First Successful Daylight Bank Robbery (during peacetime) & a Dose of Dark Tourism with Good Coffee and Yoga

Main Street, town square. Terrific coffee shop called
Hammerhand and a yoga/massage studio, Serenity on the Square.
I took advantage of both.

A part of me has always liked dark tourist sites, before dark tourism even became a thing and Netflix made it into a series. One aspect that fascinates me is what motivates people to visit sites of death and destruction. There's not a simple answer, but a spectrum that ranges from a need to memorialize to prurient entertainment. Of course, proprietors of such venues are motivated by money.

While the majority of my stops were to places that did not recognize the James' brothers nefarious acts, a few did. The Clay County Savings Bank in Liberty, Missouri is now a museum dedicated to tours with the mission of "historical education." In Liberty's defense, the site does bring in a lot of tourist dollars, boosting the economy in this small mideastern town.

The booty gathered during the robbery including gold, silver, paper currency and government bonds totaled $60,000 would be worth over $1.8 million today. Not a bad take even divided by 12.

This is an account from the Tribune February 14, 1866.

Our usually quiet city was startled last Tuesday by one of the most cold-blooded murders and heavy robberies on record. It appears that in the afternoon some ten or twelve persons rode into town and 2 of them went into the Clay County Savings Bank, and asked the clerk, MR. WILLIAM BIRD, to change a 10 dollar bill, and as he started to do so, they drew their revolvers on him and his father, MR. GREENUP BIRD, the cashier, and made them stand quiet while they proceeded to rob the bank. 

After having obtained what they supposed was all, they put the clerk and cashier in the vault, and no doubt thought they had locked the door, and went out with their stolen treasure, mounted their horses and were joined by the balance of their gang and commenced shooting. MR. S. H. HOLMES had 2 shots fired at him and young GEORGE WYMORE, aged about 19 years, son of WM. H. WYMORE, one of the most peaceable and promising young men in the county was shot and killed while standing on the opposite side of the street at the corner of the old Green house. The killing was a deliberate murder without any provocation whatever.

The town was soon all excitement, and as many as could procure arms and horses, went in pursuit, but up to this writing, nothing is known of the result. Our citizens exhibited a commendable willingness to do all they could to assist in the capture of the robbers and their booty.

Thus has our city and people been grossly outraged by a band of thieves and murderers, and that, too, when the people thought they were in possession of permanent peace; and a worthy young man murdered, one of our most successful and ably managed monied institutions, and many private individuals, have been heavy losers. We hope to God, the villains may be overhauled, and brought to the end of a rope. Indeed, we can not believe they will escape.

An interesting tidbit is that a few days after the robbery, the family of George Wymore received a letter of apology from Jesse James saying that it was not the robbers' intention to kill anyone. Like that is supposed to bring grieving parents a modicum of comfort????



In all my excitement, I forgot to leave a hair offering. Such a shame, because it would have been perfect to leave it in the bank vault. I did pick up a copy of this book in the gift shop. It was a disappointing read, despite the feminine perspective.

Dancing Bear Cottage combined with Murder & Bank Robbery in Richmond

 

Dancing Bear Cottage, Corder, Missouri

Outside of Kansas City, lodgings were sparse. I found this lovely airbnb in Corder, Missouri. The cottage is rustic and cozy on a beautiful property filled with lots of animals. Peacocks, Hammie the pig, cats, geese, chickens and horses all greeted me. This was a highlight of the trip. It's exhausting driving to four or five sites each day and locating suitable filming locations. The towns start to blur together. These were the last two days of good weather, before it rained the rest of the trip. 

 

Dancing Farm Cottage, Pond view at sunset

Dancing Farm Cottage, Pond view at sunset

May 23rd, 1867 Twelve Members of the James-Younger Gang robbed the Hughes & Wasson Bank of Richmond, Missouri, making off with $4000. Three Men were shot and killed. 

an article in the New York Herald, May 24, 1867

Some highlights from the 1881 Ray County history book account of the robbery. 

"Four of the party entered the bank with pistols presented, demanding the money therein. The other six remained outside and kept up a continuous fire upon citizens who dared show themselves on the streets." 

"The robber who remained on his horse took a stand in the middle of the street. He was mounted on a very fine and well-trained horse. Having wound the bridle-reins around the bow of his saddle in such a manner as to give greater tension to one rein than to the other, the horse continued to move around in a circle, thus enabling his rider to see about him in every direction."

That last section cracked me up. Lots of detail about the horse. What about the robbery??

Frank Griffin who is the hero albeit dead hero of the story was firing upon the gunman with the finely trained horse. When the gunman "discovered Griffin's head from behind the tree, he fired at it with unerring aim. The ball penetrated the brain and Griffin instantly expired."

No specific details are given about the three folks that were shot by the James brothers. 

