Robert Newton Ford (January 31, 1862 – June 8, 1892) was an American

outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill th ...

best known for his assassination of

Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the " Little Dixie" area of Western Missouri, James and his family maintained st ...

on April 3, 1882. He and his brother Charley, both members of the James–Younger Gang under James’s leadership, went on to perform paid re-enactments of the killing at publicity events. Ford would spend his later years operating multiple saloons and dance halls in the West. Ten years after James's assassination, Ford was himself the victim of a fatal shot to the neck by Edward Capehart O'Kelley in

Creede, Colorado The historic City of Creede is (despite its official name) a Statutory Town and the county seat of Mineral County, Colorado, United States. It is the most populous community and the only incorporated municipality within the county. The town po ...

, dying at only 30 years old. While initially buried in Creede, his remains were later exhumed and reinterred in his hometown of Richmond, Missouri.

Early years

Robert Ford was born in 1862 in Ray County, Missouri, to James Thomas and Mary Bruin Ford as the youngest of seven siblings. As a young man, Ford came to admire

for his

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

record and criminal exploits, eventually getting to meet him in 1880 at the age of 18. Ford's brother Charley is believed to have taken part in the James–Younger gang's Blue Cut train robbery in Jackson County, west of Glendale, Missouri (renamed Selsa and now part of

Independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the stat ...

), on September 7, 1881.

Joining the gang

In November 1881, after the train robbery, James moved his family to St. Joseph, Missouri, and intended to give up crime. The James gang had been greatly reduced in numbers by that time; some had fled the gang in fear of prosecution, and many of the original members were either dead or in prison after a botched bank robbery in

Northfield, Minnesota Northfield is a city in Dakota and Rice counties in the State of Minnesota. It is mostly in Rice County, with a small portion in Dakota County. The population was 20,790 at the 2020 census. History Northfield was platted in 1856 by John W ...

. After the train robbery, James’s brother Frank James had also decided to retire from crime and moved East, settling in

Lynchburg, Virginia Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner John Lynch, the city's population was 79,009 at the 2020 census. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mounta ...

. By the spring of 1882, with his gang depleted by arrests, deaths and defections, James thought that he could trust only the Ford brothers. Charles had been out on raids with James before, but Bob was an eager new recruit. The Fords resided in St. Joseph with the James family, where Jesse went by the alias Thomas Howard. Hoping to keep the gang alive, James invited the Fords to take part in the robbery of the Platte City Bank in Missouri, but the brothers had already decided not to participate; rather, they intended to collect the $10,000 bounty placed on James by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Thomas T. Crittenden. In January 1882, Bob Ford and gang member Dick Liddil had surrendered to Sheriff

James Timberlake James H. Timberlake (March 22, 1846 – February 21, 1891) was an American law enforcement officer, Civil War soldier, farmer and rancher who served as a deputy U.S. marshal for the Western District of Missouri. Timberlake is best known for bein ...

at their sister Martha Bolton's residence in Ray County. They were brought into a meeting with Crittenden, as they had been around James's cousin

Wood Hite Robert Woodson "Wood" Hite (1850 – December 4, 1881) was an outlaw and cousin of Frank and Jesse James. He was a member of the James-Younger gang, participating in a number of robberies and other crimes. He was shot dead by Robert Ford du ...

the day Hite was murdered. Crittenden promised Ford a full pardon if he would kill James, who was by then the most wanted criminal in the USA. Crittenden had made capturing the James brothers his top priority; in his inaugural address he declared that no political motives could be allowed to keep them from justice. Barred by law from offering a sufficiently large reward, he had turned to the railroad and express corporations to put up a $5,000 bounty for the delivery of each of them and an additional $5,000 for the conviction of either of them. Living with the James family, the Fords became part of the daily routine, and James’s wife cooked for them. They were nervous and bored, looking for opportunity, and feeling restless. The confession of Liddil to participating in Hite's murder made the news, and pressure began to build around James.

