[ INVESTIGATIVE FILES JOE NICKELL Joe Nickell, PhD, is a former Pinkerton detective and historical sleuth. He has written articles and encyclopedia entries about Jesse James, and his books include Crime Science and The Science of Ghosts. Jesse James’s ‘Haunts’: Legends, History, and Forensic Science n American embodiment of With the outbreak of the Civil War, the Robin Hood legend, noto- Frank James joined a Confederate gue- A rious outlaw Jesse James, with rilla band, and his fifteen-year-old kid his older brother Frank, rode boldly brother did likewise two years later. into U.S. history in the wake of the Jesse thus embarked on a course of Civil War, during which the two had outlawry that would end only with his trained for a career of daring bank and violent death in 1882. train holdups. Born in Missouri, they nevertheless had many connections to The James Gang Kentucky, and it was these the editor After the war, the so-called James of The Kentucky Encyclopedia (Kleber Gang—largely a postwar band of for- 1992) asked me to investigate—with mer Quantrill’s Raiders, originally led special attention to the 1868 robbery of by Cole Younger—was held responsible the bank at Russellville to determine if for numerous robberies in several states. it was actually perpetrated by the James These included, in Kentucky, a pair of gang. I completed that assignment stagecoaches near Mammoth Cave and (Nickell 1992), as well as a longer, his- banks in Columbia and Russellville torical-journal article (Nickell 1993a), (Nickell 1993a; Beamis and Pullen n.d., and produced other related writings Figure 1. The Long Bank in Russellville, Kentucky, was robbed in 1868. Was it by the Jesse James Gang 10–19, 45, 56–60). (Nickell 1993b; 1999). The following as legend holds? (Photograph by Joe Nickell.) The Long Bank (owned by Nimrod is a summary that also looks into Jesse Long) in Russellville (Figure 1) was James ghostlore and other legends. Midway, Kentucky. I visited it and the scene of a “daring” robbery on the the home of Zerelda’s guardian, Judge afternoon of Friday, March 20, 1868. Background James Lindsay, where the couple was Days before, a man using the apparent The James boys, Frank (1843–1915) married on December 28, 1841. They alias of “Thomas Coleman” attempted and Jesse (1847–1882), were born and then moved to Missouri. Following to sell a $500 bond, but it was sus- reared in Missouri, the sons of Robert the births of Frank and Jesse, they had pected of being counterfeit. On the Sallee James (1818–1850) and Zerelda one more child, Susan Lavinia, born in Wednesday before the robbery, he tried Cole James (1825–1911). Beginning 1849 (Nickell 1993a, 218–220). After again with a $100 treasury note, which in 1839, Robert attended the Baptist Robert S. James died during the Cal- was also declined. He was accompanied institution Georgetown College (where ifornia gold rush, his widow remarried by a man who appeared to be observ- I once taught and examined the origi- but was soon widowed again, and fi- ing the layout of the bank. Finally, on nal records). nally, in 1856, she wed Dr. Reuben March 20, “Coleman” and two oth- Zerelda’s grandfather, Richard Cole, Samuel, by whom she had four more ers arrived at the bank from different Jr., operated a stagecoach inn near children. directions, hitched their horses, and 12 Volume 40 Issue 4 | Skeptical Inquirer walked inside. While they attempted to ers, Louisville detective D.G. Bligh, In the legends, the James Gang’s cash a $50 counterfeit note, two other who investigated the case, believed they adventures multiplied. For example, riders came up and waited outside. were nevertheless involved. Moreover, Jesse was said to have robbed a bank The robbery began when Coleman two of the actual robbers were iden- in West Virginia in 1875 (more on this drew his gun, but owner Long sprang tified: One, having a “defect in one presently). Again, he has been seriously toward a rear door, receiving a bullet- eye,” was George Shepherd, a Chaplin credited with another Kentucky heist— grazed scalp in return. (A bullet hole resident and compatriot of the James that of a Muhlenberg County coal mine was left in the bank’s wall where I brothers; so was the other, George’s office—although Jesse, his wife “Zee,” examined it during my visit to the cousin Oliver Shepherd, who had and their two children were in Kansas historic building.) Nevertheless, Long been away from home at the time of City at that time, while Frank was in escaped and ran to the street where the robbery and who signaled his guilt Texas (Nickell 1993a, 231, 236). the two sentries were now firing their by resisting arrest. Oliver was shot to The James