him to signal and stop the train at that point, covered the engineer and fireman with their pistols, made night so hideous with constant firing and the expert yells of brigandage that the poor mother of the agent who occupied the upper story of the depot was at once rendered insane and has been placed without hope of recovery in an asylum; beat the unoffending express messenger over the head with revolvers until he lay bleeding and unconscious on the floor of his car-Bassham says Jesse James and Ed Miller performed this cruel inhuman feat-then looted the safe, and placing about $9,400 in a sack, disappeared in the blackness of the night.

And we are told that this was chivalry. Methinks I see every panoplied knight that ever poised a lance or fought for freedom or fair lady come forth from his tomb and brand it as a falsehood. In the name of all the gods who sit on Mount Olympus, in the name of justice, whose servant I am, I denounce such an act as thievery, or as the law denominates it, robbery-robbery in this instance low and brutal, damned and foul.

One of defendant's counsel realizing, doubtless, that a large majority of those now in the court room are the backers of his client and are wrought up to a high pitch of excitement, turned more than once during his eloquent argument and directed his remarks to the crowd. At one time he exclaimed that I should be guarded in what I said. He desired, he said, to remind me of the fact that Bill Ryan had hosts of friends, and that the Jameses, whom I had denounced, had never been proven to be guilty of any wrong doing-that they were related to some of our most respected families, and numbered among their adherents some of our wealthiest and most influential citizens. This was done apparently in an effort to over-awe me, but was intended mainly for the jury. In reply to so much of it as was aimed at me, I have simply to say, and I believe this jury shares my sentiments-that as a sworn officer of the law, I defy the cohorts of this defendant. I defy Jesse James and the defendant himself, and Ed Miller and Dick Liddil and old Grimes-whose real name Bassham does not know-the men who by the testimony of Bassham participated in this dastardly deed. I defy all who uphold them in their nefarious calling of death and plunder, and in the pernicious work of bringing shame and disgrace upon the fair name of our State. If I thought as opposing counsel does I would borrow the exclamation of Cicero in the prosecution of Cataline: O tempora! O mores! O the times! O the manners!

But counsel is badly mistaken in the temper and morality of the people of Missouri. He is oblivious to the determination of a courageous citizenship and blind to the purifying lights which are streaming all about us.

I will say here and now to this defendant and to all who entertain a like ambition: You may mask your faces, place obstructions upon the track and rob one of our railway trains, but there is a train you can never stop: it is the grand resplendent train of modern progress and civilization. The piston rod of its engine is the strong arm of the law and into its cylinders is breathed the pent-up fury of an outraged people. Its vast wheels will crush your obstructions as sand upon the rail, and its blazing headlight will burn the masks from the faces of midnight assassins. See the white steam floating toward the clouds! Hear the shrill whistle sounding! Listen to the great bell ringing! Clear the track or be forever crushed beneath its wheels! You may shoot down the engineer, the judge of this court, but another will take his place, and on the train will go. The assassin's bullet may pierce me, the humble fireman standing here in the cab, but a better and braver man will take my place, and on the train will speed with increasing glory and resistless power.

Gentlemen my task is ended. I commit the cause of law and order and the honor and fair name of a glorious people to your keeping. May God fill your hearts with courage and lead you to a righteous verdict.

Note:-For a full account of the William Ryan trial and the Frank James trial, see "Autobiography," this book.

SPEECH IN FRANK JAMES CASE

THE TRIAL.

The trial was held before Judge C. H. S. Goodman, commencing August 21st and ending September 6, 1883. The following were the attorneys. For the State: W. D. Hamilton, Prosecuting Attorney Daviess County, Mo.; Col. J. H. Shanklin, Trenton, Mo.; M. A. Lowe, Trenton, Mo.; H. C. McDougal, Gallatin, Mo.; J. F. Hicklin, Gallatin, Mo.; William H. Wallace, Prosecuting Attorney of Jackson County, Kansas City, Mo. For the defense: Wm. M. Rush, Gallatin, Mo.; John M. Glover, St. Louis, Mo.; J. H. Slover, Independence, Mo.; Gen. C. T. Garner, Richmond, Mo.; Judge John F. Philips, Kansas City, Mo.; Gov. Chas. P. Johnson, St. Louis, Mo.; J. W. Alexander, Gallatin, Mo. Nine speeches were made, Mr. Wallace's being the closing one. The Kansas City Times, Kansas City Journal, St. Joseph Gazette, St. Louis Republic, St. Louis Globe-Democrat and St. Louis Post-Dispatch had representatives at Gallatin during the entire trial. The following are extracts from the comments of these papers:

"Mr. Wallace's speech was one of remarkable force and power."-Kansas City Journal.

"Mr. Wallace's speech was the great feature of the trial, and good judges declare they never heard it surpassed for vigor, evenness, power and eloquence." -St. Louis Globe-Democrat.

"The speech was not completed until 12:15, and is pronounced by the attorneys here as one of the most forcible efforts ever made in a murder case in this State. There was enthusiastic applause at the close of the speech. Mr. Wallace was warmly congratulated by his friends. The effort is pronounced the best of the case."-St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

"At noon to-day Mr. Wallace completed the argument in the Frank James case with a speech that would have done credit to any man in the country, whatever his name or reputation, and which will always shine out as the most admirable and conspicuous feature in the history of this most remarkable trial. It was a delightful surprise to the most enthusiastic of Mr. Wallace's friends, and in its effects was far more damaging to the defendant than all the testimony which had gone before it."-St. Louis Republic.

"Defendant's counsel thought to forestall Mr. Wallace by warning the jury against invective and abuse, but the absence of these qualities only tended to make his speech more effective than it otherwise would have been. His logic was convincing, his pathos deeply affecting, and his burlesque sweeping. Toward the close of his speech the crowd increased to almost that of yesterday in size.