Killing Jesse James

Robert Ford shooting Jesse James in the head

On April 3, 1882, after eating breakfast, the Fords and James went into the living room before travelling to Platte City. By reading the daily newspaper, James had just learned of gang member Liddil's confession for participating in Hite's murder and grew increasingly suspicious of the Fords for never reporting this matter to him. According to Robert Ford, it became clear to him that James had realized they were there to betray him. However, instead of scolding the Fords, James walked across the living room to lay his revolvers on a sofa. He turned around and noticed a dusty picture above the mantel, and stood on a chair in order to clean it. Robert Ford drew his weapon and shot James in the back of the head. After the killing, the Fords wired Crittenden to claim their reward. They surrendered themselves to legal authorities but were dismayed to be charged with first degree murder. In one day, the Ford brothers were indicted, pleaded guilty, and sentenced to death by

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging ...

, but two hours later Crittenden granted them a full pardon.

Later years

Public opinion turned against the Fords for betraying their gang leader, and Bob was seen as a coward and traitor for killing James. This sentiment clashed with the general public opinion at the time of James's death that it had been time for James to be stopped by any means. For a period, Bob earned money by posing for photographs as "the man who killed Jesse James" in

dime museum Dime museums were institutions that were popular at the end of the 19th century in the United States. Designed as centers for entertainment and moral education for the working class ( lowbrow), the museums were distinctly different from upper mi ...

s. He also appeared on stage with his brother Charles, reenacting the murder in a touring stage show. Charles, terminally ill with

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, ...

and addicted to

morphine Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies ('' Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a pain medication, and is also commonly used recreationally, or to make other illicit opioids. T ...

, died by

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...

on May 4, 1884. Soon afterward, Bob Ford and Dick Liddil relocated to Las Vegas, New Mexico, where they opened a saloon. According to legend, Ford had a shooting contest with Jose Chavez y Chavez, a comrade-in-arms of Billy the Kid's during the

Lincoln County War The Lincoln County War was an Old West conflict between rival factions which began in 1878 in Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory, the predecessor of the state of New Mexico, and continued until 1881. The feud became famous because of the ...

. Ford lost the contest and left town. On December 26, 1889, Ford survived an assassination attempt in Kansas City, Kansas when an assailant tried to slit his throat. Within a few years, Ford settled in Colorado, where he opened a saloon and gambling house in

Walsenburg The City of Walsenburg is the Statutory City that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Huerfano County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 3,049 at the 2020 census, down from 3,068 in 2010. History Walsenb ...

. When

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

was found in Creede, Ford closed his saloon and opened one there. Ford purchased a lot and on May 29, 1892, opened Ford's Exchange, said to have been a dance hall. Six days later, the entire business district, including Ford's Exchange, burned to the ground in a major fire. Ford erected a tent saloon to operate from temporarily until his former establishment could be rebuilt.

Death

Three days after the fire, on June 8, 1892,

Edward O'Kelley Edward Capehart O'Kelley (October 1, 1857 – January 13, 1904) was an American killer who killed Robert Ford, who had killed the famous outlaw Jesse James to receive a bounty. He was the subject of a 1994 book by his (O'Kelley's) great-great-n ...

entered Ford's tent saloon with a

shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small pellet-like spherical sub- pr ...

. According to witnesses, Ford's back was turned. O'Kelley said, "Hello, Bob." As Ford turned to see who it was, O'Kelley fired both barrels, killing Ford instantly. He became "the man who killed the man who killed Jesse James". He never explained his motive for the murder. O'Kelley's sentence was commuted because of a medical condition and a 7,000-signature petition in favor of his release, and he was released on October 3, 1902. O'Kelley was subsequently killed on January 13, 1904, while trying to shoot a policeman. Ford was buried in Creede. His remains were later moved and reinterred at Richmond Cemetery in his native

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...

in Ray County, Missouri; "The man who shot Jesse James" was inscribed on his grave marker.

Cultural depictions

Films

The James and Ford brothers were popular subjects of Western films in the 1940s and 1950s: *In ''

'' (1939), Ford is played by John Carradine. *In '' The Return of Frank James'' (1940), a highly fictionalized film about Frank James hunting down Bob and Charley Ford, John Carradine reprised his role. The film, directed by

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary '' Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. ...

, is a sequel to ''

'', which also features the Fords. *In ''

I Shot Jesse James ''I Shot Jesse James'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by Samuel Fuller about the murder of Jesse James by Robert Ford and Robert Ford's life afterwards. The story is built around a fictional rivalry between Ford and his eventual kill ...

