St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-23
DYINGAT SALTWATER
Bob Younger Slowly Passing
to the Great Hereafter Be-
hind Prison Walls.
A Petition for His Pardon Be-
ing Largely Signed by
Bluff City People.
His Sister and an Aunt Minis
tering to His Wants in
the Hospital.
Cole Younger Talks Freely Of
the Terrible Affair at
NOrthfield.

youngest of the three noted brothers.
While there has long been, and still
exists.a certain steady and lntelligently
directed pressure intended to throw the
weight of public sentiment in favor of
releasing the trio, yet since the
serious illness of Bob, his cause has
been advanced beyond that OF his
brothers, and the work in his behalf
has been less quietly done. Within the
last three weeks a petition asking
gubernatorial pardon for him has been
circulated in this city, and received the
signatures of very many Of the most
conservative men of business and other
citizens. The plea for his pardon is
based primarily on the apparently hope
less condition of his health. Two years
ago Bob was attacked with the same
malady from which he now suffers, lung
and liver disease, but on being removed
from his cell. given work in the stew
ards Office and permitted
FULLER FREEDOM.
of the corridors and a change OF diet, he
rallied and regained much OF his for
mer strength. During the last few
been in progress. For long time the
prison physician, warden and the two
brothers endeavOred vainly to induce
Bob to enter the hospital. He finally
yielded, and remains an inmate of the
ward, though not wholly confined to his
cot. He has wasted away to great de-
gree, and even apparently lost any ami
mated interest in his own fate, remark
ing "a day or two ago to Cole that,
even If he got out of prison,
there was but very short
time for him to live. DR..
Vigian, of the state board,
has confirmed that prcgnosis. DR.. S. S.
KilvingtOfi, while here recently, said
that in prison Bob could not live be-
yond four months longer. and that if he
were released now and given every care
he had not over eighteen months lease
of life at the utmost. The special move
in BOb's favor is so recent that its his
tory is brief. the only steps being the
preliminary examination by physicians,
the presentation of the petition and the
advent of the Missouri people, who come
with his brothers, BOb's conduct all
through his Imprisonment is pleaded.
the fact that he has served now
ABOUT THIRTEEN YEARS
and was not personally a party to the
killing of Haywood at North6eld. In
talking yesterday to GLOBE reporter,
Coleman Younger said: ''It is espe-
cially desirable now to secure Bob's re-
lease, yet in all except the matter of
health. Jim and have the same true
and just grounds upon which to base an
appeal for release. 1t seems useless
now to retell the story. 1t has been
written up time after time-Our own
version, and thousand and one false
and sensational stories gotten up
to sell and resulting in max
ing US out, when not
idiotic, the most unheard-of cutthroats
that ever cursed the EARTH" The rec
ords show that during the Youngers'
confinement in this prison, twenty life
men sentenced for murder have been
pardoned. and that the average term
served by the twenty was seven years;
also that in no case was it pleaded that
the convict did not personally do the
killing for which he was convicted.
Some mitigating circumstances, but
prominently the good record of the
men during what was deemed a long
attracted executive Glenn
ency. In the case of the YOungers the
most
sCRUPULOUs GOOD CONDUCT
has characterized their life of over
twelve years here. Not even an ill
natured word has been addressed to
them by any official. and not an infrac-
tion of any rule has been committed by
one of them. Moreover, as Coleman
Younger tells the story, neither he nor
one of his brothers was in the bank
when Haywood was killed. He says:
1.-THE Northfield bank robbery affair
occurred in September. 1876. We
reached the town about O'clock in the
afternoon Bob and two others of our
party entered the bank. Jim and stood
on the street. The three l have named
had hardly gone into the bank when
citizen on the opposite side of the street
raised the alarm and two of us were
shot. called to the men inside to
come out. and Bob and one other came
put together. Bob was shot in the right
shouted to the third man to come out of
he bank. He Obeyed, and we all got on
)ur horses and made off. We did not
know that any one had been killed at
he bank until after we were arrested. |
We were told that fact by Huntington |
1t Faribault. The last man out of the |
bank had told US that as he was escap- |
ng towards the door
HE FIRED BACK,
)ut did not know whether his shot took |
Effect. This man, who said he fred the |
,nly shot discharged in the bank, was |
lilled during the attack at Madeiia, |
where we were captured" Between the |
ime of the flight from NOrthfield and |
he capture at Madelia, 12O miles dis |
ant, fourteen days elapsed. the fugl-
ives being hunted to the death night
ind day. 81 believe" says Cole, s'that |
here were in that county 1000 lakes, |
md between every two lakes there was |
J marsh. / lay every night on my back
% that Bob could rest his shattered |
light arm across my body, and we suf-
cred In those fourteen days hundred |
leaths." At MadeIia Cole was shot
leven times, Jim FIVE times and Bob
vice. The YOungers were placed in
he Minnesota state prison under life
entence, and have been outside the
walls but once since that time, the ex-
option being at the time of
THE PRISON FIRE
vhen the three. unmanacled. were
lriven through the city in an open sled
o the county Jail. The family friends
f the boys are apparently confident of
'ob's pardon. The devoted sister Retta
nd her aunt, Mrs. Twyman. are now !