FRANK JAMES - AUTOGRAPH RECEIPT SIGNED 07/14/1908 CO-SIGNED BY: HOLLIS J. PALLADY - HFSID 52205

FRANK JAMES
8x6 receipt handwritten and signed by him in pencil, also signed by the payee (1908)
Autograph Document signed: "Frank Jank", 1 page, 8x6. No place (probably Oklahoma), 1908 July 14.The outlaw brother of Jesse James has written, in pencil on lined paper, a receipt for "H. J. Pallady" who has signed at its conclusion.In full: "Received of Frank Jank $25 00 for post on contract". Not concentrating, instead of signing his last name as "James", his mind was on his first name "Frank", so he signed "Jank". Frank and Jesse James had been Confederate guerrillas under the leadership of William Quantrill during the Civil War. They joined Cole Younger and others in 1866 and formed a gang of which Jesse was usually regarded as the leader. At first, they specialized in bank robberies, but in 1873 they held up a train. In 1876, they attempted a bank robbery in Northfield, Minnesota. Three gang members were killed and three Younger brothers were shot and captured; only Frank and Jesse escaped. With a new gang, they robbed trains from 1879-1881. Jesse was killed on April 3, 1882, and Frank surrendered to Missouri Gov. Thomas Crittenden on October 5, 1882. He was jailed in Independence for six months and was treated more like a celebrity guest than an outlaw. On trial in 1883, he faced charges of robbery and murder for a train robbery that occurred on July 5, 1881 in Winston, Mo. Civil War sympathies played a major factor during the trial and the jury acquitted him. His later life was in all respects honorable. He died on February 18, 1915 at the age of 72 at his farm in Clay County, Missouri. Nicked, worn edges. Torn file hole at blank right. Creased. Staple holes touch some writing. Slight separation at blank mid-vertical fold. Lightly stained. Light show-through from note on verso (unknown hand) touches 1 word.