Jesse James and the Newspapers of the 1800's

News reporting in the 1800's and some would say even to this day was steeped with sensationalism. The fact is back in the 19th century there were many more daily newspapers published. Cities would typically have four, five or six daily papers. Some such as New York maybe more in any given year. Sensational news stories attracted readers and when the competition was as intense as during the heyday of newspapers, stories that caught peoples attention sold newspapers. The same equation works today, cable television probably being the best example.

It wasn't common for outlaws to correspond with the press. If you were wanted for a crime or even suspected of a crime the rule was to keep a low profile. There were cases however where an outlaw did send letters to news editors. The best example was Jesse James. If for no other reason, James corresponded with the press to set the record straight. Perhaps the aura of celebrity brought on by seeing your name in print created the urge to engage in a dialogue.Vanity was certainly part of the reason.

News reporters latched on to Jesse James as a symbol of old west lawlessness. It was a story that sold newspapers. He was a man being accused of various sensational crimes whether it be train, bank or stagecoach robberies. Sometimes the reporting was accurate and other times it was greatly embellished. For sure, Jesse James and his gangs were outlaws. They were responsible for many crimes of which probably the most infamous one was the Northfield Minnesota bank robbery in September 1876. A bank employee was killed and after an intense firefight with the locals the James gang was shattered. The Younger brothers were captured and sentenced to life in prison. The failed bank robbery was great news content.

Looking back, the excerpt from this Kansas City newspaper gives you an idea of the sometimes poetic slant given to 1800's crime reporting.

The Kansas City Times, September 29, 1872

The Chivalry of Crime

"There is a dash of tiger blood in the veins of all men; a latent disposition even in the bosom that is a stranger to nerve and daring, to admire those qualities in other men. And this penchant is always keener if there be a dash of sin in the deed to spice the enjoyment of its contemplation..."

A few years after that the following was published in Lexington, KY.

The Lexington Caucasian, September 5, 1874

Missouri's Gay Bandits

The Genuine James Boys and One of the Youngers

"In all the history of medieval knight-errantry and modern brigandage, there is nothing that equals the wild romance of the past few years' career of Arthur McCoy, Frank and Jesse James and the Younger boys. Their desperate deeds during the war were sufficient to have stocked a score of ordinary novels, with facts that outstrip the strung-out flights of fantasy. Their fierce hand-to-hand encounters... their long and reckless scouts and forays, and their riotous jollity... all combined to form a chapter without a parallel in the annals of America..."

When you read the two above news excerpts it's hard to tell if you're reading a newspaper or pomotional material for a new novel on the market. You may also notice that the Civil War years and sentiments from it are part of the underlying theme in some of these stories.

The question that always accompanied, sometimes subliminally, many Jesse James news stories was...How much of the mayhem and murder attributed to Jesse and his gang was the result of Civil War grudges and desires to avenge the South's loss? Since James rode with Quantrill and wreaked havoc throughout Missouri and Kansas, some journalists tried to portray the James gang as an extension of that. It made good copy whether true or not.

Jesse Responds to the Press

Below is na excerpt from a June 1870 story in the Liberty. It is a letter to the paper from Jesse James, directed to the governor, regarding a bank robbery in Gallatin Missouri. James denied his involvement with the robbery and in this excerpt is concerned with mob violence against him if he were to surrender for trial.

"Governor, when I think I can get a fair trial, I will surrender myself to the civil authorities of Missouri. But I never will surrender to be mobbed by a set of bloodthirsty poltroons. It is true that during the war I was a Confederate soldier, and fought under the black flag, but since then I have lived a peaceable citizen, and obeyed the laws of the United States to the best of my knowledge. The authorities of Gallatin say the reason that led them to suspect me was that the mare left at Gallatin, by the robbers, was identified as belonging to me. That is false. I can prove that I sold the mare previous to the robbery. It is true that I fought Deputy Sheriff Thomason, of Clay county, but was not my brother with me when we had the fight. I do not think that I violated the law when I fought Thomason as his posse refused to tell me who they were".

The following excerpt was printed in the Kansas City Times in October 1872. In it Jesse explains his involvement and motivation in the Kansas City Exposition robbery. While the letter to the Times did not contain Jesse's signature most historians believe it was sent by him.

"As a great deal has been said in regard to the robbery which occurred at the Kansas City Exposition grounds, I will give a few lines to the public, as I am one of the party who perpetrated the deed. A great many say that we, the robbers, deserve hanging. What have we done to be hung for? It is true that I shot a little girl, though it was not intentional, and I am very sorry that the child was shot; and if the parents will give me their address through the columns of the Kansas City Weekly Times, I will send them money to pay her doctor's bill. And as to Mr. Wallace, I never tried to kill him. I only shot to make him let go my friend. If I had been so disposed, I could have shot him dead. Just let a party of men commit a bold robbery, and the cry is hang them, but President Ulysses S. Grant and his party can steal millions, and it is all right. It is true, we are robbers, but we always rob in the glare of the day and in the teeth of the multitude; and we never kill only in self defense, without men refuse to open their vaults and safes to us, and when they refuse to unlock to us we kill. But a man who is [expletive] enough fool to refuse to open a safe or a vault when he is covered with a pistol ought to die. There is no use for a man to try to do anything when an experienced robber gets the go on him. If he gives the alarm, or resists, or refuses to unlock, he gets killed, and if he obeys, he is not hurt in the flesh but he is in the purse".

As you can see in the excerpt above to the Times, Jesse James is trying to explain his actions to the public and there includes a reference to his anger toward the Union government. The excerpt below is from the same letter to the Times and further demonstrates Jesse James concern with how he is perceived by the public. He seems to try to paint his actions in terms of great historical leaders. He tries to paint his actions as crusades and most times takes aim at the Union government and it's leaders. He actually attempts to explain his actions as revenge for the perceived wrongs from the Civil War.

"Some editors call us thieves. We are not thieves -- we are bold robbers. It hurts me very much to be called a thief. It makes me feel like they were trying to put me on a par with Grant and his party. We are bold robbers, and I am proud of the name, for Alexander the Great was a bold robber, and Julius Caesar, and Napoleon Bonaparte, and Sir William Wallace -- not old Ben Wallace -- and Robert Emmet. Please rank me with these, and not with the Grantites".

Why did a wanted outlaw desire to communicate with newspapers? One reason was that the papers were the media of the day. There was no TV, radio or cable news. People essentially knew what they read in the papers. Sending letters to the media would be thought of as a safe way to get your point across. Today, that type of thing would be a bit more dangerous to undertake considering the technology available to track someone down.

The papers loved it. It made great copy and helped sell the papers. At the same time these stories helped build legends and it's very evident that Jesse James was concerned about his public perception. If not there would have been no letters. By sending these letters to the papers he was also trying to construct his own legend. How successful he was in doing this can be argued. Trying to justify his crimes as a fight against the Union establishment would lose it's effectiveness as the years pass. Also some of the effectiveness would depend on whether the reader held strong pro-south sympathies.

The links below are related stories which I think you'll find interesting.