JESSE JAMES: The Wild West's Most Legendary Outlaw

I consider Jesse James the worst Man without any exception in America he is utterly devoid of fear and has no more compunction about coldblooded murder than he has about eating his [Music] breakfast to some he was a ruthless criminal to others he was a hero it's hard to find a more controversial figure in American history he was the symbol of the rift between North and South during the American Civil War a conflict that marked him forever so much so that he made his life a Perpetual revenge against those who had defeated him he chose the

path of crime robbing a plethora of banks stage coaches and locomotives the most mythical Outlaw of the American West his name was Jesse James and his only goal was Revenge [Music] to find out more about his incredible life I invite you to plunge with me into the heart of the Far West an epic that begins with blood pain and a profound sense of [Music] Injustice [Music] Jesse Woodson James was born on September 5th 1847 in Clay County Missouri a few years earlier his parents Robert and zeralda James decided to settle in the area they lived

in a modest three- room house with their children Frank the eldest Jesse and Susan the [Music] youngest the James family made their living from hemp farming and like some other regions of the South depended on slavery the year was 1848 and rumors were starting to spread throughout Missouri that the American West had large quantities of a particularly precious metal the Gold Rush had begun many people left for California in search of their Fortune and Robert James Jesse's father was one of them alas in September 1850 fate would have him leave his life behind in the

gold fields of the West he fell ill and died far from his family leaving 3-year-old Jesse an orphan zeralda now a widow must raise her three children alone a woman of strong character and determination she does her utmost to look after her Offspring unfortunately after her husband's death financial difficulties force her to abandon her Farm leaving Frank Jesse and Susan to another family to regain her financial prosperity and her children zeralda decides to remarry she married Dr Ruben Samuel on September 12th 1855 zeralda was reunited with her children and resumed her life on the farm

the James family seemed to be emerging from the [Music] [Music] storm in the fall of 1860 Jesse James was 13 he went to school and enrolled for a New Year little did he know that it would be his last before even reaching adulthood young Jesse would be plunged into a fratricidal war that would tear his country apart his life would soon become one of ceaseless conflict after which he would crave nothing more than revenge the American Civil War broke out in 1861 the day after the election of Abraham Lincoln a Republican politician who was determined

to abolish slavery since the beginning of the 19th century the northern and southern states had been at odds on a number of economic political and cultural issues and slavery was let's say the straw that broke the camel's back the southern states heavily dependent on slavery immediately announced their intention if Lincoln was elected they would declare secession from the rest of the nation Lincoln became president and following their word they formed a coalition as the Confederate States of America and went to war against the northern states also known as the states of the Union the James

family attached to Southern values and owners of seven slaves naturally sided with the Confederate states so much so that Jesse's 18-year-old brother Frank left to fight the Union in early 1861 Jesse only 13 at the time was obviously far too young to enlist for Frank however the war was short lived as he was taken prisoner by Union troops then paroled and sent home at this time Missouri found itself in the midst of the civil War divided in two the unionists in one and the Confederates in the [Music] other the two sides clashed in a series

of bitter battles resulting in Guerilla Warfare pitting The Bushwhackers or gorillas aligned with the southern states against the jayhawkers gorillas aligned with the Union it was in this gorilla context that Frank returned to the fight joining a squad operating in Clay County in 1863 from time to time Frank and his companions found refuge on the James Farm where zeralda deeply attached to the secessionist cause welcome them warmly 15-year-old Jesse watches Frank and his comrades With Envy apparently he desperately tried to join them but it was turned down because of his age a few months later

a union troop raids the James Farm looking for Frank and his comrades the Union Soldiers question Ruben Samuel zerelda's new husband at length and then tortured him by hanging him briefly from a tree it is said they even whipped young Jesse as they [Music] passed not long before Frank had fled into the woods to escape unionist troops by this time he had already been through Many Adventures until finally joining the gorilla Squad led by William quantril one of the greatest Bushwackers under quantrill's command Frank James met the imposing Cole Younger a Guerilla who had made

a name for himself by ambushing and killing most of the militia men who had murdered his father Frank followed quantril until the spring of 1864 where he joined another Squad of Bushwackers commanded by Fletch Taylor it was in this squad that Jesse joined him for the first time in the conflict at the age of just 16 most of the gorillas in this squad were all under 21 like little Archie Clement an 18-year-old who would soon win Jesse's admiration after joining Fletch Taylor's group of Bushwhackers Jesse must quickly adapt to his new life he's just joined

a war where anything goes a purely tactical war in which pain must be inflicted punished killed and destroyed every Barn and stream is a battlefield every civilian an ally or Target by entering this conflict Jesse James has in fact embarked on a race to find and kill as many enemies as possible Archie Clement became one of his mentors at first he and his fellow gorillas mocked Jesse for his lack of confidence but when the younger Soldier takes part in his first kills he earns everyone's respect he is the keenest and cleanest fighter in the command

says one of his fellow soldiers but as soon as he enters the conflict a feeling of Revenge already haunts him Legend has it that he now sets out to find the militia men who beat him at the James [Music] Farm later Jesse and his brother Frank leave Fletch Taylor's Squad and look for a new leader that's when they meet Missouri's most ruthless bushwhacker William Anderson nickname Bloody Bill like Archie Clement Bloody Bill Anderson becomes a role model for Jesse and now that he's joined his troop he's in the most dangerous gorilla organization in Missouri Jesse

