Newspaper Page Text
12
PRAYING FOR PARDON.
The Younger Brothers Will, on July 12, Ask to Be
Released from the State Prison.
Twenty« One Years in the Pen.
Most of the Prominent Men of Missouri Sign a Peti
tion Requesting Their Release.
Warden Wolfer in Their Behalf.
Cole Younger Tells the Story of His Ufe and the
Facts Regarding the Northfield Raid.
Cpoi-lal to the Globe.
STILiLiWATER, Minn.. July 3.—At
the next meeting of the state hoanl
of pardone to be held :it the capitoi,
July 12, an application will be con
sidered for a pardon for the Youngers.
Cole and Jim. who arc now serving
lite sentences In the- prison here for
the part played by them in the North
field bank robbery, in September, is?;,
when Cashier Heywood was killed.
The application is made by relatives
of the Youngrers residing in Missouri,
and the petition accompanying it ;s
Signed by nearly every man of promi
nence in that state, Including senators,
members of the supreme court, judges
of district courts, and scores uoon
scores of prominent residents of that
state. Strong petitions are presented
signed by men of influence in this
state, and lastly the Youngers have the-
' ?M "itT • '■ "*■"■
- -:■
»|B9HB^JIH^MMHHBHi
<~oi.r: youwger.
From a I*uotojcraph Taken Last Week.
combined influence of Warden Wolfer
and the board of prison managers.
Warden Wolfer, in speaking of the
application for pardon, said that he
had never come across two more de
serving prisoners during his twenty
five years of prison experience. They
have been here nearly twenty-one
years and their record is unequa'.ed.
There is not the slightest mark
against them in any way. Their be
havior has been perfect an<J they have
never violated any confidences that
have been bestowed upon them by any
of the wardens or officers of that in
stitution. They are above petty ir
regularities and are wonderful men
as compared with any other inmates
of that institution. Warden Wolfer
says he wouldn't be afraid to take
their word for anything, feeling satis
fied that they would do anything they
agreed to do.
During their incarceration in prison
a number of efforts have been made
to secure pardons for them, but none
Of the efforts previously made has
been as strong as the present one, and
thousands of people in this city, who
have known the Younger boys for
years, are anxious to see something
done for them, either in the way of a
pardon or a commutation of sentence.
They are going fast, and it is gener
ally conceded that they should be per
mitted to spend the remainder of their
lives with friends and relatives, who
have never lost their love for the
boys, and who have every confidence
In the belief that they will make good
law-abiding citizens.
The following history of the North
field raid, prepared by Cole Younger,
a short time ago, is the only authentic
Btory of that memorable occasion, and
la the only one ever written by any of
the principals.
COLE YOUNGER'S STORY:
For the 'first time I will now write
out and give the facts of the raid
.made on Jforthfleld, Sept. 7, 1876. We
left Mankato Sept. 2 for Northfield.
,We had been Informed that ex-Gov.
Ames, of Mississippi, and Gen. Benja
min Butler, of Massachusetts, had de
posited $75,000 in the National bank of
that place, and it was the above in
formation that caused us to select the
Bank of Northfield. I have seen It
stated several times in newspapers
that we were frightened away from
Mankato owing to the recognition of
one of the members of our party, but
6uch was not the case, for if any on*
thought they recognized any of us at
that time we knew nothing of It. That
we talked about the banks of that part
of the state is true, but we came to
the conclusion that they had enough
to do to care for the farmers who
had already suffered too much from
grasshoppers to be troubled by uj,
therefore we went to Northfield in ex
jKYtation of getting the $75,000 belong
ing to ex-Gov. Ames and Gen. Butler.
In going to our destination we went by
different routes. Pour, including Bob
Younger, went the southern way. Jfni
Younger, myself and the other two by
the northern route. On the 6th of Sep
tember we stayed at Janesville, and
on the following morning we went to
Northfield, where we met the other
half df our party. We got dinner in
different places^ some, including my
self, at a restaurant on the west side
of the river. Early in the afternoon
we rode back on the Janesville road
two <>r three miles to consult and ar
range our plans. We agreed, by ma
jority vote, to rob the bank. Our plans
as agreed on by all the party, was to
get into the bank and make our re
treat before the alarm was given, jf
possible, but if we failed and an alarm
was given what shooting was to be
done should be for the purpose of
frightening the people from the street,
and in no case was there to be an at
tempt to kill.
