The most famous back-shooting in American history happened over a dusty picture frame

Shooting of Jesse James in 1800s Missouri

Jesse James died on April 3, 1882, when Robert Ford shot him in the back of the head.

Ford was a member of the James gang but had made a secret deal with Missouri Governor Thomas Crittenden.

James lived at 1318 Lafayette Street using the fake name Thomas Howard, hiding in plain sight with his wife and two children.

The betrayal happened in James’s own home at St. Joseph. His death at 34 ended a 16-year run of bank and train robberies across the Midwest.

Here’s what went down that morning, and you can visit the Jesse James Home Museum where it all happened.

Robert Ford Cut a Deal With a Bureaucrat

Robert Ford met with Governor Crittenden in January 1882.

The governor wanted to stop the James gang’s crimes, which he had promised to end in his 1881 speech.

Ford agreed to kill James for a full pardon and a $10,000 reward.

The railroads James had robbed funded the reward. Many saw the deal as wrong, cause it enabled a citizen’s murder without trial.

Two Brothers Entered the Household

Robert and Charles Ford moved into Jesse James’ home in March 1882.

James invited them to plan robberies, unaware they meant to kill him. He lived with his wife Zerelda and their two kids in a small rented house.

Most of his original gang members had been killed, caught, or had run away.

The outlaw trusted the Ford brothers when he had few friends left. Robert was only 20 years old and had once looked up to James.

Defenseless After the Last Breakfast

Jesse James ate breakfast with the Ford brothers on April 3, 1882.

After eating, they planned the next day’s Platte City Bank robbery. The warm morning made James remove his guns in the parlor.

He placed the guns on the sofa to keep them out of neighbors’ sight. This simple act left him defenseless against what came next.

News That Raised Alarm Bells

Even though James was suspicious, he didn’t confront the Ford brothers.

He calmly put his guns on the sofa, then stood on a chair to fix a crooked picture hanging above the fireplace.

One Deadly Shot That Ended it All

Robert Ford pulled his gun as Jesse James fixed the picture. Ford fired one shot into the back of James’ head, a single bullet.

The bullet hit behind James’ right ear and killed him instantly. James fell from the chair to the floor, already dead.

Charles Ford had also drawn his gun but didn’t fire. Robert had done what the governor asked, he’d killed the famous outlaw as promised.

Running From the Scene of Crime

The Ford brothers ran from the house right after the shooting.

Robert shouted in the street that he had killed Jesse James. Zerelda James found her husband dead on their floor.

Neighbors rushed to the house after hearing the gunshot.

News spread fast through town about the outlaw’s death. The next day’s paper even mentioned the bullet hole in the wall from the fatal shot.

Asking for Their Blood Money

The Ford brothers sent a message to Governor Crittenden to claim their reward.

They turned themselves in to the police, expecting to get their money and freedom. Officials surprised them by charging them with murder.

This wasn’t what they expected after their deal with the governor.

The Fords got only a small part of the promised $10,000 reward. The railroad companies paid less than agreed, cheating them in the end.

Quick Trial of the Premediated Murder

The Ford brothers went on trial on April 17, 1882, just two weeks later.

They pleaded guilty, knowing the governor had promised to free them. The court sentenced both men to death by hanging.

Just hours later, Governor Crittenden pardoned them both.

This sequence of events seemed suspicious. The same-day trial, sentence, and pardon showed that the killing was pre-mediated internally.

The Public Turns Against Robert Ford

Immediately after his death, Jesse James was buried in the front yard of his childhood home in Kearney while public outrage erupted.

Shooting an unarmed man from behind broke the code of the West. Many were angry that the government helped kill a citizen without a proper trial.

According to History.com, Ford was widely shamed by the public for killing Jesse. Songs and stories began calling the outlaw “the dirty little coward.”

People who once feared James now saw him as a hero. Public feeling turned James into a victim instead of a criminal.

Visiting Jesse James Home and Museum, Missouri

You’ll find the Jesse James Home at 1202 Penn Street in St. Joseph, Missouri.

The museum occupies the small house where Robert Ford shot Jesse James in 1882 where you can examine the bullet removed from James’ body.

This includes the picture he dusted in his final moments and a cast of his skull showing the fatal wound and coffin handles from his grave.

The home now belongs to the Pony Express Historical Association. These connected sites tell the full story of James’ life and death.

Photography is allowed inside the museum. Wear comfortable shoes as you’ll explore multiple historic buildings during your visit.

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