James admires the way his mentors instill fear in their victims he wants to imitate them and earn their respect he witnessed some of the crul scenes of barbarity such as the time Anderson tortured a prisoner with a knife cutting off both his ears only to finish him off with a bullet to the head in the summer of 1864 young Jesse suffered his first Serious injury he was trotting Along on Horseback with his older brother when he spotted a pretty saddle on a fence his own saddle was in rather poor condition so he decided to steal

it and reached for it but just as he put his hands on it he hears a thud and a bullet pierces his chest Jesse James suffered greatly from this wound so much that he reportedly told a friend that he wanted the unionist to capture him and end his life the wound turned out to be less serious than it seemed however as the bullet didn't hit any internal organs and Jesse was able to get back in the saddle a month [Music] later it was September 27th 1864 and one of the most heinous events of the American

Civil War was about to take place at the origin of this massacre is the Bloody Bill Anderson Guerilla Squad to which Jesse and Frank belong the setting is Cia Missouri this small town built around a union cargo Depot is a strategic point for secessionist gorillas Anderson and his men plan to cut the railroad line it is 9:00 a.m. when Bloody Bill Anderson accompanied by 80 gorillas including Jesse and his brother Frank enters Centralia they loot everything they find and then block the railway track as the locomotive approaches the gorillas stop it and invade it separating

the 125 passengers between civilians and soldiers 24 Union militia men are on board all unle to go home but Bloody Bill Anderson decides otherwise he orders the Union Soldiers to line up and declares from this time forward I ask no quarter and give no none every Federal Soldier on whom I put my fingers shall die like a dog if I get into your clutches I expect death you are all to be killed and sent to hell that is the way every damn Soldier shall be served Who falls into my hands the men of Anderson then

open fire and kill all the Union Soldiers the bodies are then scalped mutilated and the train is set on fire after this massacre in October 1864 General Anderson seems to reap the fruit of his actions and is shot in turn during an ambush following this event the James Brothers go their separate ways Frank reunites with General quantril in Kentucky while Jesse goes to Texas under the command of Archie Clement a former Lieutenant of [Music] Anderson Jesse James at the age of 17 is again seriously wounded as he attempts to surrender near Lexington Missouri he is

shot again in the chest the 36 caliber bullet lodges directly in his right lung and will remain there for the rest of his life it takes him several months this time to recover and it's during his convalescence that the Civil War comes to an end after 4 years of conflict the war leaves behind an America more divided than ever 620,000 soldiers perish on both sides the union emerges Victorious from the conflict while the Confederate states must settle for a bitter defeat the so-called reconstruction plan will soon dismantle the Great Wheel of slavery that had been

driving the Southern economy until then the state of Missouri where the James family lives is one of the most affected clashes between Rebels and unionists have left the Midwest lands in turmoil about one in three citizens have been killed in combat murdered at home driven Away by Guerilla Warfare or simply moved to a safer place at the end of the year 1865 James Brothers return home to join their family Jesse has recovered from his injury and the war has come to an end he has seen his Camp defeated after a long and bloody confrontation and

the defeat along with its consequences for the South does not satisfy him a sense of Vengeance haunts him again the war has not only fractured his country but also left his family with nothing surrendering was Unthinkable for Jesse he had to continue the [Music] fight [Music] at the end of the winter of 1865 1866 the James Brothers reside on the Family Farm the war is over and Jesse knows he must find a way to provide for his family this conflict has stripped him and his loved ones and he is determined to reclaim what he believes

is rightfully his irritated by the oppressive presence of Union Soldiers on his territory he is resolved to defend himself so he devises a plan and finds [Music] one Jesse knows that Banks primarily hold the wealth of the north even in southern Banks consequ quently he thinks that robbing banks could be the best way to express his resentment plundering Banks and stealing from the unionist it's the perfect Target for Jesse especially since at the time banks have minimal security with peace restored he and his brother joined their former War comrades including Argie Clement leader of the

