The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1893-09-30

Chicago Herald: "Do You know that
the most dari:!g train robbers this oun
try eve know were p~layraates of Steve
Elkins, late secretary of war 2" asked
John B. Cassidy, a wealthy merchant of
Missouri, who wal chatting
with a party of story t%ellers, Yesterday.
Everybody knew that Steve Elkins
was a pretty bad Republican, and was
an expert in the art of "holding up
people in a political game, but nobody
suspected that he aver associated with
train robbers.
well as Chicago people are beginning
think that life is %dreadfully nonoton-
if they cannot read of a sensational
account of a bold train robbery every
other morning before breakfast, I will tell
you OF Steve Elkins' acquaintance with
train robbers" remarked Mr.. Cassiday.
"Steve and his brother we're boys to-
gether with, Bob, Cole and Jim Younger
in a small town in Missouri, not a great
way from Kansas City. A short time be
fore the opening of the war, Steve left the
college at Columbia, Mo-, aud taught
school at H~arrisonvllle, Cass county, Mo.
Among the students was Cole Younger,
and Steve told me the last time l talked
with him that Cole was an exceedingly
bright boy, and obedient student. Rut it
is q little singular how these boys came
to join a gang of ~ireebooters and finally
associate themselves with the notorious
james gang. 1t happened in this way;
Old man Harry Younger, the father of the
Younger boys, was a staunch Unionist.-
One night about the beginning of the war
he visited a small town near Kansas City
on a matter of business, and he went to
start home after nightfall with 5000 in
his pocket. His friends pleaded with him
to remain until the next day, and warned
him of the risk he was taking, as the sur
rounding country was alive with federal
. Oug OASAO LARRY mOuutcu HIS
horse to start on his journey home, and
remarked to his friends, mo I hardly
think anybody will harm me. I am not
afraid of the Yankees, and there are no
rebels anywhere near my route. He had
full confidence that the Union soldiers
would do him no harm, because he was a
Unionist himself. So he started for home,
"That night Uncle Harry's horse trot-
ted mp to the barnyard bars at home and
whinnied to be let in, but the animals bore
no rider. The next day the body of I'm
Gle Harry Younger was found lying cold
in death by the roadside. Two rife balls
had entered his back and torn their way
through his body, and his pockets had
been ri1ed. The Yankees had murdered
and robbed him of the $500.
up to this time the Younger boys had
taken no decided stand either for or
against the Union cause, but when they
learned that their poor old fathsr, who
was q strong Unionst in the midst of q
rebel country, had been murdered by Yam
KEGS, they swore lasting vengeance against
the federals, and the boys made their oath
good by Immediately joining Quantrelrs
band of guerillas, which was then in that
part of the state. These Younger boys
were all brave determined and courageous,
even in the fase of danger and Death
After the war was over they Joined the
James gang and were the first to startle
the country by a traia robbery at Gad's
Hill, Mo-, back in the early '7Os. Up to
this time the holding up of trains had
never been heard of, but the business soon
became quite fashionable in Missouri
and the Indian Territory. But the Youn-
ger boys were born for an honorable
career, as they were good fellows at heart
before circumstances %pursoaded them to
become f~reebooters."