In order to carry out the above
agreement the following arrangement
was made: Three were to ride aheai.
and enter the bank as soon as Clell
Miller and myself had crossed the
bridge leading into the square, pro
vided too great a crowd was not on
the street. One-fourth of a mile be
hind the first three were Clell Miller
and myself, who were to take our
positions directly in front of the bank
in order to call the three in the bank
out in case the alarm was given. An
other quarter of a mile behind us th<i
remaining three, including Jim
Younger, were to take up their station
near the bridge. In case no alarm was
given when the three men in the bank
came out, the men at the bridge were
to mount their horses and we were all
to retreat on the Janesville road; but,
if the alarm was given I was to signal
those at the bridge and they were to
give the rebel yell and fire their pis
tols in the air to scare the people off
the street. It was understood that I
was to remain in front of the bank
during our stay in town, so that In
case the citizens began to get together
and arm themselves I was to call the
men out of the bank and we were to
immediately retreat, for there was at
no time any intention of making a
fight of it. The first part of our plan
was carried out up to going into the
bank, but it was at this point that the
first mistakewas made; for, as I said
above, if too many people were on the
street the attempt was not to be made
and the three men were to ride
straight through the town on tne Dun
das road. When Miller and myself
crossed over the bridge I saw a crowd
of citizens about the corners, also our
boys sitting there on some boxes. I
remarked to Miller about the crowd
and said "Surely the boys will not go
into the bank with so many people
about. I wonder why they did not ride
on through town." We were half way
across the square when we saw the
three men arise and walk up the side
walk towards the bank. Miller said
"They are going in," and so I replied,
"If they do the alarm will be given as
sure as there's a hell, so you had bet
ter take that pipe out of your mouth."
The latter part of my remark was
called out because Miller was so sure
that there would be no trouble that ho
had lit his pipe just before we crossed
the bridge, saying as he did so that
he was going to smoke through the
entire proceedings.
As we rode into Division street, tho
three men ahead entered the bank, and
I looked back and saw the other three
crossing the bridge. As we took our
position in front of the bank, I no
ticed that the bank door had been left
open, and I could hear men talking In
side. I got down from my horse to
fix my saddle girth, and while doing
so, I told Miller to get off his horse
and close the door, which he did.
Just at this time some one across the
street shouted "Robbers in the bank."
I jumped into my saddle and fifed my
pistol in the air, to let those at the
bridge know that the alarm was given.
At this moment a man came up to
the bank, and then started to run
THE SAINT PAUI, GLOBE: SUNDAY, JULY 4, 1897,
away, whereupon Miller drew his pis
tol down on him and cried out: "Stop,
or I'll kill you." The man halted, but
soon began to move off slowly, and
seeing that Miller Intended to shoot
him, I called out: "Don't shoot him,
let him go," the man meanwhile run
ning off down the sidewalk. As this
happened, the three men left at
the bridge, entered the street on a
full run. Stiles, as he is called, met
the man whom Miller had permitted to
go, and commanded him to stop,
threatening to shoot him If he did not.
I shouted to Stiles to let the man go,
and not to shoot him, whereupon
Stiles and the man on the buckskin
horse, passed on up the street, fifty or
100 yards south of the bank, Jim stop
ping in front of the bank with me.
Now, to return to the man who first
discovered what was going on in the
bank. I told him to get off the street,
which he did. I have learned since
that the gentleman was Dr. Wheeler,
and the other gentleman was J. S.
Allen. Both of them heard me call to
Miller not to shoot, and both of them
ctuld have heard me repeat the com
mand to Stiles.
I will now return to my narrative
where I broke off by this digression.