View from courthouse, former bank site

view of courthouse, former bank site

statue of soldier on courthouse lawn

The town celebrates every year with outlaw days where they recreate the James Gang robbery. 

Last year, one of the re-enactors was hit with a blank in the leg. In a Kansas City newspaper article, "An ambulance took the performer to a Kansas City area hospital for treatment of a moderate leg injury, Carter said. No one else was injured. The rest of the fall festival’s activities continued as scheduled." 

This year all activities are cancelled due to covid19. 

my hair offering on the courthouse lawn

Second Daylight Bank Robbery in History

Lexington, Missouri is best known for two historic large battles in the Civil War in 1861 & 1864 respectively. Two months after the war ended, some of Quantrill's Raiders decided to turn themselves in at Lexington. While riding into town waving a white flag, they were fired upon by Union soldiers. One of the riders--Jesse James was shot and severely injured in the right lung. 

Two years later he returned with the James Younger gang to rob the bank of Missouri. This was most likely not a coincidence.

On October 30th, 1866, the James brothers walked inside the bank, asking to change a bill. When the bank clerk refused, pistols were drawn. The bank clerk did not give up the vault key and the robbers ransacked the bank making off with $2000.

A posse was organized by former guerillas and friends of the outlaws. Unsurprisingly, the posse turned up nothing, most likely not putting much effort into the chase. 

Today the site is still a bank--Bank Midwest. The 2 blocks surrounding the bank include a realty storefront, an antiques store, a gun store, a church and a McDonalds.

If you are into military history, 7/8 MUST SEE things to do include visiting battlefields, seeing a canonball lodged into the courthouse and a sword. I skipped the tours. The most interesting part of this site was the juxtaposition between the gun store, bank and McDonalds. Probably the irony was lost on most residents. 

This Madonna of the Trail statue is one of twelve that is placed throughout the National Old Trails Road from Maryland to California honoring early women pioneers. A refreshing feminist icon.

I thought it was fitting to leave my hair offering in front of the church at the Santa Fe Trail marker.

Posses of Officers and Citizens Scouring the Country for the Robbers & My Mis-hap/Mis-adventure Continues

Train tracks are still in use today

 Otterville, population 452. There isn't even a Main Street. Just a railroad crossing and a general store. Technically I was trespassing on this AG property that makes Purina chow, but no one seemed to care. I like being invisible.

My favorite coverage of the July 7, 1876 James Gang robbery of the Blue Cut Missouri train line is the Sedalia Weekly Bazoo. The crime is chronicled in excruciating detail with some hyperbolic language thrown in for flourish. If you are too lazy or uninterested, you can just read the headers. THE LATEST IN REGARD TO THE EXPRESS HOLD UP AT OTTERVILLE. RETURN OF THE SEDALIANS WHO ENTERED UPON THE CHASE YESTERDAY MORNING. WHAT A BAZOO REPORTER, WHO ACCOMPANIED THE PARTY LEARNED. CHANCES ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF AN EARLY CAPTURE.

part of the Purina Ag center

What was noteworthy about this robbery is Hobbs Kerry, a brief member of the gang who was captured and ratted out his compatriots in exchange for a 4 year prison sentence. This robbery was to finance the Minnesota bank robbery which took place shortly after.

My stop in Otterville was fortuitous, since besides being invisible, an actual train came providing a great filming opportunity. The light was perfect with lots of clouds and no rain. 

Purina Ag center

Unfortunately like a lot of my trip, a good portion of files were corrupted. However, I was able to retrieve enough for the project. 

Another Bold Railroad Robbery... or Why a Pentacostal Church Makes for a Poor Vantage Point

Love the illustration of the robbery

 December 1874, the James Gang rode to Muncie, Kansas (12 miles outside of Kansas City) to hold up the Kansas Pacific Railroad. The newspaper article says that the masked robbers conduct towards the passengers was rather clever, since they did not attempt to rob them, only securing the contents of the Wells Fargo safe. In a mere 15 minutes, they left with their "booty" consisting of $5000 in gold dust and $18,000 in currency. The bounty for their heads dead or alive--$1000 (worth $22,000 today)

James Gang robbery of Kansas Pacific Railroad

site of James Gang robbery today

 The railroad tracks are no longer there. The site today is a private home. Which proves to be a bit problematic when trying to obtain interesting footage. Given that the area is a meth haven, I did not want to trespass or ask permission to film, so I stood across the street and filmed on the property of a Pentecostal church. The film gods were clearly out to get me, because all but a few clips were corrupted and "disappeared" off my camera. It was the beginning of an ill-fated trip that was ripe with mishaps and misadventures.

