The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-06
COLE YOUNGER REFORMED.
Leading a Quiet ana Secluded Life-In-
cidents of His Wild Days.


Cole Younger has become such an earnest,
consistent Chris ian since his Incarceration in
the penitentiary that his past ought not to be
raked up here, except it be. perhaps, 10 show
that he has had great deal to overcome in
trying TO lead Christian lite in penitentary,
where there are SO many temptations 70 be
frivolous aud gay.
Some years ago there was a robsery on the
Rock Island road about fourteen miles east OF
Council Bluffs. Cyie Younger and Jesse James
planned to throw" the east bound train at
this point IL was in the drowsy dawn of
beautiful summer Sabbath that these now
kindly and gentle ma ures pried up the rails
AM let the A,ihg engine piow into the cut and
wreck the train. IL was the sunrise Of that
Sabbath morning when poor haherly, the en-
gineer, with ashy face and staring eyeballs
turned toward the quiet SKY, lay dead beneath
his engine. He lies in an unknown grave to-
day. because he foolishly tried to reverse his
engine ami save his train: whereas If he had
been engaged in wrecking IL people would have
come Tor thousands of miles TO see HIM, and
hear him tell how he found salvation and
helped himself TO IT.
The boys now had the train to themselves.
They began to feel in the pockets OF compara-
tive strangers and get the time of day from peo-
pie with whom they could have had but sight
acquaintance. Sometimes lady who bad never
been robb d at all before, and who had not read
the etiquette of the thing, would thoughtlessly
shrek, but before she could apologize Mr..
Younger, who it is said carried Biole with
him through all his train robbing career aud
always had good voice for exnortation, said:
"Slt down, damn you! Keep still or you'll go
to hell" These are the words testified to by
those present. Mr. Younger always read one of
the Psalms just before robbng q train, and one
of his prayers, il is said, would have sounded
well even in the House of Representatives,.
After the Rock Island train robbery the
Youngers and Jameses scattered in order to
avoid detection. Eacn took peach basket full
of gold watcnes so that he would know what
time il was, and starred off III diff rent direc-
tions. Curiously enough, four of them came
togethers viz, Cole, Jim and John Younger and
Moore
The four outlaws had hslted in a thick grove
of trees to rest their horses, swap watches and
pray, when, late in the afternoon, TWO eputy
sheriffs and constable, VINO were looking for
the train robbers, suddenly came upon them.
In an instant Cole Younger took In the sitaa-
ton, and revolvers were drawn and leyeled on
the officers, says the narrator while with terri
bic threats aud oaths indicating that If they did
not hold their h snds as high as possible they
would, almost at once, look like the zodiac man
in the front of the Almanac, they were halted.
"wnere are you going?" asked Coleman
Younger in ricD, uniUn-depot voice.
"Ne are hunting for the Yourgers who
robbed the train On the Rock Island road" said
the deputy, VINO had once impaneled a jury,
but aside rom that had II yer mixed up much
with carnage.
"You were!' exclaimed Coleman Younger.
swell, d-n you, pTayP'
He was almost MORBID on the subject of pray
er, Coleman Younger. He did much harm, l
think by suggesting il at the most inopportune
times, aud shovel great Intolerance in that
way.
What do you mean?" asked the trembling
wretch.
81 mean you have just ten minutes by our
large ana choice assortment of watches 70 get
ready for the other world, and don't want
to send any man to the ether world UMPIRE
pared"
He was always that way. He did not want to
see deputy sheriff die in a crude state. Ten
minutes soon passed, and then the men We're
| blindfoded. They were not far from the steep
| bluffs OF the Missouri. some of which were 800
| feet high. The three men, with their eyes
bsndsged, were taken to q cl Fl and swung over
| il so that they Caught by their hands Be.ow
was perpendit II ar wall
Hold on q, long as you can" said the eccen.
| tric robber land when you fail that will be the
end OF you"
With that the helpless men were left, and
| above the tumultuOus beating of their own
| hearts they heard the clatger of retreGting
boofs You can dimly imagine the horror of
| such a situation. The cold, glittering stars
| looked down upon them, but they saw them
not. With bandased eyes and sinking hearts
they chung TO the verge OF life until their nerve
| less fingers one after another relax d. and wi b
| q deep moan they fell TO the bottom, distance
| OF near.y four feet!
As soon as they recovered they went home
| with feeling toward the Younger BOYS which
almost amounted 10 resentment