The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-10-18
THE MINNESOTA BRIGANDs.
The Story of tho Whole Affair with ar
Eastern Tribute to Western Courage.


Eastern Tribute to Western Courage.
It is remarkable piece of brigand-
age, Redeemed by the murder OF very
heroic young cashier and followed by an
extraordinary man hunt on the part of
an enraged population, about the pro-
gress of which we have been publishing
detailed accounts. It was about two
o'clock in the afternoon of Sept. 7th
that the party of eight brigands-stal-
wrt, handsome, finely dressed, and
mounted on splendid steeds-nade their
appearance in the Minnesota village of
Northfeld. Two or three of them, dis
mounting on the outskirts of the town,
sauntered about the principal street for
little while, to stake the lay of the
land," as they say out West. The in
habitants Of the quiet village were at
tending to their ordinary affairs, while
now and then some individual who no.
ticed the strangers passed a remark
about their attractive appearance. In a
few minutes the entire gang of brigands
rushed through the village at full galop,
brandishing their weapons, yelling and
oursing, and firing their revolvers in all
directions.
They at least startled the place which
they had expected to strike with terror.
They hauled up near the bank, which
three of them entered armed to the
teeth, while the other five rode about in
front of it to prevent any interference
with the operations Of those who had
been detailed to the Immediate work Of
plunder. Rushing into the bank, the
three brigandssprung upon the counter,
at which three clerks were engaged, cov-
cred them with their revolvers, warned
them to keep quiet under penalty of
death, and then ordered the cashier,
Haywood, close to whose head one Of
them held a long, narrow barreled pis.
tol, to open the bank safe. Not few
instances have occurred, within recent
years, in which bank cashiers, under cir
cumstances more or less similar to these,
have opened the safe, permitted it to be
plundered, and thus by cowardly means
preserved their lives. But Haywood
was made of stern, manly stuff. he
first told them he could not open it;
then made a desperate attempt to secure
one of the brigands in the vault which
he had entered; then finding himself
overcome, offered defiance and resolute-
ly refused to prove false to his trust by
acceding to their demands. They did
not wish to kill him till he let them into
the safe, which they could not open,
but knocked him down, drew a big
knife across his throat, dragged hirn
across the floor to the safe, which they
again ordered him to open; but again
refusing, shot was fred at him as the
last effort of intimidation. By this time
the piunderers were getting alarmed by
the knowledge that the citizens had
been aroused, and hearing from their
confederates outside, "The game is
up" they gave it up in desperation, but
not till one of them, turning round at
the door, took deliberate aim and fired
the shot which killed the heroic cashier.
One of the other clerks had been wound
ed in trying to escape, but the third one
got away in safety.
The outside brigands had not had
everything their own way while this
tragedy within the bank was going on.
The citizens hastily getting hold of such
weapons as were ready to their hands,
had opened fire upon them in desultory
way, had killed two Of them, wounded
one, and killed the horse of another. It
was then that warning was given to the
plunderers in the bank, who thereupon
rushed ont, joined their three living con.
federates, including the wounded one,
and made of at full gallop, baked in
their scheme and diminished by one
quarter of their number.
Then began the hot pursuit OF the
fugitive brigands, in which at the out
set four hundred people, armed with
rifles, shotguns, pistols and knives, took
part, which was confusedly prosecuted
for ten days, and was still in progress
at the hour of our latest advices from
st. Paul. On the evening of the day of
their depredations, party of fourteen
of the mounted pursuers overlook them,
but the six brigands turned upon their
adversaries, showing fight, put them to
flight, and then made off to the dense
woods themselves. On the same even
ing another party of pursuers, number.
ing forty, got within an hours chase of
them, but the swift horses of the bri-
gands carried them beyond danger. The
half dozen fugitives divided into two
parties, three brigands in each party.
One of these parties has never been
traced but the other, in the course of
the first night, took refuge in dense
forest, full of heavy thickets, swamps,
and hiding places. Through this they
have been hunted, day and night, by
bodies of pursuers, that have risen to
nearly thousand in number, and have
been joined by police and militia. The
pursuit has been close and intense.
Sometimes they have been on the heels
of the'brigands, who, however, have al
ways been able to elude them by
audacity or skill, unless indeed some of
the suspicious persons already under ar
rest form part OF the gang. The full
details of this remarkable hunt have
shown it to be one of the most e1citable
Incidents in the history of Western
brigandage.
Haywood, the gallant cashier of the
Mortified bank, who proved faithful
unto death, should be kept in memory
in some worthy way, SO that his action
shall be held up as an example to others,
who may fill places of trust in times of
danger. York Sun.
Making Young Horses Out Of Old Ones.
A very interesting case, illustrating to