St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-20
rendezvous Of the Younger
James Outlaws in Their
Raid of 1875.
An Impregnable Subterra-
mean House Among Nieol-
let County Hills.
One Of the Men Wounded at
Nopthf1eld Dies in the
GreWsome Cave.
Remarkable Discovery Of a
Party Of Rabbit t-Hunting
Young Farmers.
knecial TO the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
LIE SUEUR, Minn., Dec. 19. Great eX-
element prevails in LIE Sueur and Mic
0llet counties over the discovery in
Lake Prairie township, NIcOllet county,
of the Subterranean rendezvous OF the
Younger and James boys and their
band of outlaws before and after their
raid upon the Mortified bank, in 1876,
in which SIX men were killed. One of
the Missouri banditti evidently died in
this wonderfully constructed homein the
earth, as his bones were found there.
Yesterday afternoon party of Young
farmers started out on a rabbit shoot
ing expedition, and while traversing
what is known as the Barney Fay ra-
vine from its foot or base toward its
head, one of the party stumbled and
fell, rolling down an embankment to
the bed of a creek. In attempting to
scramble back up the bank, he discov-
BRED an old weather beaten door,
which was held to its place by
couple of pieces of leather.
This door stood partly ajar,
opened into an apartment as dark as
midnight. and as mysterious as it was
dark. The young man shouted to his
sDmpanions, who promptly responded,
and, after carefully surveying the eX-
terror of the mysterious premises,
lantern was sent for and thorough eX-
ploration of the interior was COM
menced. The first apartment entered
was common dug-out, only about eight
hoA rIx
used as sort of anteroom, with
Earthen Floor and Walls:
but Oil the back END or side space of
about six feet was covered from the
ceiling TO the ground floor with hewed
logs stood on end and close together.
In these logs were numerous nails,
driven apparently for the purpose of
hanging clothing. A careful examina-
ton, however. revealed the fact that
these logs formed a "blind" door, which
led into room some twenty feet long
and perhaps sixteen feet wide, along
one side (which bunks were arranged
something after the fashion of berths
ON a steamboat, and from the number of
these at least thirty persons had found
sleeping accommodations in this Sc
cluded and mysterious place of abode.
This roum contained several benches
and stools, an old table, tin plates and
cups, kettles, a No. 9 cook stove and
various cooking utensils. In one corner
stood an old box on end, which
had evidently served as a cupboard,
near which was found rough board
box which had been used as a -four
chest. This box was partitioned off. and
one end contained some thirty or forty
pounds of buckWheat flour. Several
old, faded
Decks of Playing Cards,
a few old newspapers. and a badly di-
lapidated copy of kit Carson" were
found scattered about on the rude slab
floor. In the book was found this poor
ly-wrtten letter, which was apparently
from Frank James to James Younger
in reference TO tie stealing of some
horses:
ELYsIAN, Mimi. April 9.-Friend Jim: I
think you had better not come for few
days more. l was in lie Sueur this week.
and there was a good deal of talk about
organizing a vigilance committee to scour
the country in seacrh of the gray mares and
/ think II will be best TO wait little, as you
know these cussed vigilance committees
won't wait for judge or jury or anything
else. If they get after US it will be a case of
kill or get killed. By the way, Jim, do you
know that am little suspicious of Brown,
who claimed to hail from Wisconsin when
he joined US, and Ed told me The other
day that he knows positively of three differ
ent letters received by Brown which were
postmarked at Chicago. He may be one of
those id Pinkerton detectives for all we
know, and the sooner we investigate his case
the better it will be. he seems like a jolly,
brave fellow, and 1 would be sorry to find
him to be traitor and have to plant him,
but self protection is the first law of nature.
you know. and 1t is best to be OH the safe
side. expect TO be over at the "Half-Way''
some time next week. / wish you would
meet me there. have big scheme. Good
bye this time. FRANK.
Curiosity vyhetted.
The above letter naturally aroused
the curiosity of the visitors, and the task
of taking up the slab floor was soon
completed, but no new discoveries were
made until the old Gox which acted the
Part of cupboard was pulled down.
Behind it was another opening or door
leading into another apartment, where
horses had been Secreted. the room or
artificial cave being amply large to ac-
eommodate twenty head at a time.
Eighteen hitching posts were driven
some three feet apart, and each post
supplied with square box for feeding.
Old currycombs and brushes were also
promiscuously scattered about, which
indicated that the stolen animals, for
such they no doubt we're, were well
cared for. On one OF, the hitching posts
an old, wOrn-out vest was found, in one
pocket of which was IS cents in the old
fashioned 25-cent paper money, and a
part of All envelope which bore the ad-
dress u. S. Rivers" but the postoffice
was torn off. In rummaging about.
a skull and other bones belong
ing to human being were
found under pile of partly decayed
cornstalks. Different theories are ad-
vanced as to the presence of the skull.
There are many who entertain the be-
lief that the man Brown referred to in
the letter was found to be detective
and was murdered, while others think
that one of The gang wounded in the
Northfield fight died and was buried
there, The place is as
Impregnab1e as Gibra1ter,
and twenty men with plenty of food and
ammunition could hold 1t against regi