Charles Ford (outlaw)

"Charley Ford" redirects here. For other people named Charles Ford, see Charles Ford.
Charles Ford
Charley Ford prior to 1884
Born
Charles Wilson Ford

(1857-07-09)July 9, 1857
Fauquier County, Virginia, U.S.
DiedMay 6, 1884(1884-05-06) (aged 26)
Richmond, Missouri, U.S.
Burial placeRichmond Cemetery

Charles Wilson Ford (July 9, 1857 – May 6, 1884) was an American outlaw and a member of the James Gang.[1] He was the lesser known older brother of Robert Ford, the killer of Jesse James.[2][3] Charley Ford was introduced to Jesse and Frank James by Wood Hite and joined the gang in 1881 at the same time as his brother.[4]

By the spring of 1882 Jesse James had moved with his family to a house in St. Joseph, Missouri, and invited the Fords to live there with him. He recruited Bob and Charley to help with a planned robbery of another bank in nearby Platte City, Missouri.[5] Governor of Missouri Thomas T. Crittenden offered $10,000 for the capture of James, and the Fords secretly met with Crittenden to negotiate the reward. On April 3, 1882, Charley was present when Robert Ford shot and killed James in James' home.[5] The Ford brothers were convicted and sentenced to be hanged, but were pardoned by Crittenden the same day.[5]

Afterwards, the Fords capitalized on their notoriety by re-enacting James' murder on stage as part of a touring show. Charley heard a rumor that Frank James was searching for both with plans of mortal revenge.[6] Two years later, after a period of deep depression following James' death, terminal illness from tuberculosis, and a debilitating morphine addiction, Charles Ford died by suicide on May 6, 1884.[5][7][8][9]

  1. ^ Beights, Ronald H. (2005). Jesse James and the First Missouri Train Robbery. Gretna: Pelican Publishing. p. 171. ISBN 9781455606658.
  2. ^ Stiles, T. J. (2002). Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War. A.A. Knopf. pp. 363–375. ISBN 0-375-40583-6.
  3. ^ Yeatman, Ted P. (2000). Frank and Jesse James: The Story Behind the Legend. Cumberland House. pp. 264–269. ISBN 1-58182-325-8.
  4. ^ McCoy, Max (October 14, 2016). Jesse: A Novel of the Outlaw Jesse James. Speaking Volumes. p. 190. ISBN 9781628155334.
  5. ^ a b c d Miller, Wilbur R. (June 19, 2012). The Social History of Crime and Punishment in America: A-De. SAGE Publications. p. 874. ISBN 9781412988766.
  6. ^ "The Complete List of Old West Outlaws - Last Name Begins with E-G". Legends of America. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  7. ^ Mault, Deena (February 27, 2006). "[Ford] Robert and Charles Ford ancestors". RootsWeb. Ancestry.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  8. ^ "Charlie Ford's Funeral". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. May 8, 1884.
  9. ^ "Suicide of Charles Ford". New York Times. May 7, 1884. p. 5. Retrieved November 29, 2008.