Jumping off my horse I ran to the
bank door and told the boys to hasten
out, as the alarm was given and I
thought the citizens were arming them
selves. Bob Younger came out, and I,
thinking all were coming, got on my
horse and started north to the corner
of Bridge Square, when I saw a man
at a window upstairs across the street
with a gun. To frighten him away,
I shot a pane of glass out above his
hoad, whereupon he stepped back out
of sight. This man was, I think, Dr.
Wheeler. I then fired into the corner
of the building on Bridge Square, to
frighten the people away from our
horses, and they ran around the cor
ner out of sight. Bob went on down
the sidewalk to the stairway, intend
ing to get his horse at that point. I
noticed that Bob was the only one who
had answered my call, so 1 again turn
ed and ran back to the bank, and
shouted to those inside, "For God's
sake, come out!" Just then Miller call
ed to me, saying he was shot, and
locking at him, I saw blood running
down his face. The firing by this time
had become general, and as the two in
the bank had not yet come out I was
forced for the third time to ride to
the bank and call to them to come out,
and this time they did so. In the
meantime Miller had been shot again
and had fallen from his horse. I
Jumped from my horse, ran to Miller
to see how badly he was hurt, and
while turning him over, was shot in
the left hip. I took Miller's pistols,
remounted my horse and rode towards
Bob, who was standing near the stair
way, Jim being with me. At this mo
ment Bob was shot. I saw him change
his pistol from his right hand to his
left, and from the way his right arm
hung limp at his side I knew it was
broken. I called to him to come from
there, and. turning to Jim, I told him
to catch Miller's horse for Bob. This
was done, Bob ran up the street, and
Jim helped him to mount. I then call
ed to Pitts to help me get Miller up
on my horse, it being my intention
to carry him before me. On lifting him
up, we saw that he was dead, so I told
Pitts to lay him down again and to
run up the street out of range, and
I would take him up behind me.
I then cried out to the rest of the
party to move on ahead and they
started, Jim leading the horse that
Bob rode. Pitts ran up the street,
about a hundred yards where lie
mounted behind me, and we rode out
of town on the Dundas road. Up to
this time I did not know that a citi
zen had been shot, nor did I know that
any of our party had shot with the
intention of hitting any one. I knew
that I never fired a shot at any one
intending to hit, nor did Jim. Th~
fact is, that all of the trouble was
caused by a quart of whisky which,
as I learned afterwards, one of the
three men that went into the bank had
concealed, and between where they
left us in the woods and town they
had drank the most of it and were
drunk. That accounts for them nor.
shutting the door of the bank and not
coming out according to agreement
when I called to them that the alarm
was given and the people were arm
ing themselves. Had it not been for
the whisky there would not, In all
probability, have been a man killed,
and I can truthfully say had I known
they had whisky I never would have
gone into the town; for with all my
faults, and I am sorry to say they
were many, whisky drinking was not
one of them, and I never had confi
dence in a man that he would do th?
right thing or wEtat was expected of
him when he was under the influence
of whisky. When we got out of town
the last man to leave the bank told
me that aB he jumped on the counter
as he was leaving the bank he saw
Miller lying in the street, and at the
same moment one of the clerks^ sprang
JIM YOUNGER.
Prom A Photograph Taken Ten Yearn Ago.
COLE YOUNGER.
From a Photograph Taken Ten Years Ago.
up and ran toward a desk. Thinkimj
he was going for a pistol he ordered
him to stop and sit down, but he kept
on, and as my informant jumped from
the counter he leveled his pistol and
fired. The man fell, but how badly he
had hurt him he could/ not say; we
learned after we were 'captured that
it was Mr. J. L. Heywood.
I can truthfully say that, through
out the retreat, it was my most sincere
wish an-d hope that he was not se
riously wounded. Not that I expected
to be captured, nor through fear of
personal safety, but because I did not
want to be in any way connected with
the death of a man who had never
wronged me or mine. The death ot
Mr. Heywood was never considered in
our plans, and neither my brothers
nor myself were connected with the
(iced, either in thought or act; we were
of the party, and to that extent re
sponsible. After we had got out on
the road, I learned that Jim had been
shot through the shoulder, and, as it
was a large bullet, I presume it came
from the gun of Dr. Wheeler or Mr.
