Thursday, July 21, 2011

Bad Men

The James-Younger gang robbed a train in Adair, Iowa by derailing it on July 21, 1873. Although it has been said that this was the first successful train robbery in the Old West, that is not so. Smiling Jack Davis pulled one off in Nevada in 1870.

My cousins, Frank and Jesse James along with the Cole brothers and various other bad men, robbed banks, trains and stages, beginning in 1866, shortly after the War Between the States, continuing their crime spree until the death of Jesse James in 1882.

These crooks, and in particular Jesse, have been romanticised in the popular literature, and in movies. No matter how one may twist it, they were bad guys and not to be emulated or admired.

I was told before I started genealogical research that looking up the family tree might reveal someone hanging there; and so it is. The James brothers are sixth cousins, three times removed, agnate.

7 comments:

Vee said...

What?

vanilla said...

Vee, what? You don't think they were bad men?

Sharkbytes said...

i think you are secretly bragging just a little- i see a tiny smirk

Ilene said...

TMI for me.

vanilla said...

Shark, surely you jest.

Ilene, oh, I have information! Look, no one picks the relatives. Sorry.

John Cowart said...

Hi Vanilla,

A few year ago I wrote an article about Jesse James and me.

No, I'm not a relative, not biologically, only spiritually.

The link is for one of my Rabid Fundamentalist columns at http://www.cowart.info/Rabid%20Fun%20columns/Jesse%20James/Jesse%20James.htm if you are interested.

John

vanilla said...

John, thanks for the link. I had read your article before, but read it again today. Excellent sermon, for we are all more afflicted by the small sins than we are by the flambuoyant ones. But for the grace of God, we are all lost. Thanks for the link on the Rabid Fundamentalist!