Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-08-14
THE YOUNGER BOYS IN PRISON.
Studying Lac and Medicine and Profes-
sing Thorough Repentance for the Past.
GSt Joseph Herald


[St. Joseph Herald.
From the uncle of the notorious Younger
boys, now under life sentence in the Mime
sofa penitentiary, who arrived in the city yes
terday, we get the following interesting ac-
count of the prison life and condition of those
outlaws Mr.. Younger says:
"The boys are principally engaged in MAX
ing threshing machines. Jim is studying law,
while Robert has devoted himself TO reading
medicine. They have deal of good literature
sent them, especially by Gen. Sibley, which
they peruse with considerable satisfaction,
ers generally delight in devouring to kill
time Coleman says that the
only peace they have enjoyed since the
war is where they are now, and that they Will
spend the remainder of their lives there rather
than go out without clear record and full
pardon. The boys are thoroughly reformed,
and, having repented, 1 think they should have
chance to redeem their present regulations. -
"What do they purpose doing in the event
they effect their release?"
They will pass into my hands and I'll take
good care of their future. l shall probably
take them with me to Oregon, and thence send
them up into the British possessions, where
they will be provided for. Coleman assured
me that they would forever leave their old
hannts and former companions, and become
good citizens"
Chow do the boys support their confine-
ment?'
"They are in deplorable condition, COM
pared with their former vlgor. James is the
worst of any. He suffers from ball between
the shoulders. On the whole, belieys in ten
wears not one of them will be alive unless they
are removed into the open air. Bob, the young
est, is now 26 Years old; Cole is about IS.
Cole has ten bullets in his body and Jim has
six.''
The circumstances which led to the boys
entering upon career of desperate daring are
narrated by Major Younger as follows
Charles Younger, the father of the subject
of the foregoing interview, immigrated to
Missouriin lSOS, settling in st. Charles county,
where Coleman and Harry W., two of his sons,
were born. He afterward was appointed col
onel of a band of Indian fighters, consisting of
half-breeds and French, when he returned to
Kentucky in 1918, where Littleton first saw
the light of the world. Five years later he
moved back to Missouri and settled in Mont
gomery county, thence moved to Galloway,
and later to Clay county, where he remained
until his three sons attained to manhood In
1858 Major Littleton Younger, then young
Harry w, the father of the
famous brothers, stayed in Clay
county and married the daughter of Judge
Fristo, of Jackson county, removing thither
after his marriage. He remained there until
five wears before the War, and then went to
Jacksonville, county seat of Cass county.
The Younger boys were born in Jackson and
Cass counties. At the beginning of the war
he is claimed to have been a staunch Union
man, paying taxes upon $1,000 worth OF
taxable property in and about
Jackson He owned large livery
stable and dry goods store in Harrisonvllle at
this time, and was well-to-do citizen. Dur
ing the war unknown partieSfobbed the sta
BILE of forty blooded horses and burned the
store Younger at that time was a heavy gov
eminent mail contractor, and frequently had
calls to Kansas City. On his re-
turn home from one OF these
trips he was murdered and
robbed near Westport. Suspicion rested upon
certain men, but nothing could be proved
against them, and they were discharged from
barely attained his nth year, and having rea
sons to suspect that his fathers murder was
committed by certain parties in Kansas,
he Joined Quantrell's famous band of
marauders, and quickly became one of its
most dreaded members. The surviving
branch of the family were in consequence
subjected to bitter prosecution, and the boys
forced to flee for their lives. three of them be-
sides Cole finding refuge with Quantrell.
They returned after the war only, to
find their position more end,n-
gered than ever, and their mother as we'll as
one of their brothers dying from the effects OF
the prosecutions instituted against them by
detectives and others. As they claim, moth,
ing remained for them to do but to embrace
the only chance they had of saving themselves,
namely, the career of desperadoes and robbers.