The Republican journal., 1876-10-26
Remarkable Career of the James and
Younger Brothers.

lHlS tOU!HOiiNtultH TIE tplLnPU OF 'thp rObbpI
state" Daring his political lectures in the can.
yass of several states he reiterated this again
and again. lie went further, and attempted tc
hold the Democratic administration Of Missouri
responsible for the bold bandtti band which
began robbing banks and railroad trains in the
spring of 1865. and continued their operations
almost with unvarYlng success down to the raid
on NOrthiield, Minnesota. The fact that tue
trails after each one Of these robberies led
toward or into Western Missouri gave to the
criticism coioring which other facts did not
justify. SchurZ, however, did one thing; he
gave TO the rObber band national notoriety.
and made the names of the James boys and the
Younger brothers familiar to the whole coun-
try.
1t was not undeseryei either. The band
which they represent has cnjoyed Il success
paralleledby by no other criminal or outlaw organ
iZation on this continent, For eight years these
men batticd the detective talent in the country.
The authorities IN every state from West Nr-
9inia to Texas and from Minnesota to the gulf
anN the detectives of Chicago. cincinnati aHd
Louisville have all by turns taken Il hand in
lhe pursuit Of the robbers and in huntin" them
down. Their tactics Were Ne.y simple. bur
they never failed till the North,icld Job. The
secret OF their success lay in their knowledge
Of the southwestern country, and their COM
piete isolation from all but known friends and
cid war companions. They were continually
moving but always by untrcquentod roads and
r q
the band at first, and periodically from four to
eight Of them would fall on a bank in some
country town, or upon 4 railroad trtin at some
way station. Half OF them, riding up and down
the streets dlScharging TeVolverS and utterin9
curses long and loud. would throw he towns
people into panic while the others dismOunt-
ing, dashed into the bank, oVorpOWcrCd the
cashier and swept the contents of hi> safe into
Il sack. and then tie band would he OF like the
wind, scattering after the first few hours ride,
and leaving Il trail so blind that pur>ucrs We're
thrown too far in the rear to ever make capture
We're similar, the objective point being always
the express safes. Individuals We're rarely on
ever mole>tcd save when it became necessary
on one OF these rapid retreats to enforce a horse
trade. In the brief conversations which these
men held with their captiNCS they proirsspd u
rude sort If chWaliy, SAYING rich corporations
We're their only prey, and they never Killed in
cold blood.
That these men succeeded 20 long in their me-
ferrous profession, for profession it came TO be,
seemed almost like 4 mockrry on tie capacity
"t American officers. one mistake ami per-
hap- til" worst made. wa, that these Officials
commenced by attrlbuting to the James and
Younger families I'LL the crimes, diorrgartIIn@
The likelihood that there were others nSa0ciat-
ed with them. which hu~ since proven to be the
fact. BY Tbs action OF the authorities thrs
oullaWed men were able to establish uerfrct
aiblS in some OF these cases. which tended to
eNcitp >ymBathV tur them and to confuse the
officers. Then. again, the descriptions became
so mixed that nothing could be made ont 0i
them. When the various members of the
NorlhtCld band We're captured it WAS utterly
impossible to identify them unit men who bad
known the outlaws personally in Missouri were
taken there 50 identify them.
q,,a c,ro,r ot tio.n ,,,.,, l.. r,,I Ia, ,,.,,,1 ,t
p,.,,lI,iIIn ~ in III -,,in, nf t.HG :, L,,n
- I,uni ,>..,. rnILcG Inv -, nf tG,,', il, ,,..i,iy
thn nl,unr,. hrfnrs ,ju,rrfhrd IN Drr.n,tsE
I~,;4 No.. roAn i,fo {, ,.Ilotin D.,yi.,. .,Int,-
Nu lltiaJ tha ..lshia,. MIN " ~hr.ty .Iij
.4rrinI nr tha nn,tnut~ of H.. h.pt. ,,f. An
Xxx n,.sio,, tl,. ,.nlio,.. ,,.,, t.,,I ~ .,ly
,,,,,t, f,. i;n,,n nf tt,n ln,nn. Ln,., ,,,t1,n,-
ni ,tt iIn ,.,.l,,y ,Stnll h, thn;I, i,,,,.. >, "
nt H., r,,un IN, the at,i,lal,its Of mo- ,nnrI.,,,
.nrI iha,tv WHORE fhnv b,d hnan tb. ,l,, of Nh,
rnl,Lrry ,rhn uryt 'rx.nlnit wa. lem ',nunti.
Inter whru ,oyru Of the har,jil, rod, mn to rLr
ntn ot thr I>.u,,.. t'jfvrxnn>itinn ,,I,,fnls .nd
n thr ,r..rurn NJ - 900 ,,oI,t,, tnihrI ia,
tj,lct a,rrr, of the ,a,.'> 1r,.i,,t~ t'nnry,i,n.
4, v.Ys ,fsitrd ON thc IN of .!ui.a J.-l and
thf Eank relieved IL aIl il treasure. I'm IN,
tIjnbt tide ryl,l,ris turned ON a p,,r>iu., ,,alty
and zynrstua thr,n ,Tlo h4nkl ~ CujninLi.I
ky., and ur Ste. GcncyicNc. Mo-. We're NEXT
rai'ted, and linen i'll l>t.' train was wrecked
on tine Nort island ANA Pacific road just east ol
Council Bini!>, and the express car pundrrrd.