Examines the life and the legend of the infamous outlaw Jesse James. Looks at his formative years in a Southern household dependent on slave labor and as a member of a vicious band of Missouri guerrillas during the Civil War. Describes his life as a violent criminal, as he and his gang moved on to robbing banks, stagecoaches, and railroads in the post-war era. Relates how James was eventually killed when one of his own gang members shot him in the back for the bounty on his head.