![Lot 8050 [Jesse James] Thomas T. Crittenden Autograph Letter Signed on the Murder of Jesse James:](https://cdn.rrauction.com/auction/720/3501238_1.jpg)
Sold For $6,504
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Remarkable, historically significant ALS signed “Tho. T. Crittenden,” one page, 8 x 10, State of Missouri Executive Department letterhead, July 1, 1882. Handwritten letter to lawmen H. H. Craig and James Timberlake, leading figures in the downfall of the outlaw Jesse James. In full: "You will please pay Robert N. Ford from the $15,000 received for Jessie James & Jeff Hite five thousand dollars—less the amount already paid him & Charles Ford this sum to be in full of his share of the above rewards for Jessie James and Jeff Hite." In fine condition.
Craig, Timberlake, and Crittenden played key roles in the downfall of the outlaw Jesse James. Crittenden, determined to rid Missouri of the James-Younger Gang, placed a bounty on Jesse James’s head, effectively sanctioning his capture or death. Timberlake, working closely with law enforcement, oversaw efforts to track down the outlaw, while Craig helped coordinate efforts in Kansas City. Their actions culminated in James’s betrayal by Robert Ford, a member of his own gang, who shot him on April 3, 1882, in exchange for the governor’s promised reward and pardon.
