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Jesse James' first railroad robbery...



Item # 719766

July 23, 1873

NEW YORK HERALD, July 23, 1873  The top of page 7 has column heads on the first train robbery by Jesse James and the James Gang, although the men were not identified at the time of this report.
They include: "A DREADFUL CRIME" "Bushwackers Overthrow & Rob a Train on the Prairie" "Timely Action of the Engineer, Who is Killed" "The Thieves & Their Plunder". A few of the details include: "...As soon as the train stopped large, athletic men, masked in full Ku Klux style appeared...& commenced firing rapidly into the car, yelling 'Get Out of there, Damn Ye!'...Two of the robbers marched up & down the train threatening to shoot any person who showed their heads on the train...robbers then took about $2,000 from the express safe..." with more.
A brief follow-up report is headed: "A Reward of $5,000 Offered for the Robbers".
This: "Another Account" "The Prairie Crime Causing Great Excitement--The Engineer Murdered" is another detailed account of the train robbery. All related reports take 1 1/4 columns.
Twelve pages, great condition.

Item from our most recent catalog - #360, released for November, 2025

(Added to the November, 2025 Catalog (#360) after its initial release - only available on-line.)

Category: The Old West