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Archiver > JESSE-JAMES > 2000-04 > 0955218839


From:
Subject: Re: [JESSE-JAMES-L] Gun
Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 14:33:59 EDT


Joe -- asked an interesting question yesterday.

He asks, "Could somebody please tell me the caliber of gun used to kill
Jesse James."
Since this is a question of some great consequence, I did a bit of a study on
it.

The first answer comes from the Kansas City Daily Journal -- Tuesday April
4, 1882:
"The ball entered the base of the skull and made it's way out through the
forehead over the left eye. It had been fired out of a Colt's 45 improved
pattern, silver mounted and pearl handled pistol, presented by the dead man
to his slayer only a few days ago.

Jesse James My Father -- 1899, by Jesse James Jr. (p- 92) repeats this
information by giving a verbatim quote from this same newspaper article.

Robertus Love read the newspaper account too. In - The Rise and Fall Of
Jesse James -- 1925, by Love (p-344) this identical quote can again be found.

In The life and Tragic Death of Jesse James -- 1883 by "one who dare not
disclose his identity" we find some more agreement with the .45 caliber
arguement (p- 110)
Jesse's mother is testifying at the inquest: "The old woman was very
bitter against the men who had betrayed her son, saying that the silver
mounted pistol with which the deed had been done was a present to Robert Ford
from Jesse."

The Life and Adventure of the James Brothers by Jay Donald -- 1882 (p 446)
say this:
"The ball had entered the base of the skull and made it's way out through the
forehead over the left eye. It had come from a Colt 45."
(could he have read the same article? I wonder.)

Carl Breihan does not agree!
He says in The Day Jesse James Was Killed -- 1958 (p- 124):
"Bob Ford reached down and slipped his gun into his hand. He stared at it a
moment. The nickel plate glettered. It had been a gift from Jesse James. a
.44 revolver!"

Then, in The Saga of Jesse James -- 1991 Breihan goes even farther
(p-124) (that's right - its the same page, that's no typo) Breihan says:
"Bob pulled his Smith & Wesson .44 and leveled it. Jesse heard the hammer
click as the gun was cocked and turned just as Bob pulled the trigger."

Jesse James Was My Neighbor -- 1949, by Homer Croy says (p- 172) "Jesse
was there in front of him, and was asking him if he would help rob a bank.
Bob Ford said he would be glad to help" Two pages later (p- 174) "Bob Ford
complained that his revolver wasn't good enough. Jesse gave him another."
(p- 177) "Bob was about five feet away; he extended his arm with the
revolver in his hand until it was about three feet from Jesse. It was the
revolver Jesse had given him."

And finally, James Ross, who wrote I Jesse James -- 1988 tells the story
this way (p- 268): "Both Charley and Bob were in the room with me and ,
of course, both were wearing their guns. Bob had the .44 I had given him the
night before in the holster and strapped to his side."
--------------------------------
And then, I understand that there are some folks that are convince that
none of this ever happened!
Thurston James

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