Manning. I was shot in the left hip;
it was a pistol ball, and was probably
fired at me from the upstairs north of
the bank. Hob's arm was broken
through the c. dow joint by a, large, ball,
presumably fired by Dr. Wheeler, and i
two of our party had been killed. Now, I
I saw a good deal in the newspapers at i
the time about out I.'friends'.or ourselves !
wishing to retaliate upon s:those who I
did the shooting. Statements of that ,
nature were not true; we never had, {
nor have we now, any ill will toward '
those who shot us. Had I been in the
position of those citizens, I should
have acted as they did, that is, if 1 I
cculd.
I will not give a description of our
long and weary flight to Mankato, dur
ing which we suffered death almost,
wading through the mud and water j
under a continuous downpour of rain. I
In the vicinity of Mankato, between j
daylight and sunrise, we met a man, j
whose name I have forgotten, in a :
woodland pasture. We tompelled him i
to go with us for about a mile, and
then realizing the risk we took, but
not knowing what else to do with him,
we turned him loose. We learned from
this man, for the first time, that there
had been one man killed and two
wounded at Northfield, and we were
at a loss to make out who the third
one could be. but we learned after
our capture that a man had been shot
somewhere in the south part of the
city. The man's name I have forgot
ten. Dr. Wood, of Faribault, examin
ed the wound and said it was caused
by a bullet which had struck and
glanced from a brick house near by.
Of this I know nothing, only on hear
say, but I know that neither Jim ngr
myself fired a shot in that part of
the city. We were in front of the bank,
and our stray bullets went north over
Bridge square. I believe that the
bullet that wounded him was fired
by a citizen at us, the ball passing up
the street southward.
Now, as to the man we took pris
oner near Mankato. The story he told
in the presence of Capt. A. Barton, at
Faribault, was true. He said that my
brothers and myself had saved his life.
The question of how to dispose of this
man was discussed, and in view of our
desperate situation, it was proposed by
cne of our party that we shoot him,
to which I said: "No, we will not kill
him. It will be easier to run away
from all the men he can put on our
track, than it would to get rid of the
memory of having killed an innocent
man, who had never wronged us, and
who says he has a wife and children
flepending on him for their support."
The one who made the proposition
compromised by leaving the man's
fate to the decision of Bob Younger.
He walked up to where Bob and Jim
Younger were sitting with the man,
and the following statement of the sit
uation was made to Bob: "If we turn
this man loose, he will have the whole
country after us in twelve hours, and
with your broken arm, we cannot pos
sibly get away." To this Bob replied:
"I would rather be shot dead than to
have that man killed, for fear his tell
ing might put a few hundred men aft
er us. There will be time enough for
shooting, if he should join in the pur
suit." In the meantime, the man was
swearing by all the gods that he would
never speak of having seen any one.
I cut the cords from his wrists and
told him that I knew no oath that we
might administer to him, would have
the least weight, so that to swear him
would be but a waste of time; but, of
course, we would be glad and thank
ful if he would say nothing of having
seen us. However, whether he would
or would not, he was free to return
to his home, and we saw no more of
the man until he came as a witness
before the grand jury at Faribault.
That night, we all together crossed the
Blue Earth river on the railroad bridge
and the next night we separated, Pitt3
remaining with myself and brothers.
In regard to our capture at Made
lia (Sept. 21, 1876,) I only wish to say
that the account of it which appeared
recently in the newspapers to the ef
fect that Sheriff McDonald with a
hundred and fifty men of Sioux City,
lowa, took us prisoners, is incorrect.
We were captured by about fifty citi
zens of Watowan county, led by Sher
iff Gillespie and Capt. W. W. Murphy,
of the same county; Capt. B. G. Yates,
now of St. Paul, was also one of the
party. At the time of our capture
Pitts was killed and my brothers and
myself were badly wounded. Bob has
since died and Jim and myself, for
more than twenty years, have been
prisoners. I will leave It to Sheriff
Barton and the wardens of this insti
tution to speak of us during the past
twenty years. I have often met Capt.
