Update Titled, "Re: To Phil From Betty Re: James/Courtney - Phil 12/09/99"
by David Hedgepeth, Dallas Texas - [email protected]
Subject: Dave's Updates 12-18-99
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 22:33:03 -0600
From: [email protected]
To: Mailing list members
Reply to Phil Stewart on the Courtney Family Genforum
Re: To Phil From Betty Re: James/Courtney - Phil 12/09/99
12 December 1999
Phil,
Greetings. I am writing you this letter with Betty's input and support.
First of all we want to thank you for your time and involvement in the
Courtney-James Debate. No viewpoint or fact should be ignored and the
more input we have, pro or con, the better chance we have to know and not
just guess the full truth.
Secondly, I think it is laughable for anyone to believe you have ever
favored Betty Duke. Boy, I wish that were true, because I think she would
be miles ahead.
To your critics that think that I want to say the following:
If Phil Stewart never responded to Betty Duke and if he did not encourage
the exhumation, then others and I would seriously wonder why. He has
answered a few general questions, but he has continued to support the
traditional side of history. In short, he has not provided information to
Betty Duke or myself to the contrary. Even if he did, what would the
truth hurt? Why do Betty and I continue to ask for Phil's input. Because,
Phil can present those necessary challenges that help clarify fact from
assumption.
Phil you know we believe that there is untapped supporting evidence to
uphold Betty's assertion that Jesse James and James L. Courtney are the
same person. We do not want to dismiss what we consider serious
nontraditional evidence because of current traditional attitudes, and we
do not want to sweep anything under the rug. If Betty's work is only
compared to the traditional historical conclusions, then obviously there
will be inconsistency. As new information and new facts continue to
surface, then it would be our hope that traditional historians will be
motivated to broaden their perspective and research. If they would seek
for a while to prove Betty's points then this whole effort might be seen
in a different light.
Now I will address your comments on Betty's 10 points.
I think Jay Leno must have helped you with some of your answers. Either
that or you missed your calling as a comedian. I had several good laughs.
Of course there is a serious side to the issue. Basically you answered
questions 1-8 in as a matter of coincidence. So far to Betty's points 1-8
you have had the following [summarized reactions].
1. If JLC was a Yankee soldier, as is commonly claimed, the why did he
name his horses "John" and "Reb"?
[ Anybody may have chosen those names. ]
2. Why does the description of JLC on the Union records not match that of
JLC who lived and died in Blevins, Texas?
[Records are often wrong.]
3. Why did JLC sign his dairy as "J. James"? (Note: The "J" has been
confirmed to be a "J" and not an "I.")
["J" could have meant Joe, Jack, John, etc.]
4. If JLC was an ordinary farmer, then how come he rode into Texas with
his saddlebags heavily laden with gold?
[He may have been in his own business of robbery.]
5. Why do the faces in the old family photos of JLC and his family match
the faces of the James Samuel family in historically accepted photos?
[Sometimes people and clothes look alike and sometimes they don't.]
6. Why was JLC so cautious that when someone would ride up at night that
he would blow out all the coal oil lanterns and lay on the floor across
the doorway with his pistol cocked?
[Texas was a wild place so caution was understandable.]
7. Why did JLC write in code?
[Maybe it was no more than abbreviated notes.]
8. Why did Bill Wilkerson, a known James Gang member, visit the home of
JLC?
[Bill Wilkerson is a common name, so this can be discounted.]
Phil, these are not isolated incidents. They are a pattern of connecting
events. |
Remember when you were on the police force. You might get a scant
description of a robbery suspect. For example, " The suspect was last
seen headed west driving a green convertible. He is a male Caucasian
about 5'10'' wearing a red ear ring." So you find a vehicle and a person
that meets that description. When you question the suspect he has no
money from the robbery and claims there must be a lot of green
convertibles headed west driven by male Caucasians wearing red ear ring.
Well you cannot prove it but you know there is enough smoke to be some
fire. In court the defense attorney works to convince the jury that there
was never any smoke.
One cannot ignore the smoke without the risk of denying the fact. Alone
these questions might be explained away as you have stated. However,
together they create an undeniable preponderance of evidence.
Let's take a more careful look at question # 9 and # 10.
#9 If JLC was not Jesse James then why did the alleged assassins, Bob and
Charlie Ford say that JLC and JJ was one in the same?
Willie Ford of Oklahoma is a grandson of Charles Ford, Bob Ford's
brother. How would someone who never knew Betty confirm that James L.
Courtney was Jesse James?
Let me quote from his sworn statement of June 3, 1999 to Betty.
" How well I remember setting around listening to stories told about the
" James Gang". My father had told of the fact that Jesse was the first
man to put him on a horse. .. The story that no one outside of the family
believed was of Jesse James' much reported death. According to Grandpa,
this was planned ahead and they just waited for the right time. When
approached to help capture Jesse James, Bob and Charlie Ford seized the
opportunity to help their friend.
For years Grandpa would disappear for days at a time with no explanation,
my Grandma Ford said after his death, that he would go to visit Jesse
James. who was known by you as James Courtney. She also said that grandpa
did not use his own name on these visits for fear of someone finding out
who he was. After James Courtney's funeral …my grandfather said; " Now we
can talk about Jesse James without putting him in danger…"
Willie Ford concluded his letter to Betty by testifying, "There is no
doubt in my mind that everything you have written about Jesse James is
true." This letter was entered as Exhibit 14 at the September 17, 1999
hearing. Betty's book was published in 1998 and she did not come into
contact with Willie Ford until 1999.