group at the time it is said that they participated together in the first armed bank robbery in broad daylight and during peace time in the United States their target the Clay County Savings Association in the city of Liberty Missouri this Bank belongs to a unionist the bandits plunder it on February 13th 1866 leaving with a loot of $60,000 equivalent to nearly $1 million today and killing a passer by outside the bank during their escape Jesse James equally interested in political symbolism as in money has just won his first revenge against the north the unionist owner

of the bank Furious then promises a reward of $5,000 for the capture of the criminals the crime makes headlines and newspapers throughout the state and for the first time Jesse James is a wanted [Music] criminal then an event occurs that intensifies his bitterness towards the Northerners Archie Clement his mentor combat companion and best friend is killed on December 13th 1866 by the state militia for Jesse it is a terrible loss and he will take a long time to recover after Archie's death Jesse takes the Reigns and rises in power he is about to shake the

entire nation but no one knows it yet indeed in the months following The Disappearance of their leader Archie Clement Jesse and his accompli continue the armed robberies they carry out bank heist over the next 2 years one of them takes place in early March 1868 at that time the James Brothers accompanied by Cole Younger and four other former gorillas decide to rob a bank in Russellville Kentucky apparently there was a particularly rich and vulnerable Bank there unlike the Clay County Savings Association this time the attack has no political purpose the bandits Scout the location and

when they are ready they take action during the heist a citizen of Russellville is shot and the gangsters leave with a loot of $9,000 in bills and $3,000 in gold coins a notable feat for the Outlaws then comes the robbery of the Davis County Savings Association in Gallatin Missouri the robbery that will truly bring Jesse James into the [Music] spotlight it is December 7th 1869 and it is 12:30 p.m. when Jesse Dismounts at that moment he arouses no suspicion among the residents of Gallatin as he enters the bank he sees an employee sitting at the

back of the room in front of the safe Jesse seems to be looking for a particular person person he carefully examines the cashier's face and continues to stare as if on that day money doesn't interest him that's when he reaches under his coat pulls out a revolver and Cox the hammer Cox caused the death of my brother Bill Anderson and I am bound to have my revenge Cox but who was he talking about in fact Jesse believes he's dealing with Samuel Cox the person responsible for the murder of his former leader and friend Bloody Bill

Anderson except he got the wrong man the person in front of him has nothing to do with this Cox but unaware of this he continues his action and pulls the trigger the bullet then pierces the heart of the cashier and before he topples from his chair Jesse aims at his forehead and fires a second time the screams of the victim reverberating outside it's time for the bandits to flee they grabbed the wallet left on the dead cashier's desk and make their [Music] escape during their horseback escape the gangsters come under Fire from the enraged residence

of Gallatin and narrowly escape death ultimately the robbery yields little money and Jesse convinced he has Avenged his friend Bloody Bill is killed an innocent bystander following the gattin heist Jesse James is labeled an outlaw for the first time in the press and the governor of Missouri Thomas Crittenden remember this name offers a reward for his [Music] capture it's after this tragic incident that the legend of Jesse James begins to take root thanks to one man John Newman Edwards the founder of the Kansas City Times a Missouri newspaper indeed it is hard to talk about

Jesse James without mentioning John Edwards without him Jesse James would likely have fallen into Oblivion like so many other criminals a staunch supporter of the Confederate cause Edward seeks a way to promote his political ideologies upon discovering Jesse James he sees in him the best way to do so after the Gallatin murder he then partners with the outlaw and promotes his exploits in the newspaper through numerous letters that Jesse himself writes in these letters the young rebel asserts his innocence to the public and over time the tone of his writings becomes increasingly political Jesse praises

the Confederate cause and denounces the policies of of his enemies Edwards will then say of Jesse there is always a smile on his lips and a graceful word or compliment for all with whom he comes in contact Jesse laughs at everything Frank at nothing at all Jesse is light-hearted reckless Devil May care Frank sober sedate a dangerous man always in ambush in the midst of society Jesse knows there is a price upon his head and discusses the eyes and wherefores of it Frank knows it too but it chafes him [Music] sorely subsequently the James Brothers

joined forces with the younger brothers Cole John Jim and Bob forming the James younger gang which also included Kel Miller and other former Bushwackers with their new gang Jesse continued his robberies one of them took place on June June 3rd 1871 in Iowa on that day Jesse and his brother Frank Cole Younger and clel Miller entered the town of coryan the streets were deserted as the majority of the town's people had gathered in the churchyard to listen to a renowned speaker Jesse and his gang calmly headed to the bank where only the cashier was present

needless to say the robbery was a piece of cake for the Outlaws they took around $6,000 from the safe and departed on their way back they passed by the locations where the speaker was addressing the crowd but no one paid attention to them one of the gang members had enough and confess their crime to the crowd Jesse and his accomplice then left the scene as if nothing had happened however this insolence would not go without consequences as the owner of the robbed bank Enlisted the services of the pinkerton's national detective agency a detective agency that

