Jesse James' Hidden Treasure

In the years following the Civil War, Jesse James and his gang cut a bloody swath through the Midwest, robbing banks and railroads at will, with much of the resulting loot never recovered. This History Channel documentary claims that Jesse was no ordinary outlaw. The James family, who lived in the disputed border state of Missouri, were known Confederate sympathizers and slave owners. During the war, James sided with the rebels, joining a “death squad” of vigilantes who roamed the countryside killing Union soldiers and supporters. When the conflict ended, he joined a secret organization called the Knights of the Golden Circle, which hoped to finance a renewed Confederacy that would extend a slaveholding empire to South America and the Caribbean. This program reviews his outlaw days, while also speculating about a possible elaborate scheme to hide and distribute stolen money kept in hideouts in the bluffs and caves of central Kansas. Modern-day treasure hunter Ron Pastore thinks he has discovered and decoded markings that point to the buried treasure, and even locates some gold coins, including a number dated after James' death in 1882, all of which leads to another mystery: namely, did Jesse James fake his own demise, possibly even living until 1935? Combining dramatic re-enactments with insights from historians, Jesse James' Hidden Treasure effectively chronicles James' colorful life and perplexing role as a folk hero, as well as the shadowy world of intrigue and conspiracy that flourished during the postwar era. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Rees)