This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/XNB.2ACI/779.1.1.1 Message Board Post: Just a bit more on Martha Bolton. When she was keeping house for her brother Cap, the home was a meeting place for members of the 2nd James gang. That would have included Jesse & Frank (probably), their cousins Wood & Clarence Hite and Dick Liddil. Now Mattie was apparently quite fetching because Wood Hite & Dick Liddil both were interested in her and in Dec. 1881 that may have triggered an argument that resulted in Wood Hite's death. He was shot by both Dick & Bob Ford and buried near Cap's house. And undoubtedly that episode was one more step toward Jesse's death. Bob had to be quaking in his boots wondering what Jesse would do when he found out about Wood Hite. Both Martha and some of her children testified for the prosecution at Frank's 1883 trial in Gallatin. They certainly impressed the newspaper reporters but apparently not the jurors since Frank was acquitted. Dick Liddil's wife/mistress Mattie Collins was quite public in saying that Mattie Bolton stole her man. And it was one of Mattie Collin's descendents who forwarded your message to me. I work at the Jesse James historical site and have just begun tracing this "mysterous Mattie".Will let you know if I find anything on Thomas Wesley Bolton. You may watch out for another Ray County Martha M. Bolton who died in 1943. I found some of her records and got sidetracked. Don't believe they are the same person. One more thing. In between their two moves to Missouri, the Ford family lived at Mt. Vernon as tenant farmers in Virginia. I can provide documentation on these stories if you don't already have it.