would soon embark on the hunt to find Jesse James the James younger gang resurfaced in April 1872 to rob a bank in the town of Columbia Kentucky The Heist was carried out by Jesse Frank Cole Younger his brother John and clel Miller this time the loot was quite meager ranging between 600 $1,500 during the robbery Jesse James and Cole Younger had killed the bank cashier the reason he refused to open the safe in September of the same year the bandits struck again targeting the safe at a fair in Kansas City Jesse James Cole and John

younger were involved and it's safe to say the robbery was particularly botched amidst the thousands of people at the fair the bandits managed to seize only a poultry loot around $900 and during their escape they accidentally trampled and killed an unfortunate young girl with their horses As Time passed the authorities still couldn't put an end to Jesse and his gang at that point they had no idea of what was to come Jesse James in his quest for vengeance now aimed to Target the very arteries of the Union railroads [Music] in the 1870s railroads were rapidly

expanding and developing throughout the United States Jesse viewed this development unfavorably considering it another form of Oppression of the South by the north so he decided to make it his next Target at the time locomotives were vulnerable due to traveling on a single track and most of them were defenseless considering that a significant amount of Northern money flowed through this means of Transport it's no wonder Confederate Outlaws targeted it it was the perfect prey their first train robbery took place on July 21st 1873 West of aare deep in Iowa Jesse Frank the younger brothers Kel

Miller Charlie pittz and Bill Chadwell headed towards an isolated stretch of railroad their target the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad train the location they chose was ideal because the rail road formed a curve inevitably forcing the train to slow down armed with a crowbar and a hammer they prepared sabotage in the railroad track and then HIIT about 15 M away waiting for the locomotive's arrival it was 8:30 p.m. when the steam engine approached it was the Bandit's moment to activate their sabotage they pulled a rope connected to a rail to divert it from the

track as the train approached the bend and the removed rail it break abruptly but it was too late the criminals opened fire causing some of the cars to overturn the train engineer died on the spot crushed by the locomotive the gangsters shocked by what they had just witnessed wasted no time and immediately followed their plan to carry out this robbery The Outlaws chose a rather astonishing disguise they all wore masks depicting the Klux Clan Jesse took care of the safe he jumped into the express car removed his mask and pointed his revolver at the guard

if you don't open the safe or give me the key I'll blow your brains out the key was handed over to him without resistance and Jesse found a much less substantial loot than the gang had anticipated about $2,337 after that the bandits got back in the saddle and fled South the entire robbery had lasted just 10 short minutes the railroad company that was robbed offered a $5,000 reward for the capture and the heist made headlines Nationwide during this train attack one of the Outlaws is said to have addressed the passengers we're none of your petty

thieves we're bold robbers we're robbing the rich for the po we don't want to hurt you Jesse and his gang seemed to want to adopt the image of Robin Hood those who Avenge the poor workers against the large and Wealthy companies a generous speech at first glance but their choice of Disguise that day did not sit well with a portion of the American population the Klux Clan had indeed been eradicated in the South by President ulyses Grant and the use of the Mask by the bandits was so to speak controversial despite this Jesse James reinforced

his reputation as a notorious Outlaw in the southern states he was no longer considered a criminal but rather a hero his Devotion to the Confederate cause was beyond question and the stage coach robbery between malvin and hot springs in Arkansas on January 15th 1874 was the perfect demonstration on that day Jesse and his gang stole a watch from a Confederate veteran not knowing until later that he had once defended the Confederacy they immediately returned it they claimed not to want to Rob Confederate Veterans but northern men who had driven them to outlawry and they intended

to make them pay for it on January 31st 1874 the James younger gang robbed its second Train The Heist took place in gads Hill Missouri with the James Brothers Cole John and Bob younger in the gang at the time the night before the gang had spotted several men walking on the train platform to carry out their mission The Outlaws captured and tied them up then they obtained a red flag used to to Signal an impending danger and waited for the train to arrive apparently it was carrying a significant amount of cash the locomotive arrived an

hour and a half late and the bandits had waited for long hours in the January cold but they were ready one of them waved the red flag forcing the train to slow down the conductor came out to see what was happening when suddenly one of the bandits stepped forward grabbed him by the collar and pressed a revolver against his face stand still or I'll blow the top of your head off then the outlaw turned toward the locomotive where the passengers were and said if a shot is fired out of the car I'll kill the conductor

just like their heist in Iowa the gangsters Dawn masks depicting the Klux clan in reality their plan mirrors their initial Train Robbery inside the Vault keeper revolver in hand anxiously awaits the arrival of the criminals masked face then appears in the doorway and the keeper aims his weapon freezing in place to his astonishment there aren't just one but two Bandits standing before him at that moment one of them points his rifle at the Keeper's chest give me your pistol you son of a [ __ ] the keeper unwilling to play the hero complies immediately and

hands over the vault key The Outlaws make off with approximately $1,080 after emptying the vault the criminals move through the passenger rows robbing them of their money and jewelry interestingly they carefully inspect the hands of each man declaring to the passengers that they have no intention of robbing workers or ladies and that their sole interest lies in the money and valuables of the gentleman in hats once the train passengers have been relieved of their belongings The Outlaw group makes a Quick Escape disappearing before the locomotive even starts moving again in total they had stolen nearly

