April 3, 1882: That dirty little coward?

1882 Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA: American Old West outlaw Jesse James (b. 1847 – though sources differ) was gunned down with a single bullet to the back of the head by new James gang member, Robert Ford. "The dirty little coward that shot Mr Howard Has laid poor Jesse in his grave." It was Ford, that dirty little coward.

 

It happened in St Joseph (on the 22^nd anniversary of the foundation of the famous Pony Express, the first run of which was from that very town of St Joseph, to Sacramento, CA), while Jesse was hiding out as 'Thomas Howard'. Ford did it for the $10,000 (some say $5,000) bounty on James's head; James usually carried side-arms, but on this occasion he took them off as he stood on a chair to straighten a picture of his favourite horse, Skyrocket. Not that he had a chance, with his back turned to the turncoat Ford.

 

Bob Ford never did get the reward for killing Jesse James. Instead, he and his co-conspirator brother, Charlie, were convicted of murder and sentenced to be hanged, though they were later pardoned by Governor Tom Crittenden.

 

Ford had shot the famous outlaw in a cowardly way, and was himself killed in a brawl in his own tent bar (pic) in Creede, Colorado, in 1892. His headstone says that he was born on December 8, 1841, but photos clearly show he was much younger than 40 when he shot James and his birthdate is sometimes given as January 31, 1862.

 

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