Faces of the Jail
Frank James
The James Brothers became folklore heroes for their criminal acts, including a number of bank and train robberies. Missouri Governor Thomas Crittenden felt increased pressure to capture the James Brothers as they led their criminal sprees around Missouri. In 1881, Governor Crittenden offered a reward for the capture of the outlaws Jesse and Frank James.
In April 1882, Robert Ford killed Jesse James in St. Joseph, Missouri. Ford justified the murder by claiming that the reward stated “dead or alive”. After hearing about the death of his brother, Frank James sent a letter to the governor to settle the terms of his surrender. Many historians believe that these letters, printed in the newspapers, were staged to better James’ and Crittenden’s reputation. Regardless, a deal was struck.
Frank James was sent to Jackson County and held in the County Jail for 112 days for the murder of Captain John Sheets at a robbery in Gallatin, Missouri. During his stay, he was permitted to roam the halls, lived in a comfortably furnished cell, and was known to read many classic books. Frank James was acquitted for every charge brought against him in multiple courts and released. He worked a variety of odd jobs for the rest of his life. He died February 18, 1915 at 72 years old.
Granville Dyson Page
In 1871, Jackson County created the Marshal’s position. Granville Dyson Page had been a Major in the Union Army prior to his appointment as the first Jackson County Marshal in 1871.
Henry Bugler
Henry Bugler and his family were the first to live in the residence of the 1859 Jail when he started his term as jailer in 1859.
On June 13, 1866, Jailer Henry Bugler was shot and killed when six or seven well-armed men rode into town around 10-11PM and attacked the jail. The group of horsemen, believed to be members of Jesse James’ gang, rode into town and demanded a prisoner and horse thief named Joe Perry be released. The bandits advised Jailer Hughes that he would not be harmed if he released his prisoners. The bandits stood only a few feet from Jailer Bugler when he raised his gun but he was struck by one of the volley of shots fired by the bandits before he could fire. Jailer Bugler was struck through the heart and a wild shot struck Jailer Bugler's 6 year-old son - who was in bed upstairs - in the wrist.
One of the men raced into the jail with a torch, starting a small fire inside the office. Charred wood remains can still be found. A group of citizens arrived to fight off the guerrillas, who fled without the two thieves.
As a result of this murder and the outrage brought on within the city, a company of 100 loyal men was formed as a posse to enforce the law.
Mary Bugler, Henry’s wife, voluntarily assisted her husband in tending to prisoners while they lived together at the adjacent residence. Mary Bugler finished her husband’s term as jailer. She cared for the prisoners, her six children, and up to ten orphans of Jackson County who were placed in her care by the Court. She did all of this pregnant, giving birth to their last child in December 1866.
Thomas Mabry
Thomas Mabry, also known as Tommy was a prisoner at the Jackson County Jail His booking card read: Card No.: 258, Remarks: murder first degree - age 24, Alias:, Color: black, Height: 5.5, Eyes: Black, Hair: Black, Weight: 150#, Marks:, Nativity: Missouri, Shoe: #7, Complexion: rather light, Teeth: good, Beard: very little
Asa Beebe Cross
Asa Beebe Cross was born in New Jersey on December 9, 1826. Cross studied architecture in the 1850s in Philadelphia and then in St. Louis. In 1857 he came to Kansas City as a lumber dealer and architect. It is estimated that he designed more than 1,000 structures in Jackson County during his career. Cross died on August 18, 1894.
Notable Cross Design Structures
John Wornall House
Union Depot (built in 1878, predecessor to Kansas City Union Station)
Jackson County Courthouse, also known as the Truman Courthouse, completed 1936
Vaughan's Diamond Building, 9th and Delaware, completed 1870
Vaile Mansion, 1500 N Liberty St, Independence, MO, completed 1881
Gillis Opera House, 5th and Walnut, completed 1883
St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 8th and Cherry
William Clarke Quantrill
William Clarke Quantrill was a prominent Confederate guerrilla leader during the American Civil War who is most famous for having led a raid on the Unionist town of Lawrence, Kansas, in August 1863.