Yates, and also most of the men sev
eral ttmes that were directly concern
ed in our capture. They have been
most kind in word and feeling toward
us, and since our capture we have
never felt towards them any other
feeling but that of friendship.
The above is a true statement in sc
far as I can speak from personal
knowledge; what occurred in the bank
I can speak of only as it was told to
me. COLE YOUNT3ER.
Stillwater, Minn., March 3, 1897.
LIKE OF T. COLE YOUNGER.
I was born in Jackson county, Missouri,
on the 15th day of January, 1844. My father,
H. M. Younger, was a farmer. Our family
consisted of father and mother and four
teen children, nine of whom are now living
In Missouri, Texas and Arkansas. My
brother Jim, who Is here in prison with me,
was born on the 15th day of January, IS4B.
During my younger day-s I attended a little
country school house in Jackson county,
and in 1858 our family moved to Harrison
villo, Mo., where father had a contract to
carry the mails a distance of 300 miles. I
frequently assisted him and became thor
oughly conversant with every road and cross
road in that part of the country. When thn
war broke out I was attending school, and
my schoolmaster at that time was the Hon.
Stephen B. Elkins.
There had been trouble along the Mis
souri and Kansas lines for many years, that
is, since 1556, and when the war broke out
the feeling grew more intense. In the spring
of 1862, father was killed by the red legs
and freebooters of Kansas, who were robbing,
stealing and killing all through that part of
the etate. Owing to the depredations and
murders committed by these freebooters of
Kansas and refugees from Missouri who had
gone to Kansas and were then raiding on
the border counties of Missouri, the leading
Union men there got up a petition to have
these men removed, and father went to
Washington with the petition, which proved
to be the cause of his death. Father was
well acquainted with many of the members
of congress, and the parties that were re
moved from Missouri upon application of
the Union men, were, as we believed, large
ly responsible for all the trouble In that
vicinity. While father was at Washington
the raiders had taken all horses and stages
of the United States mail line, and upon
n s return home he went from Harrison
ville to Kansas City to report the fact, and
to recover them, if possible. On starting
homo parties followed him out of Kansas
City and shot him out of his buggy two
miles from Westport, near the Big Blue
river. They tied his horse to a tree, robbed
him of valuable papers, but left $220 se
creted in a handkerchief, which was tied
around his body. His body was found by a
woman and some children. They reported it
to then Maj. Peabody, stationed at Westport,
who sent out and brought the body to town
and sent word to mother at Hurrisonville.
Peabody turned the money over to mother
and tho freebooters learning of the fact that
the money was there, came to the house in
mother s absence and hanged a faithful ne
gress and Jim, and tried to make them tell
where the money was hiddon. The negress
T, wnpro the money was hidden but
wouldn t tell, and after she and Jim had
been tortured almost to death they were cut
WAS A SOLDIER.
I went into the Confederate service being
sworn in by Col. Gid. Thompson in Col
Hayes' regiment. I was in Capt. Jarrctt's
company, of Gen. Shelby's brigade. During
tne time I was on detached service and sol
diered under Col. Yard Cocki-rill, Gen. Jack
son, Col. Gid. Thompson and Col. John T
Hughes, and was in all or nearly all tho
battiea in Missouri up to the fall of 1.563.
1 then reported to Gen. McCullough, at Henry,
Tex., and remained there a month, when I
was ordered to Freeport, and reported there
to Gen. Kirby Smith, who was in command
of the trans-Mississippi department, at
Shreveport, La. I reported to Gov. Allen for
service and was sent on to the Mississippi
river, and was ordered to destroy Confeder
ate cotton to keep it from falling into the
hands of the federal?.. Capt. Jarrett was in
command of the battalion. I was in command
of a company. 'While we were doing service
on the Mississippi river we had many tights,
notably at Milliken's bend, Joe's bayou and
Goodrich's landing. I then returned to near
strap, La., and was next ordered to report to
Gen. Shelby, at Warren, Ark. I remained at
his command until April, 1564, when I "was
transferred to Western Texas, and was or
dered to report to Co!. George Jackson, who
was expected to recruit a regiment in New
Mexico and Colorado. I then went through to
the Pacific coast with letters of march, ex
pecting to deliver them on board vessels at
Victoria, B. C. I was on the Pacific coast
when the collapse came and the Confederacy
went down. I remained in California until
October, 1865; then returned to Missouri. I
went to work to improve our old Meeker
farm, eight miles south of Independence.