Not only that, but Willie Ford identified a photo of three men sitting on
horses as Charlie Ford, Bob Ford, and James L. Courtney AKA Jesse James.
But they were dead you say, it's family lore, or it is just not true.
Well one thing is for sure, it is something that does not deserve to be
dismissed. This needs further examination.
#10 Why did John B. Barritt, Jr. of Oklahoma (John and Willie do not know
each other.) produce a picture of JLC with a notation written at the
bottom, "Jesse James Alive"?
John inherited the picture from his great-grandfather. The picture was
taken in Lamar Missouri after 1882. Mr. Barrit identified the man as
James L. Courtney after seeing an article in the Dallas Morning News. He
too contacted Betty's after her book was published. He did not know Betty
or the Courtney's before this time.
If you were investigating this case as a police officer with all this
information, especially the last two items, would you just dismiss this
as "insignificant evidence?" If you did I would have serious questions as
to why. Wouldn't you have enough evidence to justify further
investigation?
|
Now I will make a few comments on the important issue of WOOD HITE.
I decided to contact an authority on Hite family history. I read on the
Genforum that Orville Hite, who is the President of the Hite Family
Association. said on 9-18-99:
"The Hite Family has a large portion devoted to this couple (George and
Nancy Hite, parents of Wood Hite) plus about 40,000 of their family. Two
of their sons rode with Jesse and Frank James, they were 1st cousins."
I made several e-mail contacts with Orville Hite in December 1999 and
asked four questions of which he replied as follows:
1. "Do you know of a source or where I might obtain any pictures of Wood
Hite?"
-"No, sorry."
2. "Do you know where Wood Hite is buried?"
-"I do NOT know where he is buried."
3. "Is there an Internet site about his history?"
-"Do NOT know of any internet site about him."
4. "Can you direct me to someone who can tell me more about the history
of Wood Hite?"
-"No, sorry."
|
I'm glad that you can help the Hite family and myself out with these
questions.
You said, " I have photos of Wood Hite. He and Jesse looked NOTHING
alike. In fact, as far as build, Wood looked much more like JLC than
Jesse!"
-Will you please direct me to the source? How do you know that it is
verifiable? Why has Wood Hite's picture been such a mystery? (Betty has
not been able to obtain a copy. You say you have one. I'll buy a copy if
necessary.)
You said, "It (the body) was identified by family and removed to
Kentucky."
-Where is Wood Hite buried? I assume you don't know. (Doesn't it seem
very odd to you that someone who bothered to transport the body to
Kentucky would have gone to the expense to mark the grave or at least to
leave a record as to where he was buried?)
-Where is your source for this information? Remember, if you are not
going to allow family lore from James L. Courtney be considered as valid
evidence, then you must treat the Wood Hite lore the same way. There can
be no double standard.
You are apparently aware of all the facts in the reported Hite murder
case.
-Do you think that a body with a crushed skull that had been buried in
the woods for four months under two wagon loads of rock would be easily
recognizable? Yes? Well I can't seem to find a coroner that will confirm
that likelihood that he would be recognizable. Can you? Sure sounds like
a John Doe case to me.
You said, "Wood's body was found BEFORE Jesse was killed!" Where is your
source on this and what day does it give?
-My source says Wood's body was found AFTER Jesse was killed. First of
all we know that Jesse was reported shot and killed on April 3, 1882. The
book, "Good-bye, Jesse James" contained reprints of news stories in the
Kansas City Daily Journal in 1882. On page 127, it says,
" Special Dispatch to Kansas City Journal. Richmond, MO., April
6.-
-Yesterday (April 5) evening Coroner Richard Bohanon, acting on
information obtained from a son of Mr. Jacobs, who lives on Dr. Morby's
farm, just east of town, went out to the old Harbison farm, occupied by
the Ford boys, and in a pasture east of the house FOUND THE BODY OF WOOD
HITE…" |
This was 2 days AFTER April 3. Seems like a great set up for a deception.
Sure a lot of mystery here. In all fairness, have you been as particular
in Wood Hite's case as you have in the case of James L. Courtney?
You said that the body of Jesse James was identified by family friends
and enemies in 1882 and that "To even suggest that EVERYONE who knew him,
or knew what he looked like, was in on the plot is just totally
unrealistic."
-Unrealistic? Well, family and friends would want to protect Jesse.
Enemies could have been either afraid or deceived. Afraid is not too hard
to figure out. Deceived could have been with a look alike (easier for a
man with a beard) or could have been an impostor of ten plus years which
would have been familiar to recent enemies. When you take all the
evidence I have discussed this scenario seems quite plausible.
We need your help here, Phil. There is much more to the Jesse James
story. You and/or your friends can furnish valuable supportive
information. This is not for Betty's sake, but for history's sake.
Everybody needs to pull together.
Your comments, information and support would be greatly appreciated.
David Hedgpeth- E-mail: [email protected]
Contact me if you want to be added or deleted from the update notices.
David Hedgpeth
Dallas, TX
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