On December 10, 1860, 19-year-old William Clarke Quantrill was imprisoned in the 1859 Jackson County Jail for “protective security” by Sheriff Burrus for one night. Quantrill had organized a group of Kansas Quaker abolitionists for a raid to liberate the slaves at Morgan Walker's farm. Quantrill turned traitor on the Quakers, informing the Walker clan of the impending raid. The result was a disaster for the Kansas group; only two of the original five made it back across the border. Andrew Walker obtained Quantrill’s release only to find a large crowd on Independence Square demanding to hang him. Only by Walker’s impassioned plea was the guerrilla outlaw’s life saved.
Mother Mary Jerome Shubrick
Rev. Mother Mary Jerome Shubrick spent her time visiting the Jail performing acts of kindness for the inmates. She founded the local Sisters of Mercy community of nuns. She decided her calling was to minister to prisoners – taking them food, reading to them, writing dictated letters for them. She visited so much, the Marshal gave her her own key so she could visit prisoners at her leisure.
Born in 1830 in Delaware as Alicia Shubrick. She took up her station in 1884 in Independence, living at St. Mary's convent. She was a nun for 41 years.
Mother Shubrick died on February 5, 1894. Her gravestone at Independence’s Woodlawn Cemetery has the engraving “The Prisoners Friend.”
Reverend Abner Deane
Reverend Abner Deane was imprisoned at the 1859 Jail after the Civil War because he refused to sign the “Ironclad Oath” to the Union. He stated, “I have never rebelled against any government and, therefore, do not need to take such an oath. My commission to preach comes from the Lord and not from the government." This portrait of Deane at the Jail was painted by none other than Missouri artist, George Caleb Bingham.
William Bullitt Howard
William Bullitt Howard was a prominent landowner, founder of Lee's Summit, Missouri and known Southern sympathizer during the Civil War. Howard was arrested in Independence by a Union officer with his brother-in-law and spent one month in the 1859 Jail. His release came only after he paid a large sum of money and agreed to move his family to Kentucky for the duration of the war. He returned in October 1865 and began selling plots of land to begin the town of Strother, Missouri. He named the town after his first wife, Anna Strother Howard, who died in February 1865. In November 1868, the town's name was changed to Lee's Summit.
You can view the Howard School House, built for William Howard's children to attend school, during a visit to the 1859 Jail, Marshal's Home and Museum. It was donated by the Howard family in 1960 and placed in our courtyard. The Howard Plantation Home, near Wood's Chapel Road and M291 Highway was destroyed by fire in 1966.
Helen and Louise Ross
Known as thet “Jail Birds,” Helen and Louise Ross, were born March 1890 in the home portion of the 1859 Jail, Marshal’s Home & Museum. They remember being forbidden to wander along the north side of the building where farmers would hitch their wagons before speaking with merchants on the Independence Square. The danger was that the girls might overhear unbecoming language from prisoners in the jail. The Ross family lived at the 1859 Jail from 1887 to 1897.
Ella Thomas Ross
Ella Thomas Ross was the wife of James Bruce Ross. A college graduate from Independence, Missouri, she taught piano lessons. She met J.B. Ross as he came through Independence on his way back to Tennessee after a failed attempt at mining. Ella refused to leave Independence to return to Tennessee as J.B. Ross had envisioned since her mother had recently become a widow. Ella became the sole caretaker for her mother. The Ross family moved in to the home upon J.B. Ross’s appointment with their young son Charles and her mother. They lived and raised their family in the Marshal’s home portion of the 1859 Jail, while James Ross was the Marshal from 1884 to 1896. James and Ella had 4 children while living in the home, eventually having nine children total.
James Bruce Ross
James Bruce Ross, known as J.B. Ross was elected as Jackson County Marshal in 1884. Originally from Tennessee, Ross had gone west to prospect for gold and silver. After several failed attempts to strike it rich, he headed back east to return to his family farm in Tennessee. He ended up meeting a local woman, Ella Thomas, and married in 1880. Ella refused to leave her family in Independence. In 1884, he moved into the Marshal’s Home with his wife, son Charles, and mother-in-law. Ross would serve as Marshal for 10 years.
Rose Jenkins
The only female prisoner “mug shot” from our collection is of Rose Jenkins. It is unknown why Rose was a prisoner or how long she stayed at the jail. Rose represents the several women who were imprisoned at the jail for various crimes including larceny, disrupting the peace, prostitution, public intoxication, public indecency, adultery, and insanity.