There I found mother ill with consumption,
which had evidently originated with expo
sure during the war. I remained there until
February, IS6. ri, and worked on the farm every
day. A federal soldier warned me one day
that an organized mob was getting ready to
surround the house, and I got out. 1 went
to Rev. Tom Fristo, in Howard county. I
counseled with Gov. King as to what course
was best to pursue, and he told me to go
South, so I went to Louisiana. I went in
with Capt. J. C. Lee, and remained until the
fall of 1867. In January of that year we had
rented the Bass plantation, and on the 4th
of March the levee broke in front of our
hous<e and the farm overflowed. In October I
returned to Jackson county, Missouri. On
returning home I found that during 18C7
there had been
SEVERAL. BANK ROBBERIES
in Missouri and that mob law was in full
E 1
' ' It v'^
JIM YOL-XiiEK.
From a IMiotogrrutili Ttiken Last W*ek.
I blast along the Missouri and Kansas line. In
1868 I went to Texas by way of Louisiana,
and from that time on I considered Texas
my home until I came to this prison, nearly
twenty-one years ago. While In Texas we
traded In horses and cattle and gathered
I cattle for Col. Plas Taylor. Retta, Jim and
I John were with me.
In 1873 we were stopping at Monagua
j Springs, Mo., and were preparing to return
to Texas to re-engage in the cattle business
when a train was robbed in lowa. On the
day of the robbery John and I attended serv
ice there, and Jim and Dob went to Jackson
City, but came back to Monagua Springs
the next morning. When the papers came out
from St. Louis ar.d Chicago they connected
the James and Younger boys with the rob
bery, and that was the first time our namo
had ever been associated with that of the
James boys. The newspapers connected us
with all bank robberies that had occurred
for years and detectives were stationed ev
erywhere. BO we were afraid to return to
Texas. We could stay in Missouri, for we
knew every one theie, and could prove that
we had rot been away from Managua
Springs on that day. We stayed in Mis
souri all that summer, and friends advised
me to keep quiet, and the legislature would
pass an amnesty law, covering all offenses
committed during the war, and I agreed to
stand trial for anything since that time. No
one had been permitted to stand trial there
I for bank robberies because of mob law. If
any one was accused by detectives ho would
be mobbed before given an opportunity to
defend himself. Well, as you know, the
amnesty bill failed to get the required vote
because of Jesse James' name, and it was
defeated. Now. my friend, I can truthfully
cay, as I hope never to get out of this prison
if I don't, that I nor any of my brothers
were ever connected with a bank robbery in
Missouri. If I had surrendered and gone to
lowa they wouldn't have let me live twenty
four hours.
MIXED THEM IN.
We had lived down everything from the
war and had hoped to return to Texas when
the lowa train robbery occurred. That brought
out every robbery in that part of the coun
try, and sensation mongers prepared highly
colored literature and associated us with ev
erything that was bad, and as a result a re
ward was offered for our capture.
In the winter of '71 there was a train rob
bery at Gad's Hill, Mo., and Jim and John
went up to Managua Springs. I remained in
Louisiana. Jim and John heard they were
wanted for the robbery, bo they went out to
meet the officers and encountered them near
old man Snuffer s place. Hoth said "good
morning," when Hull, an officer, fired at
John. The bullot passed through him, but
he pulled his gun and shot Hull and a fel
low named Daniels. Jim's horse shied and he
fell to the ground. John chased the third
offlcer, then returned and fell dead. Jim
didn't fire a shot. As soon as Jim found that
John was dead hi> got on his horse and came
souUi to where we were, at Dill Dickerson\s
place, In Carroll Parish, La. Jim then went
to California, and Dob and I went to Florida.
We were hunted everywhere and found no
peace. I can say this, that I never resisted
a civil authority until captured for the North
field robbery.
