The Fitzgerald Story of Jesse James in Dakota Territory

The Jesse James Outlaw Gang

My Grandmother, Eleanor Fitzgerald Zimmerman, told me the story, when I was a kid, visiting in South Dakota, about the Fitzgeralds and Jesse James. You see, soon after the Great Northfield raid, in NorthField, Minnesota, where the James Boys and the Youngers were shot up, really bad, Jesse James managed to escape, and was trying to make his way back to St. Joseph, Missouri, his home, without getting caught by the vile Pinkerton, private detectives out of Philadelphia, Pa, (by the way Pinkertons were violating the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, a serious federal crime, and of course, deserved to die). One evening, my GreatGrandfather Fitzgerald was out on the front porch, drinking a Guiness Stout, and smoking a Denicotea Pipe, with a cherry tobacco tamp, on their farm, in southeast Dakota Territory, not too far from Wentworth, Dakota, when, a man of medium build rode up on a horse and asked if he could stay the night. Mr. Fitzgerald said sure, that the traveler could stay in the barn and that Fitzgerald would bring him out a plate for dinner. The traveler put his horse up in the barn, and gave him some hay and watered him . He then ate the plate of potatoe salad, dressed baked beans, and some roast pork. Fitzgerald offered the traveler some cherry tobacco and the two smoked their pipes and talked for awhile. After awhile, everyone went to bed and went to sleep. The next morning, Fitzgerald got up around 6:00 a.m. and found a note of thanks from the traveler, and a $20 Double Eagle Gold piece on the kitchen table. Two hours later a Pinkerton posse came into the Fitzgerald place and asked if a man named Jesse James had been seen, and gave a description which matched that of the traveler who had spent the night. Fitzgerald said no, he had not seen anyone like that. The Pinkerton Posse rode off. And, to this day, our family had this story that our GreatGrandfather Fitzgerald and his family had met the famous outlaw Jesse James, that night, and had helped him to escape from the vile, evil, Pinkertons.