BlackSheep Sunday: The Horse Thief

In the West, stealing a horse was a hanging offense. Sometimes the horse thief was lynched on the spot where he was captured and other times the thief was brought into town, locked in jail, tried, convicted, and hanged at a scafford or hanging tree in town for all to witness.

When a horse thief was hanged where captured, they were often placed in an unmarked grave nearby, but when the thief was hanged in town they were normally buried in the local cemetery. Many times they were unmarked, with no one willing to order and pay for a permanent marker, and sometimes they had a temporary marker.

This particular horse thief was marked much later. While his name was unknown, his deed is remembered forever.

The Horse Thief

1898

New Santa Fe Cemetery

Kansas City, MO

BlackSheep Sunday: Jesse Woodson James and Family

Jesse Woodson James, one of the most prolific outlaws of the west, grew up near the Kansas City area - near Liberty, Missouri. Jesse served Quantrell's Raiders, a guerrilla company of the Confederacy noted for burning and slaughtering a path to Leavenworth KS and and the burning of Leavenworth. After that James, with his brother Frank, the Younger brothers (3) and several others from Quantrell's Raiders formed the James-Younger gang.

The James gang is credited for many bloodbath robberies throughout the midwest. Eventually James was shot in the back of the head by Bob Ford. For this act, Bob Ford was labeled a coward and James was romanticized and became a legend.

Jesse has certainly not been left alone to rest in peace after death. Jesse was originally interred on the family farm in Clay County, Mo. For many years Frank James earned money by giving tours of the family farm and graveyard. Years later the family cemetery was moved to Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Kearney and the Clay Co Historical Society now provides tours of the James family farm.

After James was moved to Mt. Olivet, he was disinterred two more times to try to prove the person interred was actually James. The final disinterment resulted in DNA testing.

JAMES
Jesse W
Born Sept.5, 1847
Assassinated
April 3, 1882

Zerelda
Born July 21, 1845
Died Nov. 13, 1900

Confederate Military Stone
Jesse W James
Taylor's SQ
Quantrell's
Regt
CSA
Sep 5 1847
Apr 2 1882Marker in memory of Gould and Montgomery James, children of Jesse and Zarelda (interred elsewhere)

Zerelda Samuel
Jan. 29, 1825
Feb. 10, 1911
(mother of Jesse James)

Dr. Reuben Samuel
Jan. 12, 1829
Mar. 1, 1908
"At Rest"
(Jesse's mother's last husband)
Archie P. Samuel
Born July 26. 1866
Killed by a Bomb
Jan. 26,1875
(son of Reuben and Zerelda)

BlackSheep Sunday: Frank, brother of Jesse James

Alexander Franklin "Frank" James, brother of the famed Jesse James, maintains a low profile even after death. Frank served the Confederacy in the Civil War, joined Quantrill's Raiders guerilla army, was member of the James-Younger gang and credited with many robberies.

JAMES
Alexander F.
1843 - 1915
Ann Ralston
1853 - 1944

Frank's peaceful view at the top of the hill now overlooks a new skate park.

Frank and his wife rest in the Hill family cemetery in Hill Park in Independence, Missouri.

This cemetery contains Adam Hill and some of his descendants. Frank's wife, Ann Ralston James, was Adam Hill's granddaughter through her mother, Mary Catherine Hill Ralston. Now maintained by Jackson County (MO) Parks and Recreation.

BlackSheep Sunday: Bob Ford, The Man Who Shot Jesse James

Robert Newton Ford, one-time member of the James gang, is remembered forever in history as the "coward who killed Jesse James."

History records that Bob Ford was born in 1862 near Richmond, in Ray County, MO. His grave marker, however, records his birth as 20 years earlier. Ford's last days were spent in Creede, Colorado, where he was gunned down by Edward O. Kelley and interred. Years later Bob's remains were removed to Richmond, MO, where he remains today.

Bob Ford
Dec. 8, 1841 - June 8, 1892
The Man Who Shot Jesse James

Richmond City Cemetery
Richmond, Ray County, MO

Sponsored by the International Black Sheep Society of Genealogists.