discover that the most wanted man in the country had been living comfortably among them”




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THANKS DG!

Keep 'em Coming!
 

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Some SHOCKING info from several sources for y'all... heh. Tom Howard was aka Jeremiah Mason James, JJ's cousin, who looked like him (JJ); it was JMJ (aka Tom Howard) who was MURDERED as JJ... buried face-down, and lived on the REST of his life (JJ), as his cousin, JMJ... becoming a FARMER in Missouri, I think. JMJ's wife was "paid off" to keep the illusion gong... "go along, to get along"... Tom Howard was beginning to "get BIGGER" than JJ; JJ was NOT amused.
 

ECS said:
James William Buel, born in Illinois, 1849-1920 was a prolific dime novel writer, who claim to have spent time in jail with Cole Younger, contacted the relatives of dead gunfighters (Wild Bill Hickok is one example) and outlaws for storylines on which he would embellish...
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Buel's interview with Cole Younger:
Cole Younger Interview
 

Rebel - KGC said:
Some SHOCKING info from several sources for y'all... heh. Tom Howard was aka Jeremiah Mason James, JJ's cousin, who looked like him (JJ); it was JMJ (aka Tom Howard) who was MURDERED as JJ... buried face-down, and lived on the REST of his life (JJ), as his cousin, JMJ... becoming a FARMER in Missouri, I think. JMJ's wife was "paid off" to keep the illusion gong... "go along, to get along"... Tom Howard was beginning to "get BIGGER" than JJ; JJ was NOT amused.
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I'd Love to hear that Whole story!!
 

Well, JJ had blue eyes; will see if JMJ had missing middle "finger-tip"... color of eyes would be a MEMORY, as it doesn't show up in B & W.
 

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Of course, it was MORE than a "finger-tip.; MORE like up to the first digit from the knuckle, according to one "pic" that I saw... JJ was younger, then.
 

IF... Jeremiah M. James (aka Tom Howard) was murdered as JJ in 1882... would explain why "JJ" was first buried "face-down"... AND! JJ's "death poses" has his eyes closed, I think...
 

Has anyone confessed later in life to be Jesse James? And is there an accounting of what was said? I know that Billy the Kid (Wm Bonney) has this same story line.


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I received the book, "Jesse James' Secret" today. I have purchased a lot of books now I need the time to read them. This book is supposed to have the answers we seek. Has anyone read it yet? Jesse james secret.jpeg
 

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DiggerGal said:
Has anyone confessed later in life to be Jesse James? And is there an accounting of what was said? I know that Billy the Kid (Wm Bonney) has this same story line.


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Yes, Many Have Claimed To Be JJ

The two most public claims are J.Frank Dalton and James L Courtney

Courtney is out of Texas.

Dalton is MO and then passed in Texas claiming to be 103yrs old.

With both of these guys if you google them a boatload of conflicting stories will pop up. I'd pick Courtney to start with and search whatever sounds plausible to you, then search Census, Property, Tax, Birth and Death Records as well as Military Rolls. Courtney will come up as an Union Solidier and the Dates Will Match. JJ as we all know was Confederate. You will have to look at the reasons stating the Union records show him that way and then decide what you think...

Dalton has much more to research and many more people involved.

There is a ton to research on both of these men...very convoluted and a lot to try and make sense of. Unfortunately Most detailed accounts that are out there are written by people who have/had something to gain. But the timelines and accounts can be waded through if you have the patience! lol!

ECS Posted a link a page or two back regarding a Cole Younger Interview that has some info on JWJ that does have some personal accounts from Jesse James, Jr. He was very young at the time of the shooting so his personal recollections are that of a child which he states and then the stories he tells are from his Mother, Grandmother, family and friends of his fathers which he also states. It's half of a book he wrote. I haven't finished reading his story there yet. He pretty much starts the story when they moved to KCMO from Nashville, TN.

It's a pretty cool site...Thanks ECS!



I'm HOPING the Texas members will jump in here, they have personal accounts from Courtney's descendants...And are local to where he was.

Happy Researching,
Kace
 

Since this thread is about JJ and FJ and their gang's treasures. I will share this about the 58 depositories of gold that my partner and I found almost seven years ago. I have a photograph of an old home where JJ and FJ stayed here in Virginia in 1879. On the gable of the house and in the grass in front of the house is writings---some handwriting others in print. It tells of an enormous treasure of eight each thirty gallon pots of gold coins and 889 Large Gold Bricks. I found the house photograph from the story the old black man told me about when he sat on his grand daddy's knee over eighty years ago. We all laughed at the old man but when I started researching I found out the old gentleman had a lot of truth in what he was saying. Just across the road from where he told us the story was a property that belonged to one of the younger members of the Jesse James Gang. I know where the 58 maps are located to these treasures but I can not legally obtain them. I have tried to find them on my own by research but nothing comes the easy way. Maybe some day. The coins would weigh over ten tons and the gold bars would weigh about thirty tons. Where would a treasure this large be kept today. I know it was still there in 1883.
 

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