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Note: The Courier-Journal Around Kentucky Section C Thursday, 2 October 1975 Here's Jesse Script for robbery adds notorious outlaw By Bob Watson Associated Press Writer RUSSELLVILLE, Ky The annual Jesse James robbery re-enactment continues to be the highlight of the Logan County Tobacco Festival even though it didn't happen in October and most of the people agree Jesse had nothing to with it. Nimrod Long & Co., a Russellville banking house, was robbed by five men March 20, 1868. The five carried $12,000 or $14,000 (the amount varies in the story's different versions) in cash and bonds in a wheat sack, according to historians. "We always (re-enact the robbery) with our tobacco festival," Mrs. Bess Martin, festival chairman, said. It'll be at 4:30 p.m. Friday and 9:00 a.m. Saturday. In 1957, the late Margaret Stratton wrote the script and identified the bandits as Jesse and Frank James, George and Oliver Shepherd and Cole Younger. But Mrs. Martin Said, "In checking this out, I have found this is not true." Rev. Edward Coffman, who has written a history of Logan County, verifies that (Jesse's part in the robbery) is not true. Mrs. Martin said her research reveals the five who robbed the bank--more generally known as the Southern Bank of Kentucky were George and Oliver Shepherd, Jim and Cole Younger and Frank James. She said local amateur actors, Mike Johnson, Glenn Bailey, Wayne Belcher, Bill Spenson and Lloyd Blair, all from Logan County, will portray the outlaws. "Jesse James wasn't in on the robbery," said John Q. Hite, Jr. His great-uncle George T. Hite married a sister of Robert Sallee James, the father of Jesse and Frank. Last year Hite played the part of Frank James in the first re-enactment of the bank robbery, but said his horse's feet slipped out from under him, wrenching his knee, and he was sidelined for the second show. Hite won't take part in either re-enactment this year. He's recovering from injuries received in August when a train hit a tractor-trailer rig. Hite said he doesn't know who the real robbers were, but he said his grandfather Joseph Hunter Hite, told him Cole Younger was one of the five. Johnson who substituted for Hile during last year's second performance needed a better pre-enactment briefing, according to John Browder, 73, who played the role of bank president Nimrod Long. "He hadn't been in on the rehearsal and he knocked the fire out of me with the butt of that pistol," Browder, a grand grandson of Nimrod Long said "I told him, 'Don't hit me so damned hard.'" Browder believes Jesse and Frank James, Cole Younger and "The Dalton boys and a fellow named Violet--six of them," pulled the Russellville job. "Cole Younger is the one who cased the bank and brought in a counterfeit $20 bill. They were around Russellville claiming to be cattle buyers for a couple of days before they robbed the bank." Browder said. "They only got $14,000 and quite a load of postage stamps and overlooked $50,000--they never did get $50,000 that was back in the vaults," Browder added. Browder said he owns the key to the vaults and another relative of Nimrod Long has a pistol supposedly dropped by Frank James as he fled the bank. http://www.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/ifa_image.cgi?SEC=Kentucky&IN=040453&PN=89b&CD=672 Violet, Sam Age: 72 Gender: M Race: W Birthplace: KY State: Kentucky County: SIMPSON Locale: 4-DIST Series: T624 Roll: 503 Part: 1 Page: 120A In the 1910 Census, "Sam Violet" 72, widower is living with his daughter, Lou and her husband S. Pitt in the western part of Magisterial District No. 4 in Simpson County Kentucky on Price's Mill and Franklin Road. He is shown as having fathered ten (10) children, eight (8) of whom were still living. His parents' place of birth is listed as "U.S." and of "English" descent. He could read and write (GV). "Violet, Sam" widower, found in the 1900 Census (GV): Lived in: Adairville District, Logan County, Kentucky Series: T623 Microfilm: 539 Book: 2 Page: 90 Head of household, widower, (rent) farmer in 1900 Census Adairville Logan Co KY. Father born NC; mother born SC. Can read and write (GV).
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