Today is the 132nd anniversary of Jesse Jamess violent death. This is Washington Post book reviewer Ron Charless account of his family connection to the James Farm. Jesse James was lucky—or his reputation was lucky—in how he was killed. By returning publicly in 1879 to rob and kill, after his avowed political goals were met, he lost a lot of the support that had kept him alive and free for so long. The second act in his criminal career was simply that of a flamboyant outlaw, and it was as brief as the typical outlaw career. But he went out in cinematic fashion, betrayed in a plot orchestrated by the governor, and his myth was transformed from Last Rebel to Robin Hood.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 16:43:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015