$2,000 strangely in their wake the bandits leave a press release for a local newspaper stating the most daring robbery on record the southbound train on the Iron Mountain Railroad was robbed here this morning by five heavily armed men and robbed of blank dollars the continuation of the press release describes in great detail the events following the heist showing that everything un folded as planned Jesse James and his gang have just pulled off their second Train Robbery nothing seems to be able to stop them with each Heist they refine their skills and they show no signs

of slowing [Music] down now recall the Pinkerton detective agency the detective agency dispatched by the owner of the bank robbed and cored Iowa well the Adams Express Company the company that owned the burglarized safe at Gad Hill also reaches out to them they are determined to apprehend the James younger gang and for this they turn to the head of the agency Alan Pinkerton at that time Alan Pinkerton is the most famous private detective in the country he gained prominence during the Civil War for ensuring Abraham Lincoln's safety in in Washington and thwarting an assassination plot

against him the staunch unionist vehemently opposed to slavery established his agency in the 1850s the goal of the Pinkerton agency a precursor to the FBI and CIA is to spy on and track professional criminals one of its greatest achievements occurred in 1868 when it captured and defeated the Reno gang a band of Outlaws known for committing the first three train robberies in peacetime in US [Music] history after the gads hill Heist the Adams Express company contacts Alan Pinkerton his mission is to take down Jesse James for this he dispatches one of his most talented agents

detective Joseph Witcher his objective to go to Clay County infiltrate the James Farm and gather as much information as possible however things prove more challenging than expected upon arrival local law enforcement refuses to assist the agent leaving him no choice but to disguise himself as a farm laborer to collect the needed intelligence even in this guys he struggles to obtain what he's looking for Witcher being a northerner finds himself in hostile territory Jesse James has many friends ready to defend him in Clay County and in the South he's regarded as a hero for avenging the

Confederates through his numerous heists adding to the challenge very few people know what he looks like if you hadn't grown up with Jesse James or fought alongside him you wouldn't know his [Music] appearance in the end all the authorities have are eyewitness descriptions which are shall we say only very random and fluctuating the most incredible part of it all is that even his own son whom he would have later didn't know his real [Music] name for Witcher the task is far from Easy persisting he manages to find what he's seeking the location of the James

Farm to infiltrate Witcher intends to pose as a laborer looking for work upon arriving at the farm zeralda James welcomes him and Witcher makes his request he wants to work in her Fields but little does he know that his fair complexion and smooth hands will betray him Witcher is confident despite being warned by the former sheriff in the area who told him the old woman would kill you if the boys don't what happens next is shrouded in mystery all we know is that Joseph Witcher is found shot with three bullets along a Rural Road in

Jackson County three individuals including Jesse James and his brother Frank are believed to be responsible for the murder following Joseph witcher's murder Jesse falls into a deep rage nothing infuriates him more than being hun Ed however as days pass the outlaw gradually calms down he decides to marry his first cousin Z Mims with whom he will have two children during their honeymoon rumors circulate that Jesse and his gang robbed several stage coaches it seemed that Jesse wasted no time meanwhile Alan Pinkerton learns of witcher's death it marks one of his biggest failures determined to personally

handle the matter he seeks revenge against Jesse the James younger gang continue their robberies targeting a train near Muny Kansas this time the heist takes place on December 8th 1874 and the bandits escape with a loot of $30,000 equivalent to $750,000 today everything seems to be going well for the 27-year-old Jesse who has become one of the most successful Outlaws of his time he is known Nationwide making headlines thanks to Edwards who glorifies him in his journal married to a woman he loves Jesse has successfully thwarted the formidable Pinkerton agency who wouldn't feel Invincible in

his place yet the game was far from one his longtime enemies were preparing to strike back after Joseph witcher's murder and his humiliating defeat Alan Pinkerton head of the prominent private detective agency is determined not to let it rest the end now justifies the means he is willing to make an exception by operating outside the bounds of the law everything unfolds on the night of January 25th 1875 when a group of Agents dispatched by Alan Pinkerton surrounds the James Farm throws a bomb and blows up the house in the hope of finding [Music] Jesse the