my hair offering

Music of Cracking Pistols

Kansas City Exposition Grounds, 1872

From two newspaper accounts 1872--At sundown, just as Exposition goers were leaving the fairgrounds, three masked men road up to the ticket office. "The largest of the three men quietly dismounted, handing the reins of his horse to one of his confederates: and walked up to the ticket-booth, which is a small building located just to the right of the gate as you go in. The till, a large tin box, stood on the counter nearly in front of the arched window through which tickets were sold. The desperado reached through the window, and seizing the box, attempted to make off. Meanwhile his two confederates sat on their horses like statues, holding the horror-stricken crowd paralyzed at bay with their drawn navy revolvers and threatening instant death to the first man that moved a muscle. It was one of those exhibitions of superb daring that chills the blood and transfixes the muscles of the looker-on with a mingling of amazement, admiration and horror. It was one of those rare instances when it seems as though death stood in the panoply of the flesh and exhaled a petrifying terror from his garments. It was a deed so high-handed, so diabolically daring and so utterly in contempt of fear that we are bound to admire it and revere its perpetrators for the enormity of their outlawry.

An occurrence of this kind is a rare and peculiar study. Of course it is a crime and must be reprehended and denounced. But one thing is certain. Men who can so coolly and calmly plan and so quietly and daringly execute a scheme of robbery like this, in the light of day, in the face of the authorities, and in the very teeth of the most immense multitude of peoples that was ever in our city, deserve at least admiration for their bravery and nerve." 

John Newman Edwards, 1872

This romanticized and inaccurate account was written by John Newman Edwards who wrote a follow-up story entitled The Chivalry of Crime the day. An excerpt "...they ride at midday into the county-seat, while court is sitting, take the cash out of the vault and put the cashier in and ride out of town to the music of the cracking pistols. These men are bad citizens; but they are bad because they live out of their time. The nineteenth century … is not the social soil for men who might have sat with Arthur at the Round Table, ridden to the tourney with Sir Launcelot or worn the colors of Guinevere; men who might have … shivered a lance with Ivanhoe or won the smiles of the Hebrew maiden…."

Jesse under the guise of a 17th century highwayman sent a rebuttal which was printed in the paper the following day. The letter read, in part: "Just let a party of men commit a bold robbery and the cry is hang them, but [Ulysses S.] Grant can steal millions, and it is all right. Some editors call us thieves. It hurts me very much to be called a thief. It makes me feel on par with Grant and his party. We are bold robbers. Please rank me with these, and not the Grantites. They rob the poor and give to the rich, we rob the rich and give to the poor." The letter went on to express remorse for the wounding of the little girl and said that they would handle the medical expenses for her injury.

$998 was stolen, the equivalent of $17, 000 today. 

View from my hotel window down the street from City Hall,
former Exposition site

Stop! It's folly to proceed

Strange, but quirky sculpture outside
the police precinct across from City Hall

My lock of hair

What Do Hair Wreaths Have To Do With The James Brothers and Independence?

Frank and Jesse James with their formidable mother Zerelda

This past month marked the 2nd performative adventure filming at the sites where my notorious ancestors outlawed. For those newbie readers, Frank and Jesse James were 1st cousins of my great great grandmother's 2nd husband. This journey included site visits to Western Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Minnesota.

My first stop was Independence, Missouri, where Frank is buried.

Frank and his wife Ann's tombstone

Frank in his later years

Independence is also the home of Leila's Hair Museum. That might sound a bit weird and creepy to some of you, but I wasn't about to miss a chance to see over 600 hair wreaths and jewelry. Hair wreaths flourished during the Victorian era, but the tradition of keeping a lock of hair from loved ones dates back many centuries. Leila rediscovered this lost art and is now teaching the art of hair wreaths in workshops and published a book. I would love to learn, but fear my tiny motor skills do not have the patience for such intricate work.

Often times, the wreaths had notes inside indicating whose hair
was woven together. Here the tag is actual written in hair. 

This wreath had a special shadow box. A funeral home
lined it with fabric to resemble a coffin.

It was difficult to get good pics. The museum didn't allow
any photos inside and the lobby area had too much reflective
glare from the windows and lights. 

You might be wondering what in the world this has to do with my James adventure. If you read last summer's blog entries, you know that I leave a lock of my hair after filming at each site. As a memento of my DNA lineage. Although a hair wreath would be way cooler. However, if I spent that much time making one, I wouldn't want to leave it somewhere.

It was gay pride week during the time I visited and there was a lot of press about whether the rainbow flag should be hung. City council voted no on hanging the flags on city buildings. However the mayor  showed her support by hanging the flag on her office door. A part-time custodian made news when he blasted the mayor saying that if she could hang the rainbow flag, he should be able to hang the confederate flag. He also said some other nasty stuff that I won't repeat, but you can read the article here.

It's darkly ironic that Independence is not true to its name. Coincidentally or not, it also happens to be the meth capital of the country. Missouri still ranks #1 in meth labs per capita. 27.6 meth labs per 100K people.