Jesse James

Jesse James was a bank robber that stole from banks and gave to farmers. He had

a few years of military experience which gave him the edge of becoming on of the most

infamous outlaws that lived. Betrayed by his own friend, Jesse was sent to his grave well

before his time was up.

On Monday April 3, 1882, before the sun had risen, Jesse James laid in his bed; with his wife Zee, speechless. Jesse trying to ignore the question of why the Fords are there at their house, he lays there staring at the ceiling. When she finally asks if they are planning other job, Jesse tells her they must pull this job. After he swore they were done with this kind of life, financial struggles drug him back. Their plan was to move away to California to be able to raise their kids without fear. However, they did not have the money to even get them to California much less start a new life there. Jesse called his friends; Bob and Charley Ford, to help him rob this last job at Platte City. What Jesse did not know was, while he was laying in bed with his wife thinking of the future for day, Bob started to panic and feel paranoid. Bob wakes up Charley in an uproar thinking that Jesse knows they have betrayed him. Bob then confesses he believes somebody found out and told Jesse that they are the ones who killed his cousin Wood Hite.

Martha Bolton, sister of Bob and Charley, was actually the one to talk to Governor T.T. Crittenden at the St. James Hotel in Kansas City to make the arrangements on Jesse James murder or capture. They were offered money and amnesty from the law for this conspiracy, but most importantly the safety from Wood Hite’s murder. There was a pile of rocks stacked up on the edge of their field. Hite’s body was buried underneath the pile of rocks. Every time she looks or thinks about that night when Bob pulled the trigger, she begins to sweat nervously. Dick Liddil was there when the murder took place and the fear of Jesse getting his hands on Dick to figure out what happened to his favorite cousin frightens her. This was the big reason for Martha’s plot against Jesse. But of course, with time to think about her actions, her mind began to make her ask many questions. Could she trust the State to keep their word upon them? Had Jesse found out about the plan? And since she had not heard from her brothers in awhile, she was beginning to think maybe Bob was dead.

Cole Younger was once a member of Jesse’s gang. However, he had been captured after the Northfield holdup and was sentenced to life in Minnesota State Prison in Stillwater. Bob Younger was shot at Northfield and when Jesse recommended shooting Bob to ease the pain, Cole was unable to forgive Jesse for his thoughts. Just after the incident, Jesse and Frank left the gang and Cole would never be able to forgive Jesse. Cole did not want Jesse’s life, he wanted Jesse to suffer forever in a prison cell just has he is. He felt death would not be punishment enough.

Once everybody started to waken, Zee was in the kitchen making breakfast. Jesse went out to get a bucket of water. Bob began to get more paranoid. He starts to argue with his brother Charley that Jesse knows of the plan to ambush him. When Jesse returned back to the house, he heard the kids talking, Zee in the kitchen, and the Fords putting their shoes on. When Jesse walks right past Bob after saying the usual morning greetings, Bob begins to think he knows again. And before breakfast, Jesse invites Bob to go to town with him to get the paper. Bob denies the offer at first but Jesse insisted he go. As Bob gets up to leave, he looks at his brother and then back to Jesse as if scared to walk with him. The whole way there they walked in silence. Once they got the Time, the St. Louis Republican, and the Kansas