consequences of this fire are devastating zeralda James present that night is seriously injured in her right arm and must undergo amputation Archie Jesse's 8-year-old half brother dies sometime after the explosion as for Jesse and his brother Frank well they simply weren't there present just hours earlier pinkerton's agents narrowly missed them already angered by The detective's Pursuit Jesse becomes even more Furious upon learning this news for him Allan Pinkerton and his agents are the oppressors of the north the ultimate Evil individuals who violate the law in the interest of big businesses they give him even more

reasons to seek revenge and the fact that the agents involved in the raid were never prosecuted after the incident only makes matters worse his vengeance is Swift on April 12th 1875 Jesse shoots Daniel ESU a neighbor of the James farm and a former Union militiam men who aided pinkerton's detectives during the raid after this murder Alan Pinkerton abandons the pursuit of the James younger gang experiencing his greatest defeat Jesse James had defied him like no one before and pinkerton's reputation was utterly ruined [Music] following Alan pinkerton's abandonment The Outlaws continue their Heist they now plan

to rob a train near Otterville Missouri in the gang are Jesse and Frank James Cole and Bob younger l Miller Charlie pittz Bill Chadwell and a newcomer named Hobs KY the robbery takes place on July 7th 1876 their loot amounted to $8,300 a significant sum of money intended to fund The Outlaws journey to Minnesota why Minnesota well it had been over a month since Jesse and his gang had been planning a rather audacious Bank [Music] Heist on the surface committing a second robbery in such a short period seemed nonsensical it would have been far too

dangerous especially after pulling off a train Heist of such magnitude in reality it appeared that the Outlaws were not interested in the money at that moment no their motivation was quite different they now wanted to get down to business and strike at the heart of the enemy The Long planned scheme by the James younger gang is put into action 2 months after the Otterville robbery the dday is set for September 7th 1876 Jesse and his accomplices are in route to a peaceful town in Minnesota the idea for the heist came from Jesse James and Bob

younger they were going to rob the First National Bank of Northfield a rather surprising Target as it was far from their usual territory and an enemy territory in the North Frank James and Cole Younger would try to dissuade their younger brothers from committing the unthinkable but they would not succeed Jesse's personal Vendetta seemed to have no [Music] bounds the Rural Bank they targeted was not exceptionally wealthy The Outlaws chose it because it was associated with adelbert Ames the unionist governor of [Music] Mississippi present in the gang that day were Jesse Frank Cole Jim and Bob

younger Kel Miller Charlie pittz and Bill [Music] Chadwell to carry out this incredible Heist the bandits decided to split into three groups one that would enter the First National Bank another that would stand guard outside and the last whose mission was to protect their pre-planned Escape Route Jesse and Bob volunteered to enter the bank as they were the ones who organized The Heist Frank joined them as well Cole Younger and K Miller positioned themselves outside the bank to monitor the area Jim younger Charlie pittz and Bill Chadwell were tasked with covering the rear guard their

plan unfolded as follows Jesse Frank and Bob would enter the town of Northfield first they would cross the bridge leading to the town square around 1 in the afternoon Cole Younger and clel Miller would then enter the town at that point Jesse's group would enter the bank once Cole and clel reached the outside of the building Jim's group would enter Northfield and cover the Escape Route after completing the robbery The Outlaws would gather at the exit Point Bill kle and Bob would then destroy the telegraph lines and the Gang would make their escape finally it

was decided that no citizen should be killed if someone shot at them they would wound them in return but under no circumstances were there to be any [Music] deaths Jesse Frank and Bob crossed the bridge and headed towards the Town Square there they sat on crates and waited for Cole and clel to make their appearance soon the second group entered town at exactly 2:00 p.m. Jesse Bob and Frank enter the First National Bank oddly leaving the door slightly a jar Cole and kle arrive at the bank and Dismount from their horses seeing the bank's front

door a jar Kel promptly closes it the two men wait patiently outside kle strolls his horse down the middle of the street pretending to adjust the saddle strap while clel smokes his pipe in front of the bank Jim Charlie and bill on the other hand reach their designated cover point and wait calmly on their mounts inside the bank Jesse and his accompli spot the three employees Alonzo bunker the teller Joseph Lee Haywood the acting cashier and Frank Wilcox the accountant immediately they drew their weapons and point them at the employees throw up your hands for

we intend to rob the bank and if you Hall we will blow your goddamn brains out then the trio of Outlaws jumps over the counter Jesse asks Haywood if he is the cashier and Haywood responds in the negative the same question is posted a bunker and Willcox but neither responds affirmatively Jesse then directs his attention to Haywood you are the cashier now open the safe you goddamn son of a [ __ ] but Haywood refuses meanwhile Frank heads toward the Vault to inspect the safe and Bob points his weapon at the two other employees Frank

