Ballads & Songs of Southern Michigan-songbook

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	Crimes	339
	39 JESSE JAMES* For references and a fragmentary text see Cox, p. 216. See also Finger, pp. 55-59, *Henry, JAFL,* XLIV, 87-88, and XLV, 150, Randolph, pp. 194-195; Sandburg, pp. 374-375; and Stout, pp. 109-110. Version A was sung in 1935 by Mr. William Rabidue, West Branch, who thought the song was not a good one for young people to hear and had never tried to remember it.**



	A i How the people held their breath when they heard of Jesse's death. And they wondered how he came for to die; It was of a great reward that little Robert Ford That shot Jesse James on the sly. 2 And he traveled through the car, for he knew it wasn't far Where the money in the safe it did lay. With the agent on his knees, he delivered up the keys To Frank and Jesse James.
	3 Now Jesse he was a man, he was a friend to the poor; But for money he would never take no pains.