'' (1949), directed by

Samuel Fuller Samuel Michael Fuller (August 12, 1912 – October 30, 1997) was an American film director, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, and World War II veteran known for directing low-budget genre movies with controversial themes, often made ou ...

, Ford is portrayed by John Ireland. *In ''

The Great Missouri Raid ''The Great Missouri Raid'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by Gordon Douglas and written by Frank Gruber. The film stars Wendell Corey, Macdonald Carey, Ellen Drew, Ward Bond, Bruce Bennett, Bill Williams and Anne Revere. The film ...

'' (1951), directed by Gordon Douglas, Ford is portrayed by Whit Bissell. *In ''

The True Story of Jesse James ''The True Story of Jesse James'' is a 1957 American Western drama film adapted from Henry King's 1939 film ''Jesse James'', which was only loosely based on James' life. It was directed by Nicholas Ray, with Robert Wagner portraying Jesse James ...

'' (1957), Ford is portrayed by Carl Thayler. *In ''

Hell's Crossroads ''Hell's Crossroads'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Franklin Adreon and starring Stephen McNally, Peggie Castle, and Robert Vaughn. The film's sets were designed by the art director Frank Arrigo. Plot The events leading up to the ...

'' (1957), Robert Vaughn plays Bob Ford. *In '' The Long Riders'' (1980),

Nicholas Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the name and its ...

and

Christopher Guest Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born February 5, 1948) is an American-British screenwriter, composer, musician, director, actor, and comedian. Guest is most widely known in Hollywood for having written, directed, and starred in h ...

play Bob and Charley Ford. *In the made-for-TV movie ''

The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James ''The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James'' is a 1986 American biographical Western television film directed by William A. Graham and starring Kris Kristofferson. The main cast is made up of country music all-stars, including Johnny Cash, June ...

'' (1986), Bob Ford was played by Darrell Wilks. The role of Jesse is played by Kris Kristofferson, Frank James is played by

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his c ...

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and ''Stardust'' (1978 ...

and David Allen Coe also have roles in this film. *In '' Frank & Jesse'' (1995), Jim Flowers plays Bob Ford. *In ''The Plot to Kill: Jesse James'' (2006), and ''Jesse James: American Outlaw'' (2007) (both TV movies produced by The History Channel), Ford is portrayed by James Horton. *In '' The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford'' (2007), based on the historical novel by Ron Hansen, Ford is played by Casey Affleck, with

Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Awar ...

as Jesse James. Affleck was nominated for an

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while worki ...

Literature

* Ron Hansen's historical novel, '' The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford'' (1983), is based on deep research of the figures and their times. *In Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's novel '' Inferno'' (1976), Ford is depicted as being in

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...

as a

traitor Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

Music

*The lyrics of the folk song "

" (first recorded in 1924 and later recorded by others, such as The Kingston Trio,

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...

and

The Pogues The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic ''póg mo thóin'', meaning "kiss my arse" ...

) refer to Ford as "Well it was Robert Ford/that dirty little coward/I wonder now how he feels/for he ate of Jesse's bread/and he slept in Jesse's bed/and he laid poor Jesse in his grave." *In the

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

song "Outlaw Blues", Dylan alludes to Ford with the lines, "I ain't gonna hang no picture/Ain't gonna hang no picture frame/Well I might look like a Robert Ford/But I feel just like a Jesse James". *

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

's song " I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)", from the '' Rock of the Westies'' (1975) album, refers to a betrayal in a romantic relationship that is metaphorically likened to Jesse James' assassin. *In

Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (; January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer, songwriter, and musician. Zevon's most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", " Lawyers, Guns and Money", and " Roland the Headless Th ...

's song "Frank and Jesse James", Ford is noted in the lyrics, "Robert Ford, a gunman/In exchange for his parole/Took the life of James the outlaw/Which he snuck up on and stole". *In

The Sugarhill Gang The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop trio. Their 1979 hit " Rapper's Delight" was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; reaching a peak position of number 36 on January 12, 1980. This was the trio's o ...

's song "Apache", Ford is referenced in the lyrics, "My tribe went down in the Hall of Fame/'Cause I'm the one who shot Jesse James". *In a song by Australian singer-songwriter Dave Graney, ‘Robert Ford On The Stage’, from Graney's 1989 Album, ‘My Life On The Plains’ (Dave Graney With The White Buffaloes). Graney's song is a potent evocation of Ford's tortured psychological state after he killed the notorious Jesse James.