is about to enter the room when suddenly Haywood throws himself at the door attempting to lock him inside Frank manages to get out just in time but he is injured with his arm and hand wounded with the butt of his revolver Bob strikes Haywood Who falls to the ground The Heist was off to a bad start but outside it wasn't any better indeed two Northfield citizens quickly noticed the suspicious presence of Cole Younger and Kel Miller in the front of the bank one of them approaches The Establishment but Kel prevents him by grabbing him by

the collar however the individual has been able to see what was transpiring through one of the bank's Windows you son of a [ __ ] don't you holler at that moment Kel makes a serious mistake in instead of pushing the individual into the bank to avoid arousing suspicion he releases him outside it doesn't take long for the Northfield resident to alert his fellow citizens get your guns boys they're robbing the bank robbery robbery clel then opens fire on the man and the bullet narrowly misses his head the robbery was going South Cole and clel mount

their horses start charging through the streets and Shout to their accomplices inside the bank get in get in on the other side Jim Bill and Charlie hear the first gunshot and immediately rushed to the rescue firing into the air as well to discourage the town's residents unfortunately for them it is not enough the citizens of Northfield had already armed themselves and began opening fire bullets are flying from all directions inside the bank the first group still cannot find a way to open the safe safe Haywood after Bob's butt of the gun is still lying on

the floor that's when Jesse approaches him kneels down takes out a knife from his pocket and places it on the cashier's neck open that door or we'll cut your throat from ear to ear Haywood though terrified responds that Jesse can cut him since he absolutely can't open it irritated and frustrated Jesse then makes a slight cut on Haywood's neck he then points his revolver at Haywood and orders him once again to open the safe the cashier finally responds that the safe is equipped with a timer and as such cannot be opened Haywood was telling the

truth there was indeed a timer on the safe but it wasn't activated in fact the safe hadn't been unlocked all this time but the Outlaws were unaware at that moment Bob busies himself putting all the scattered bills he finds into a bag Frank on the other hand keeps an eye on Wilcox the bank's accountant for Bunker the teller this is the opportunity to make a getaway he rushes toward the back door when Bob notices and starts chasing him he fires a shot hitting bunker in the shoulder causing him to stumble but he manages to get

up and Escape Cole then walks in front of the bank and shouts at Jesse Frank and his brother Bob hurry up they're giving the alarm bullets continue to fly in all directions Cole defends himself as best he can at that moment he sees a young man in the middle of the street Paralyzed by fear on his horse Cole who is right next to him shouts at him get off the damn street unfortunately the young man a Swedish immigrant neither spoke nor understood English so he couldn't grasp what Cole was saying he then receives a bullet

to the head and dies a few days later meanwhile Kel Miller rides to the bank to tell Jesse and the others to hurry up but when he leaves and gets back on his horse he gets shot Kel screams in pain but continues to fire his revolvers nonetheless Cole and Jim on the other hand each receive a bullet to the left shoulder they're killing our men get out here inside Jesse is furious he had fired a shot into the ground that narrowly missed Haywood's head but it's too much for Bob who decides to abandon the heist

with his bag of money he runs outside Jesse follows and Frank brings up the rear at the moment of leaving the bank Frank claims to have seen Haywood get up pull out a small caliber pistol and aim it at him with a quick motion he blows the cashier's brains out once outside Jesse and Frank Mount their horses and begin to charge down the street where bullets are still flying ultimately the James younger gang what's left of it manages to leave the town of Northfield The Heist was a total failure Kel Miller and Bill Chadwell have

been killed and they had stolen a mere $26 their ordeal however was far from Over the largest Manhunt in the history of the United States was about to [Music] begin the town's people of Northfield had stood up to the formidable James younger gang however now that they had chased them out of the town they were not about to let them off the hook their mission capture the gangsters and make them pay the news of their Pursuit spread throughout the country and at least 1,000 people were mobilized in a historic Manhunt on the run the fugitives

Gallop as fast as their horses can take them heading south after a week The Outlaws are still on the run but in Dire Straits their horse is gone they are now on foot headed west the younger brothers are are wounded some have lost their coats suffering from the cold and they are all terribly hungry the bandits decide to split into two groups Jesse and Frank on one side and the rest on the other during their escape the James brothers are exhausted but continue relentlessly walking toward Dakota territory find finally after covering hundreds of kilometers in

hostile territory and evading over a thousand pursuers Jesse and Frank emerg from the ordeal unscathed the same cannot be said for the comrades Charlie pittz Bob and Cole Younger suffering from Hunger are too careless in their escape and are all caught by the authorities a shootout occurs and Charlie pits dies in The [Music] confrontation the younger brothers seriously wounded will soon be sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in prison during their time Behind Bars however they remained loyal to the jameses never once betraying them under new identities Jesse and Frank spend the next

