The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-10-19

latter Joined the band as fast as they be-
came old enough to carry weapon,
they were at Centralia, Mo-, when train
was stopped. The cars were full of
soldiers, most of them unarmed. They
surrendered and the guerrillas led them
out and shot them down till not man
was left. Then they burned the town
and turning on full b cad of steam sent
the train tearing down the track toward
Sturgeon, the next station. A detach-
ment of 800 Federal troops, under Major
johnson, came down to avenge this out
rage, and they fell into an ambush and
were slaughtered. barely a score escap-
ing. Jesse James to this day claims that
he killed Major Johnson and seven
others with his own hand. Two years
ago Congress passed an act granting
pensions to the widows and children,
dependent mothers and fathers or orphan
brothers and sisters of those soldiers
murdered by guerrillas at Centralia IN
1864.
THE LEADER, JESSE JAMES.
At Lexington, Mo-, at the very close
of the war, Jesse James received mimic
ball through the right lung which nearly
killed him. He suffered repeated
hemorrhages, and fingered along until
1867, when one of the bands of vigil
ants who were..picking up the returning
guerrillas and 1ynching them on general
principles, visited the Samuels farm
house. They demanded entrance.
Jesse, with pistol in each hand, crept
down to the door, and, firing through
the panel, dropped the leader then,
finging open the door, he wounded
three more, and fed in his condition
through the snow. Strange as it may
seem, the poor wounded men were
taken into the Samuels farmhouse
and nursed until they could be re-
moved.
Finding no relief from his wound
Jesse James went to New York In the
spring of 1868 to take sea voyage. It
was just after the Russellville Bank
robbery, the initial one in this series,
and it is believed that robbery was plan
ned and executed by the comrades of
James to furnish him the means for the
trip, He went by the Santiago de
Cuba in June, 1868, and on board
made the acquaintance OF q
United States officer named Maj.
Gregg, who, upon reaching Cali
fornia, introduced the guerrilla to Hal
leck, with when he had long CONVEX
sation respecting the border warfare and
the deeds of Quantrel and his men.
Jesse spent some weeks at the San
Luis (Obispo county, Sulphur Springs,
in California, and then came back to
Missouri healed. His is the leading
mind in the bandit gang, and he will
probably be the last man captured. In
personal appearance these outlaws are
all tall, muscular men, with countenances
expressive Of great determination, and
bearing no evidences of dissipation.
They very seldom drink anything, but
are gamblers.
THE YOUNGERS.
The history of the James boys is In
the main that of the Youngers. The
latter were foNr in number. Their
father, Henry N. Younger, was strong
Union man, but in the early days of
the war the dividing line between
Kansas and Missouri was the
only distinction recognized by the jay
hawkers on one side and the guerrillas
on the other. The elder Younger was
killed near Jacksonville by Jennison.
He was wealthy, and money supplied the
motive for his murder. He left an
estate worth over $1O9, 900, but most of
it had disappeared before the war closed.
Before the murder Coleman Younger
had joined Quantrell. During the pill
lage of Jacksonville he had been SEN
fenced to death by Jennison's men. The
execution was delayed till morning, and
Younger, taking the rope provided for
his death, let himself down from win
dow, and joined the guerrillas. Mrs.
Younger, keeping her children. with her,
moved from place to place, but wherever
she stopped the militia burned the house
over her. On one visit they found John
Younger and hung him up till he was
nearly dead to extort from him the hid
ng place of Cole and Jim, who had be-
come notorious for their bloodthirstiness
under Quantreh.
On one occasion fifteen of the jay
hawkers were taken prisoners, and the
question arose among the guerrillas as
to what disposition should be made of
them. Cole Younger settled it. The
guerrilas had just captured an Enfield
rife. It was the first they had seen, and
a discussion arose as to its powers.
Younger took the fifteen captives and
formed them In row. Then at fifteen
PAGES he fronted them with the new
rife. The first fire brought down three.
Younger fired with great deliberation,
the guerrillas standing around and dis
cussing the test of projectile force, until
after seven shots the last man had fallen.
John Younger was the third OF the
brothers. In the fight at Osceola with
the detectives, two years ago, it is told
by eye witnesses that after Lull had shot |
Younger in the jugrAar vein, and with
the blood squirting from the wound in
great jet, John Younger Strengthened
himself on his horse, lifted his gun,
took deliberate, aim and shot Lull
4, .o,, orI, The I,,nor and then drnnnad from