The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-03-02

succeeded in getting Jim Younger to tell
something about his early career. and since
1t is claimed that neither OF the Younger
brothers, since they cane to Minnesota, have
ever been detected in falschood, this story,
as told to the Messenger, will DO read with
interest
JIM YOUSGER's NARRATIVE
After minor particulars OF tho murder of
his father by amob OF highwaymen and the
destruction of their homestead, Jim Younger
said:
In February, 1866. we were run off by q
mob, and went to an uncle in Howard
county 1t was while was there that the
Liberty bank robbery took place. thong
that affair was not lad to us until long
time afterward. or until after the celebrated
Iowa train robbery. l staid from home until
the fall of 1866, and on the day returned
was captured ut tho house by the same
supposed mob that murdered my father l
escaped from those men within twenty min
ntcs after my capture by leaping upon n
horse that stood near the door, and riding
Tor my life In the spring of 1867 went
back to my mother and planted. cultivated
and harvested crop for her. But while
doing that slept every night in the woods,
gong to the house after sunrise mud leaving
ut shutdown. l took that prccaution to
avoid beng murdered. was not, however,
afraid Of meeting ordinary people and was
glad go often to Independence and mix
with the people there, most all of whom
knew me we'll In 1865 went to Texas and
remained Their until 1870. when my mother
sent me word asking that should come and
luke her to Texas. but she died soon after
my arrival home. Upon her death she gave
me special charge. sister Bette and the old
black woman. asking ME to take them to
Texas obeyed. and remained IN Texas un-
til the fall OF 1872. During the time lived
there l drove herds of horses to Louisiana
and cattle to Neosho, Kan. caring for nearly
five hundred of the latter. That was in the
winter OF ZIP. In the following winter 1
took sister Bette to Missouri, and was visit
ing there with friends when the Iowa train
robbery occurred. and NE were accused
of that act At that time we were
prepared to return to Texas
hardly know how to most forcibly or con-
vincingly put my words, but can tiuthfully
say that the accusation regarding the Iowa
affair was lie. II there IL on the face Of
the earth man or woman whose word is
good in the community where they IRE
known, anu that man or woman will SOL
emmy say that we are guilty of any offcnse
except that committed ut Northticld. then
W, will admit the truth OF everything charged
There has never been issued even writ in
connection with my other alleged crime
After the Iowa robbery we were surrounded
by Pinkerton's detectives One day brother
John and l We're eating dinner at old man
Shutters when party OF these men rode
past We mounted our horses and started
for the house OF our aunt. and on the way
met the detectives in the road. We said
to them sGood day." whercupon a man
whose name l now know is I4ull pulled Il
revolver, which he had kept concealed, and
shot my brother. John returned the fire and
Lull died from the effects of the shot, while
John died within few minutes l soon went
to Kentucky. remaining there until the
spring OF 1875, when l went to California,
ranching Then came back and, in way
not necessary to be explained. got ut once
into the Northiield affair ard into the state
prison After the murder of father. none of
US were given a moment OF peace, yet l was
never afraid of the open day or of any ex-
cept the secret assassins who murdered my
father for his money. Al Dallas, Tex, l
moved in tho best social circles, took the
school census, was deputy marshal tor q
Sheriff Jere Brown. All the leading men
knew me well, and no man there can truth
fully say aught against me. While l was
quartered at Neosho. Kan. went under my
right name and mingled freely with people,
attending the balls and parties us u welcome
and respected guest
CONFIRMED BY COLEMAN.
The reporter afterwurd visited Coleman
Younger, librarian of the prison, and having
.
versatioa expressed desire to add thereto
PLANTATION that might occur to him. Where
upon he said:
Well, it was that Iowa train robbery, and
the fact that we were charged with the
crime, of which VIC were wholly innocent
and ignorant, that brought us into this
prison for lite. AS Jim says, we were then
preparing to go to Texas and be rid of the
bounding in Missouri of which lie has spoken.
Had We gone our lives would have run on
peacefully and we would not have been
driven into straits and to this place. The
Sunday before the Iowa robbery was
at Monogram Springs, Mo-, and attended
preaching there. At 4 o'clock in tho
afternoon l took supper with Helvln Tickle
and Rev. Mr.. Sutton, the preacher. Two
thirds OF the people present at the preaching
were originally from New York, Indiana and
Ohio, and We're ex-Union soldiers and their
families; most all of them knew me person
ally, or as Cole or Sud" Younger. at the
close Of the service helped many of the
ladies WIZ knew me to mount their horses.
mention those facts to show how many
people there are, Northern people, too. who
know where was on that day. After sup
per brother John, who was with me, went to
uncle Frank iounger's at johnson City,
where Jim and Bob We're. 1t was right utter
Jim came back from Texas. as he las told
you. l staid with friends in the vicinity of
the Springs that night The Iowa train rob-
berry was committed ut O'Clock the follow
mi Monday fsnr m Morning ut point 200
first 1 knew OF the affair was
what I saw in ST. Louis paper, and the
names of Youngers led in the headlines IA
the main perpetrators. The aame accounts
said the robbers had been in the vicinity OF
the place where the robbery was committed
for two or three days previous to the COM
mission of the crime. Had l ever been
brought into court charged with the Iowa
business scores of people who were at the
preaching at the Springs that Sunday even
ing would haveswo us to my whereabouts
The newspaper went OH, after the robbery III
Iowa, and charged us with serious otfenscs.
many of which had never even heard OF,
or, ii had heard, the recollection OF them
had passed from my mind. And since that
time books, made to sell, huve been thrown
together detailing our thrilling so-called ex-
hit US any more than they do you
town. Why. half of BoG's odium in
public opinion comes from the fnct that
those so-called histories sneak of .Cole and
Bud" The readers OF that sort OF literature
that Cole and BUD are two different per-
sons. and that "Bud" is Bob" 1t is fire.
quent custom among Southcrncrs to cali q
brother nffectionately sBud." II sort of short
for brother. am Bud, us well as Cole, and
Bob, the youngest, generally speaks OF me
now, like he did at home, ms Bud. You'll see
how the word Bud is used IN Egglestonis
SHOoSier Schoolmasrcr." Well, after the tu-
mutt OF the Iowa affair our laudable plans
were DESTROYED We were declared outlaws,
but never resisted n civil officer In INV life
lam an outlaw, suppose, il Missouri mob
law has am sanction or legal authority. We
dared not go voluntarily to Iowa to answer
the false charges, on account of the certainty
that We would be lynched nearly as soon M
we gave ourselves up. We were obliged 10
give up our plans of going to Texas, because
there, as elsewhere, we hnd been published
as worse than outlaws. and did not cure to 20
whore it might be said we had come in order
TO escape justice. And 30 from pillar to post
it went on from bad enough to worse-and
to this John, Bob and Jim were accused
OF the Gad's Hill robbery, and on ac-
count OF that charge John was killed
in the road that day. as Jim tells
John WINS not there ut Gads Hill
and knew nothing of IL At that time Bob
and were at William Dickenson's home in
Carroll parish. Louisiana MIR. Dickers0n
was member of q Masonic lodge, and one
night at about the time of the Gad's Hill af-
fair went to attend lodge. Daily papers
were just received telling about the robbery,
and how we We're connected with it Some
one among his Masonic brethren was read
ing aloud in his presence that evening the
account, and Mr. Dickerson spoke un and
said, as he told US when he came home:
THAT can't be. because Coleman and Robert
Younger Of Missouri are right here now in
Carroll ut my house"