brothers’ alleged hideouts Spencer repeating rifles at anyone who death, and George was sent to prison were also ubiquitous. Said one writer, approached. The three robbers ran for his role. The alias used by the leader there were a reputed “thousand places outside carrying saddlebags filled with of the band, “Thomas Coleman” (as where Frank James and Jesse James had greenbacks and silver and gold coins. given in the legal indictment against been seen and it wasn’t only Kentucky; The band then fled out of town and, the five holdup men, probably having it extended all the way to Florida, New although citizens soon pursued them, been taken from a hotel register), al- York” (qtd. in Watson 1971, 75). vanished in the woods (Nickell 1993a, most surely identifies Thomas Cole- 222–224). Were the bank robbers man “Cole” Younger (1844–1916), the The Impostors indeed the James Gang? original leader of the “James Gang” To answer this question, I ap- As artifacts and tales about Jesse James (Nickell 1993a, 228–232; “Russellville” proliferated, so did the persons who— proached it from several angles. One 1868; Settle 1977, 30–44). strategy was to assess the perpetrators’ following his death on April 3, 1882— modus operandi (or M.O., “method of claimed to be the real, escaped-from- operation” [Nickell and Fischer 1999]) death outlaw, some seventeen by one for which I had had special training In death, the legendary count (Nickell 1993b). (Nickell 2008). I also used additional Jesse James attracts Jesse had been living as “Thomas clues, such as aliases, descriptions, and Howard” with his wife and children in other factors. It is necessary, however, mystery mongers— St. Joseph, Missouri. On that fateful first to recognize that the group—at including buried- day, young Bob Ford and his brother this time really the Younger-James Charles—new members of the James gang—was a loosely constituted band treasure enthusiasts Gang—were at the home. Bob Ford whose membership could vary from and ghost hunters intended to kill Jesse for the reward robbery to robbery. —like a magnet. money offered by Missouri Governor In fact, both of the James brothers Crittenden, so when the unarmed no- had an alibi for the Russellville robbery: torious outlaw and respectable family they were holed up in Chaplin, Nelson man stepped up on a chair to dust a picture, Ford quickly drew his pistol County, Kentucky, recovering from Riding into Legend gunshot wounds. But the modus ope- and shot Jesse in the back of the head, randi of the crime was exactly that used Although only five men robbed the killing him instantly. The act inspired and developed by the Younger Gang: bank in Russellville, popular writers a ditty: “. Oh, the dirty little coward “genteelly dressed” men arriving in would extend the number to eight or that shot Mr. Howard! And they laid town posing as cattle buyers or the like, even a dozen and spur them into town Jesse James in his grave.” then converging on the bank, with half at a gallop with guns blazing. Soon, the Almost immediately, however, going inside and the rest keeping guard legend grew that the robbery was that came doubt that the dead man really with Spencer rifles—the two groups of the James brothers. was Jesse James. This was despite a able to communicate with each other Jesse’s cowardly murder by Bob Ford positive identification by a coroner’s through a man inside the doorway. The in 1882 helped make him the focus of jury—relying on people with personal desperadoes then fled on fast horses, later legends. Pistols, often with his knowledge of his features and on dis- splitting up to take preplanned routes, name carved thereon, proliferated. So tinctive identifying wounds (including and disappeared. The 1872 Columbia did photographs “said to be” of the out- a pair of scars on his right chest and a bank robbery, for example, followed the laws or their family members (Nickell missing left middle fingertip). Scarcely same M.O., and the robbers escaped 1994, 78). Among other artifacts, there had a year passed when a Missouri into Nelson County, a known James are no fewer than three gold watches farmer claimed he had seen Jesse James. sanctuary (Nickell 1993a, 225–232). alleged to have fallen from dead Jesse’s Other sightings followed, not unlike Despite the alibi of the James broth- pocket. those of Elvis Presley in more recent Skeptical Inquirer | July/August 2016 13 [ INVESTIGATIVE FILES JOE NICKELL times. Eventually, men claiming to be ing what had been a carefully planned In contrast to the real Jesse’s “Jesse the “real” Jesse came forward (Nickell act as a wild raid: “A group of mounted W James” and “JWJames,” Dalton 1993a, 234–235).