Radio

* Sam Edwards portrayed Bob Ford in the CBS radio show '' Crime Classics'' episode, ''The Death of a Picture Hanger'' (July 20, 1953).

Television series

* Tyler MacDuff played Bob Ford in the episode "Jesse and Frank James" of Jim Davis's syndicated '' Stories of the Century''. *

Bobby Jordan Robert G. Jordan (April 1, 1923 – September 10, 1965) was an American actor, most notable for being a member of the Dead End Kids, the East Side Kids, and The Bowery Boys. Early life and career Jordan was born in Harrison, New York, ...

played Ford in an episode of Dale Robertson's NBC series ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Western television series starring Dale Robertson that ran from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season, when it expanded t ...

''. *

Martin Landau Martin James Landau (; June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017) was an American actor, acting coach, producer, and editorial cartoonist. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's ''North ...

portrayed Robert Ford in the ABC/

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

western series, '' Lawman'' in the episode "The Outcast". * Charles Aidman guest starred in the episode "Bob Ford" in the first season of ''

Shotgun Slade ''Shotgun Slade'' is an American western mystery television series starring Scott Brady that aired seventy-eight episodes in syndication from 1959 to 1961 Created by Frank Gruber, the stories were written by John Berardino, Charissa Hughes, an ...

'', starring Scott Brady. *Roy Jenson played Bob Ford in the ''

Hondo Hondo may refer to: Places * Rio Hondo (disambiguation), the name of several locations, derived from the Spanish word for "deep" Canada * Hondo, Alberta, an unincorporated community United States * Hondo, New Mexico, an unincorporated com ...

'' episode "Hondo and the Judas". *In the '' NCIS'' episode "Parental Guidance Suggested", Ducky states that "Robert Ford comes to mind" as he opines to DiNozzo in his autopsy findings on an open murder case that "shooting someone unarmed in the back is such a cowardly act". *The '' Little House on the Prairie'' 4th season (1977) episode "The Aftermath" depicted Ford, played by Tony Markes, as a student at Walnut Grove School. *'' Westworld'' featured a character named Robert Ford, played by

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...

, who was the architect of the park, and the primary antagonist of the first season. *''

Timeless Timeless (or atemporal) or timelessness (or atemporality) may refer to: * Agelessness, the condition of being unaffected by the passage of time * Akal (Sikh term), timelessness in Sikhism * Eternity, timeless existence or infinite duration * Im ...

'' featured an alternate timeline where Garcia Flynn shoots and kills Robert and Charley Ford moments before they shoot Jesse James, played by

Daniel Lissing Daniel Aaron Lissing (born 4 October 1981) is an Australian actor. He played Conrad De Groot in ''Crownies'' in 2011. The following year, he appeared in American military drama '' Last Resort''. From January 2014 to April 2018, Lissing starred ...

. James then helps Flynn locate another member of the future lost in time, pursued by the real-life versions of the Lone Ranger and Tonto.

References

External links

Ford on Legends of AmericaOfficial_website_for_the_Family_of_Jesse_James
:_Stray_Leaves,_A_James_Family_in_America_Since_1650.html" ;"title="Jesse James">Official website for the Family of Jesse James
: Stray Leaves, A James Family in America Since 1650">Jesse James">Official website for the Family of Jesse James
: Stray Leaves, A James Family in America Since 1650br>"Robert Ford and his Colorado saloon"
photos from the U.S. National Archives and Library of Congress, Awesome Stories website * *
Robert Ford at Find A Grave
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Robert (Outlaw) 1862 births 1892 deaths People from Ray County, Missouri People from Walsenburg, Colorado 1882 murders in the United States 1892 murders in the United States Outlaws of the American Old West American murder victims American people convicted of murder Murdered criminals James–Younger Gang People murdered in Colorado Deaths by firearm in Colorado American prisoners sentenced to death Saloonkeepers Prisoners sentenced to death by Missouri Recipients of American gubernatorial pardons People convicted of murder by Missouri Gunslingers of the American Old West 19th-century American criminals People from Mineral County, Colorado