Beginning in 1866, an outlaw band led by the James brothers of Clay County, MO conducted a series of robberies and holdups from Minnesota to Alabama. No bank, train or stagecoach was safe from their clutches, and in many cases the robberies were punctuated with cold-blooded murder. The crime spree continued until 1882, when younger brother Jesse was shot dead in St. Joseph. That same year, older brother Frank surrendered to the governor of Missouri, to face charges that were all either dropped, or ended in acquittal.
The last robbery that the gang committed was on 7 October 1881 at Blue Cut in Jackson County. This was a section of the Chicago & Alton Railroad near where it crossed the Little Blue River. The posted coordinates above are for a railroad crossing sign on 39th Street, very near to the spot where the robbery occurred. Blue Cut was the perfect spot for a train robbery: it was a remote area, and the sharp curve in the track forced trains to reduce their speed, making it easier to flag them down. The outlaws stopped the train and forced the express messenger to open the safe. Seeing how little money the safe contained, the gang decided to rob the passengers. The total amount stolen was around $1,000 in gold, jewelry and currency. Most of it was never recovered. It is estimated that the stolen loot would be worth over $125,000 today.
After Jesse's death, a coded telegram was found among his belongings. It was dated two days after the last robbery and was addressed to a J. D. Howard from B. J. Woodson. These names were known aliases of Jesse and Frank, respectively. Frank, the more studious of the brothers, enjoyed dabbling in codes and secret writings. This telegram was undoubtedly a coded message from Frank to Jesse, and may contain information on the location of the stolen gold and valuables. To date, no one has been able to decode the message. In fact, it appears likely that Jesse himself did not decode it; he probably didn't want to expend the effort to do so, preferring to wait until he could meet up with Frank in person.
Can you break the code and find the lost loot? Click the icon below to view the coded telegram:
Additional Information:
- Although the railroad plays a prominent role in the story of this cache, it is not necessary to enter railroad property or cross any tracks on foot.
- Posted coordinates are for a railroad crossing sign on 39th Street, near the actual spot where the robbery took place in 1881. There is no microcache or any clue at this location.
- Park hours are 6 am to 11 pm daily. Please CITO!
- The cache is approximately 0.2 miles east of designated parking. Though you may be able to get closer on another road, this way is the easiest approach.
- For an excellent series of Jesse James-themed geocaches, see Jesse James Birthplace (GC1939) by Steve and Mary Brown.
- This cache was inspired by Cloak and Dagger, Hammer and Sickle (GC9992) by ooga booga. When geocaching in Columbia, this is definitely a must-find!
