Compiled from Reliable Sources Only and Containing the Latest Facts in Regard to These Desperate Freebooters. This account of the exploits of American outlaws Frank and Jesse James was first published in 1881 and is illustrated throughout. James William Buel (1849-1920) was a prolific author whose works include Life of Wild Bill the Scout, Legends of the Ozarks, and Heroes of the Plains. He was also a member of the editorial staff of the Kansas City and St Louis Press.