I have been accused of setting fourteen men
up In line and shooting them all with a
Springfield rifle, but I believe that such a
thing never occurred. At least I had no inti
mation of the report until after the lowa
train robbery. I didn't do that kind of
work, but during the war there was no
Confederate but would say that I did my
duty, and no federal will say but that I
fought them hard.
As you know, my name has been associated
with that of the James boys. Frank James
and I soldiered together, but Jesse and I
never soldiered together. Jesse never had
a great deal of time for me. My intention
after the Northfleld robbery was to
GO TO CUBA,
South America or Australia to settle down.
After the amnesty bill had been killed in the
Missouri legislature I could see no hope for
me, and I could plainly see that I had to
get out. I thought that if I could get $10,000
or J15.0C0 from someone worth millions, I'd
take it and go.
There is no need of me rehearsing our cap
ture and subsequent sentence to thia prison.
We came here, and for the. first three years
were under a special guard, Hen Cayou, who
died recently. We worked together for many
years, and while the thresher company em
ployed the convicts we made sieves. We
never had any trouble wlih any one and al
ways did oui duty as prisoner!. At the time
of the big prison flr.% in 18S4, the convicts
were liberated from the cell room. Abe Hall,
tho deputy wardin, took our word for our
good behavior, and George Dodd, the cell
room guard, got us to protect the women who
were in the little shed. The next morning,
when they were sending convicts to various
jails, someone taid to Mr. Hall: "Chain the
boys," but he refused to chain us, and took
us to the Washington county jail, as.sisted,
by Judge Butts and the then Sheriff Holrombe.
At the end of ten years 01 service, Warden
Reed put Jim and I in the store room and
gave. Bob a position a* bookkeeper. Wai den
Stordock put mo in charge of the library,
put Jim <n charge of the mail matter ad
dressed to convicis, and gave Bob a position,
as clerk for Steward Benner. Bob remained
there during Stordock and Randall's admin
istration and died Sept. 14, 1889. I remained
in thf library until the present administration,
and Jim i.s still postmaster and librarian. I
am now chief nurse In the prison hospital.
I am now fifty-three years of age, and Jim,
is forty-nine. If fortune should favor me
and I get out of thia prison, I would first go
bark m Missouri, bi*t I might decide to lo
cate in Texas. I would like to go into stock
farming, and if liberated from here I would
prove to the world that no one would have
any cause to regret the favors shown me. If
there is a writ against, us in any part of
| the United States we wi'.l i-heerfully go th-e-re
and meet it, feeling satisfied that we can
PROVE OUR INNOCENCE.
Then; has Leon sopie talk of us going into
the dime museum or'show business. You can
say right here that we wiil never go into the
museum, show or saloon business. I love my
family to well to make a show of myself
at any time. I only want an opportunity to
lead an hcnes>t and honorable life and to
prove to the world that I am not as black
as I am painted.
Being asked the question, "Why did you
plead guilty to an Indictment charging you
with murder in the first degree when you
were not in the bank at N'orthfield when
Heywood was killed?" Cole replied: "Be
cause under the excitement the people
of Minnesota thought we ought to be banged
for the best deed we ever did. owing to the
fact that the newspapers and book writers
had raked up all the sensational matter,
such as bank robberies, railroad robberies
and other crimes from 1860 to the time of
the Northfield affair, and connected our
names with It. We were strangers in a
strange land, without money to employ coun
sel, and it has been the same from that day
to this. We have had no money with which,
to get any one to do anything for us. All
that has been done was from that highest
and noblest standpoint, charity and humanity
on the part of those who have extended to us
a helping hand. Among them were two of.
God's noblemen of this state, now dead 1,
namely, ex-Gov. W. R. Marshall, and Gen.
Sibley, and my hope and belief is that they
are now enjoying the blessings of that bet.
ter world."
"What about the Blue Cut robbery, Cole?"
"Well." said he. "the prison books will
show that we had been here four or five
years before that robbery occurred, and two
or three years before that railroad was built.
Thousands of people In this and other states
believe us guilty of that crime, Just be
cause it was so stated in papers and books
by parties claiming to know all about It."
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