Jesse James trivia.............

[Bob Wright]

I was reading a magazine article today and there was a brief note regarding the identification of Jesse James' body. The gist of the article was that positive identification was made from scars of two bullet wounds in his chest from the Civil War, and that the tip of his middle finger was missing.

Little known fact: While loading a cap and ball revolver, I believe it was a Colt Pocket Model, as he was capping the nipples he accidentally fired the revolver, with his finger over the muzzle, thus shooting off the tip of that digit.

His exclamation at the time was, "By dingus, I've shot myself!" His brother Frank gave him the nickname then and there of Dingus.


Bob Wright

 

[graygun]

Thanks ...and ouch!

 

[m657]

I've seen a variety of claims over the years making contradictory assertions.

Never had opportunity to follow up on whatever may be the real deal.

 

[Bob Wright]

Many years ago in the rural South there were many claims of old time outlaws still living, while their "deaths" had been faked. Jesse James and Rube Burrows were two that I remember.

In middle Tennessee Rube Burrows was claimed to have been seen in various towns in the Nashville vicinity. And a man living in northern Alabama claimed to be Jesse James, to the point that a local radio station interviewed him and pronounced that as far as they could tell, he was the original Jesse James.

Time has expired for such stories now. Jesse James lived in Nashville, Tennessee under the name of Mr. Howard and was a wheat speculator. My grandfather was a wheat farmer and I often wondered if he might have had dealings with Mr. Howard, but then the dates don't quite match up. But then Great Grandpa might..............

 

[spanky509]

Jesse's father , a Babtist Preacher, was on of the founders of William Jewel College in Liberty, Mo.

 

[sliclee]

Part of a ditty(song)? For the dirty little coward
who shot Mr Howard
And laid poor Jessy in his grave

 

[JPGLSG]

Oh Bob....Dingus, is this for true....really.......

 

[Bob Wright]

Oh Bob....Dingus, is this for true....really.......

This came from a transcript of an interview with Frank James many years ago. I remembered reading it from interviews with Frank James, an old time Texas Ranger, and several other characters from that era. Seems that was a WPA project or something to preserve history. Maybe from the Library of Congress?

Bob Wright

 

[cpt-t]

BOB WRIGHT: I really enjoyed hearing that story. Beings that I spent a lot of time in Oklahoma growing up. I got to hear a lot of Wild Stories about the James and the other Outlaws that haunted OK after the Civil War. From my Grandpa and his Old Friends. It seems like most all of the famous Outlaws passed thru OK at one time or another. But I had never heard how Jesse James got his nickname, Dingus. I miss those times sitting at night by a campfire or on a park bench and listening to those Old Men, tell their Wonderful Stories. I was always attracted to a bunch of Old Men, setting around telling their stories. Just like a Moth is to a flame. Those old times are some of my best memories. So any time You would like to tell one of your stories, You can depend on me reading it and enjoying it. Maybe I just might be able to remember one of my own, that was past down to me so many years ago.
ken

 

[m657]

The last show I watched on Jesse had him being a member of something called "Knights of the Golden Circle" or some such.

I know nothing about this secret order other than what the show asserted.....secret gold train, hidden buried treasure, southern runes, code maps, intrigue and who knows what all.....

 

[wwb]

I wonder why he only visited Minnesota once.... must not have enjoyed his visit, I guess.

 

[PriseDeFer]

Apparently if they don't like you up there they ain't shy about showing it.