Winter Autograph, Art and Sports Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/26/2015
Frank James writes from his jail cell describing his treatment by the locals of Gallatin, Missouri "I think I am making some friends… I have just this moment had my attention called to the door, to receive some eggs sent by some kind lady from the country, and last but not least I am now wearing a beautiful button hole bo[u]quet sent by the belle of Gallatin" Autograph Letter Signed "Alexander", 2 pages, 8" x 10.5", Gallatin, Missouri, March 3, 1883 to his wife, Annie Ralston James (1853-1944), written while awaiting trial for murder and robbery. Usual folds, with mild toning along one vertical crease, else very good.
On October 4, 1882, five months after the Ford Brothers killed his brother Jesse James in St. Joseph, Missouri, Frank James arrived in Jefferson City to surrender himself to Governor Thomas T. Crittenden. Gambling that in exchange for his cooperation, the governor would not extradite him to Minnesota to stand trial for the infamous Northfield robbery he staged with his brother Jesse, Frank chose to stand trial for his role in several murders and robberies in Missouri. James writes from jail a month following his first legal victory prosecutors dropped the charges against him for the murder of Pinkerton detective, Joseph Whicher and for a bank robbery in Independence. Awaiting additional charges to be filed against him, he writes in full: "Your letter of 1st was handed me this morning and you just ‘bet your boots’ I was glad to hear from you. I am a little bit mad at you for asking me if ‘that was right’. Don[']t you know any thing you do is right with your ‘hubbie’. I hope you will enjoy your visit I know you will I wish I was with you. Tell Rob Tim & Sister not to forget Uncle Ben. I hope you will write me as often as you can find it convenient to do so. I appreciate your letters so much. Hope you will answer Mr. Bronaughs letter and others that is necessary to do so. The people still comes. I think I am making some friends. Be of good cheer I hope to be with [you] one of these days. I wrote you yesterday and mailed the letter this morning so I expect you will get both at the same time. If you do I will expect to get a long letter in reply. Ask my little man if he ever thinks of his papa. Tell him I think of my baby 40 hundred times a day. I had a nice Oyster supper sent me last night by a Mr. Williams of Texas who is now visiting here and a friend of ‘Old Dave Pools’. I have just this moment had my attention called to the door, to receive some eggs sent by some kind lady from the country, and last but not least I am now wearing a beautiful button hole bo[u]quet sent by the belle of Gallatin I am dressed up and you ‘bet’ I am looking mighty fine, so the gals say. Of course they do not tell me so but I hear it all the ‘samie’. Well now my deal ‘old flitter’ I must kiss you good bye." James closes with his first name, "Alexander," perhaps in an bid for anonymity in the event the letter found its way to the press. Despite his status as an outlaw, Frank James, like his brother Jesse, were considered folk heroes by many in Missouri and were often the recipients of charity from their admirers. James underwent several more trials in Missouri, but in each instance he either won through acquittal of having the charges dropped. Following James's final acquittal in Missouri on February 11, 1884, which was greeted with great surprise in the press, James was brought before a federal judge for an extradition hearing concerning his involvement in an the March 1881 robbery of a United States Army Corps of Engineers paymaster in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. (New York Tribune, Feb. 12, 1884, p. 1) A federal jury in Huntsville, Alabama pronounced him not guilty for the Muscle Shoals robbery on April 25, but James was promptly re-arrested by a Missouri sherriff for yet another train robbery. Incidentally, a officer from Minnesota was also on hand with an extradition request (Huntsville [Alabama] Gazette, April 26, 1884, p. 3). James returned to Missouri where he awaited trial in Cooper County. After several continuances, the case came to trial in February 1885 when the case was dismissed. (At about the same time, Minnesota dropped its efforts to try James.) Frank died in 1915, never having been convicted of a crime.
Frank James letter from Prison
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