Outlaw Jesse James: Secrets Of The Legendary
Secrets of the Legendary
Outlaw Jesse James
When we think of the American West, we often envision a cowboy saving the day and riding off into the sunset. Wistfulness often sets in, and we begin to wish for simpler times when the good guys and the bad guys were distinguishable, when everything was so simple. Unfortunately, those times never existed; what remains in our minds is the romanticized version of the American West, synthesized by Hollywood. John Henry, Paul Bunyan, and Pecos Bill are a few examples of these manufactured myths, however, not all of them were tall tales. One of the true legends of the American West was famous outlaw Jesse James. He conquered the hearts of many through his chivalrous deeds as well as his disobedience towards the law. With being involved in so much during a time of great chaos and deception, it is no wonder that even a legend such as his is full of mysterious myths and secrets.
Jesse Woodson James was the second son born to a Baptist minister named Robert James and …show more content…
Eventually he ended up shooting him at Fords Theater because of his failed attempts (Rivera 1). Booth, of course, never stood trial. He was allegedly killed by agents who were attempting to capture him. Scharader, and numerous others, say that Booth's death was faked, and that he, like Jesse, was an agent of the Confederate intelligence service ("Secret" 3).
The story goes that after killing Lincoln, Booth was given safe passage to Texas by the Confederate underground ("Jesse James" 5). Once there he adopted the name John St. Helen and worked as a bartender ("Secret" 3). A problem arose, however, when Booth developed a drinking problem, and with it a tendency to shoot off his mouth about the life he used to lead ("Jesse James" 5). Booth in other words became a liability that needed to be dealt
Outlaw Jesse James
When we think of the American West, we often envision a cowboy saving the day and riding off into the sunset. Wistfulness often sets in, and we begin to wish for simpler times when the good guys and the bad guys were distinguishable, when everything was so simple. Unfortunately, those times never existed; what remains in our minds is the romanticized version of the American West, synthesized by Hollywood. John Henry, Paul Bunyan, and Pecos Bill are a few examples of these manufactured myths, however, not all of them were tall tales. One of the true legends of the American West was famous outlaw Jesse James. He conquered the hearts of many through his chivalrous deeds as well as his disobedience towards the law. With being involved in so much during a time of great chaos and deception, it is no wonder that even a legend such as his is full of mysterious myths and secrets.
Jesse Woodson James was the second son born to a Baptist minister named Robert James and …show more content…
Eventually he ended up shooting him at Fords Theater because of his failed attempts (Rivera 1). Booth, of course, never stood trial. He was allegedly killed by agents who were attempting to capture him. Scharader, and numerous others, say that Booth's death was faked, and that he, like Jesse, was an agent of the Confederate intelligence service ("Secret" 3).
The story goes that after killing Lincoln, Booth was given safe passage to Texas by the Confederate underground ("Jesse James" 5). Once there he adopted the name John St. Helen and worked as a bartender ("Secret" 3). A problem arose, however, when Booth developed a drinking problem, and with it a tendency to shoot off his mouth about the life he used to lead ("Jesse James" 5). Booth in other words became a liability that needed to be dealt