The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Page #6

just to have something to spit.

- Why was your brother so agitated?

- Which?

Bob.

That's just his way. He's antsy.

You know?

You go on back to sleep now.

You got me agitated now, you see?

Yeah, just ain't no peace

when old Jesse's around.

You ought to pity my poor wife.

Ed Miller was a good friend of mine.

He introduced me to you

at that one poker game.

I'm a little angry with you, if you

wanna know the God's honest truth.

You ought to pity me too.

As proof of his confederacy with

the James Gang, Bob told the authorities...

...that Dick Liddil was sleeping over

at the rented farmhouse...

...while his ruined leg mended.

And then, created a map

of the Harbison property...

...leaving out the creek where

Wood Hite's remains now moldered.

Right, you boys are cornered!

Come on out peaceably

and nobody'll get shot up!

Don't shoot!

Come on out and show yourself!

Hello.

We got him.

Give me that Colt, son.

- All right.

- Andrew James Liddil...

...I have a warrant here

for your arrest...

Snowstorms would move over Missouri

that Sunday, February 19th...

...shutting down commerce

for more than two days.

- Go, go, go.

- Are the papers here?

- He wanted to know if the papers are here.

- I don't care what he wants.

Yet this wouldn't prevent Robert Ford...

...from presenting himself

to Governor Crittenden...

...at the Craig Rifles Ball on Wednesday.

I deem it a great privilege

on this glorious occasion...

...to recognize publicly...

...the intelligent and effective assistance...

...that Captain Henry Craig has rendered

the state of Missouri and myself...

...in our joint quest

to rid Jackson County...

...of the James band.

The task that Captain Craig

has assumed...

...will require fearless courage,

extraordinary vigilance...

...and an unerring selection

of instrumentalities.

Well, I've gotten the signal from my wife

that enough is enough.

However, before I sit...

...I would like to ask you

to join me in a toast...

...to a great son

of the state of Missouri...

...my friend, Henry Craig.

- Here, here.

Yes.

Just let my attorney know.

Who is that? Who is it?

Get out of the way now.

You know, you're more goddamn trouble

than you're worth, Bob.

I was just gonna say hello.

No, you weren't gonna do that, Bob.

That's not why you're down here.

You think it's your goddamn coming-out.

You think you're the belle of the ball.

Now you get upstairs and try to keep your

identity secret, you silly little bastard.

The governor'll see you in good time.

Take him up, boys.

Bob would later be cross-examined

repeatedly...

...about the exact nature of the deal

he had made with the authorities.

And he was never consistent

in his recollections.

My wife's asleep in the other room,

so let's speak as quietly as we can.

So you're Dick Little.

Liddil.

I beg your pardon?

I spell it with two D's.

He's given us a full confession, governor.

Newspapers haven't caught onto it yet.

And you've guaranteed him

a conditional pardon...

...and amnesty for all the robberies

he's committed.

You Robert Ford?

How old are you?

Twenty.

You surrender to Sheriff Timberlake

as well?

No, no, governor. That's his brother,

Charley Ford, he's in the James Gang.

But little Bob here,

we got nothing on Bob.

He's just acting in capacity as a...

...private detective.

Jesse James sent me a telegram

last month...

...saying he'd kill me

if he had to wreck a train to do it.

He said once I got in his hands,

he'd cut my heart out...

...and eat it in strips like it was bacon.

I'll wreck his train first.

I'm sorry, Your Excellency.

I was thinking about something else.

Jesse James is nothing more

than a public outlaw...

...who made his reputation

by stealing whatever he wanted...

...killing whoever got in his way.

You'll hear some fools say he's getting back

at Republicans and Union men...

...for the wrongs his family suffered

during the war.

But his victims have scarcely been selected

with reference to their political views.

I'm saying his sins will soon find him out.

I'm saying his cup of iniquity is full.

I'm saying Jesse James

is a desperate case...

...and may require a desperate remedy.

Y'all got the right man for the job.

Come on. Come on, now.

Come on, now.

Have you ever considered suicide?

I can't say that I have. There's always

something else I wanted to do.

Or my predicaments changed,

or I saw my hardships from a different slant.

You know all what can happen.

It never seemed respectable.

I'll tell you one thing that's for certain.

You won't mind dying

once you've peeked over the other side.

You'll no more wanna go back

to your body than...

...you'd wanna spoon up your own puke.

Hey, since we're looking to rob banks...

...I was wondering if we could

add another fella to the gang...

...and sort of see if we couldn't

come out of our next job alive.

Bob wanted to know could he ride with us

next time we took on a savings bank or...

A savings bank or a...

A railroad.

Bob isn't much more than a boy

to most appearances.

But there's about two tons

of sand in him.

And he'll stand with a shooter

when that's what's called for.

And he's smart too.

He's about as intricate as they come.

You forget I already met the kid.

Hell, he surely thinks highly of you.

All of America thinks highly of me.

Still, not like you got two million names

to snatch out of a sock...

...whenever you need a third man.

I can see you trying to

wear me down on this.

That's my main intention.

Robberies would be conceived

but never carried out...

...in Nebraska, Colorado and Missouri.

During this time...

...Henry Craig enjoined Robert Ford to return

to Elias' Grocery Store in Richmond...

...and await instructions

from Sheriff James Timberlake.

All right, three cans...

...peaches. Two cans...

Two cans sifted peas.

One bottle...

...Mary's Morning Tonic, and a half...

Half a sack of flour.

I'll be right with you.

I haven't seen any sign of him.

Well, do you know where he's living?

No.

No?

Well, I can't guess how he does it...

...but he is always knowledgeable

about what's going on.

He's gonna know I've been here with you.

You ought to take that for granted.

And he will kill you if he gets the chance.

Are you willing to risk that?

Yes, I am.

I've been a nobody all my life.

I was the baby.

I was the one they made promises to

that they never kept.

And ever since I can remember it,

Jesse James has been as big as a tree.

I'm prepared for this, Jim...

...and I'm gonna accomplish it.

I know I won't get

but this one opportunity...

...and you can bet your life

I'm not gonna spoil it.

Well...

...wait for your chance.

Don't let yourself be found alone with him,

and do not...

...let him get behind you.

You been chosen.

Well, what do you mean?

Well, your brother said that

you might wanna join us.

But maybe you like this grocery store

more than you said you did.

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