On this date in 1882, legendary outlaw Jesse James was shot and killed in St. Joseph, MO by an outlaw named Bob Ford. Ford and his brother Charley attempted to claim a reward that had been offered for James, but the only reward they received was arrest and indictment for murder. They pled guilty and were sentenced to death, but a pardon from the governor spared them the hangman’s noose.
Charley Ford, suffering from tuberculosis, committed suicide in 1884. Bob was killed in 1892, shot in the back by a man named Edward O’Kelley. Sounds like poetic justice to me.
Further reading:
Legends of America: Jesse James – Folklore Hero or Cold-Blooded Killer?
St. Joseph History – Jesse James
Wikipedia – Robert Ford (outlaw)
John D.:
Hey, I suppose even KARMA worked pretty damn well back in the OLD WEST.
Not the best way to meet one’s maker…just the ONLY one when you live “by the gun”, eh?
Good read.
Roll safe.
Last year, I saw the movie The Assassination of Jesse James, with Brad Pitt in the title role. Pitt played James as a man who knew his days were numbered and was resigned to his fate. Made for an interesting movie. I often wonder how much truth there was to that portrayal.