3 years living peacefully in Nashville Tennessee for Frank it's an enjoyable lifestyle finding fulfillment as a farmer for Jesse however it is far from the case he simply cannot adapt to his new life having experienced his first major defeat as an outlaw his desire for Revenge hasn't dimin diminished he then forms a gang and resumes his fight without Frank who will partially retire in the meantime Jesse's new gang carries out some Heist but it's not like before his men are not as seasoned as his former gorilla comrades they turn against each other and quickly get

captured [Music] during this period Jesse is still wanted Nationwide it is said that at this time he became increasingly suspicious of his men to the extent that he allegedly killed one of them in the spring of 1880 one of his friends introduces him to two young brothers from Missouri Charlie and Robert Ford Jesse quickly befriends Charlie the older brother and recruits him into the gang the heists continue and there comes a time when the gang is so diminished that it only has two members left Jesse James and Charley Ford with a bounty of $5,000 on

his head Jesse must continue to watch his back having only Charlie by his side he is not entirely reassured more over intending to rob a bank in Plat City he absolutely needs an additional trustworthy man he finds this man in the person of Charlie's brother Robert Ford however what Jesse doesn't know is that Robert Ford had conducted secret negotiations with the governor of Missouri Thomas Crittenden recall him we mentioned him earlier Crittenden had made the capture of Jesse his top priority offering Robert Ford a huge reward in exchange Robert had accepted and now that he

was in Jesse's ranks he needed to take action Robert thus informs his older brother Charlie both overwhelmed by fear they realize how difficult the task ahead will be Charlie said well I knew he was quicker than I and I would not try it when he had his arms on he was so watchful no man could get the drop on him although intimidated Charlie and Robert Ford persist in their mission waiting for the right moment to accomplish The Impossible April 3rd 1882 Jesse and the Ford brothers are preparing to carry out their bank robbery in Plat

City before that the outlaw Trio has breakfast at the james' house in St Joseph [Music] Missouri after a meal Jesse and Charlie go to the stable to feed the horses upon their return they enter the living room where Robert is Jesse is not comfortable at that moment he feels hot in his attire so he takes off his coat unbuttons his vest and throws them onto his bed then he exclaims loudly I guess I'll take off my pistols for fear somebody will see them if I walk in the yard he unbuckles his belt and places his

revolvers on the couch his wife Z and children are in the Next Room Jesse then looks up sees a painting in the living room and sets about dusting [Music] it Jesse James suddenly hears a sound that is all too familiar Robert Ford has just cocked the hammer of his revolver Jesse turns around but the shot has already been fired the bullet hits him just behind the head the Ford Brothers have succeeded they have just killed the most wanted man in [Music] America the news of Jesse james' murder then makes headlines in newspapers across the country

over 2,000 people attend the funeral of the infamous Outlaw in the hopes of catching a glimpse of his corpse at that time many already considered him a hero but the circumstances surrounding his death had now elevated him to the status of a martyr after the assassination of Jesse James Charlie and Robert Ford will surrender to the authorities who will charge them with first-degree murder they will later plead guilty be sentenced to death by hanging and receive a pardon from Governor criten all on the same day in the end they will receive only a portion of

the reward and then flee the state of Missouri they will perform as a spectacle reenacting the murder on stage Nationwide Charlie Ford suffering from tuberculosis and addicted to Morphine will commit suicide on May 6th 1884 in Richmond as for Robert Ford he will never Escape his reputation as a coward who assassinated Jesse James he will be shot in a saloon 10 years later his killer will be sentenced to life in prison but will later be pardoned by the governor of Colorado after 7,000 people signed a petition in favor of his [Music] release after the death

of his younger brother Frank James will surrender to the authorities and be tried for murder in Missouri he will be declared not guilty as in two other cases for which he will be tried once free he will retire to lead a quiet life on his family's farm he will die in 1915 in the room where he was born Jesse's wife on the other hand will die alone and [Music] ruined Jesse James was therefore a much more complex character than one might have thought he wasn't just a simple Outlaw stealing for money he fought for a

political cause throughout his life Jesse L it with a sense of Vengeance against those who had once defeated him his example ultimately shows us how the conflicts of an era and the journey of a lifetime can change a man's heart what is certain in that story as tragic as it is fascinating will be told with passion for many years to [Music] come [Music] our journey in the wild west has now come to an end thank you for your time I hope you enjoyed this story if you did feel free to like this video and share

it I would be very grateful also know that I greatly appreciated your support in the last video if you have any critiques don't hesitate that's how I can improve all right we'll see each other as soon as possible take care and see you soon