The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1893-09-28
REARED WITH BANDITS.

! OnlcdSO Herald: DO you know
that the most daring train robbers
this country ever knew were play
mates of Steve Elkins, the late secre.
tary Of war?' asked John B. Cassidy,
wealthy merchant of Southwestern
Missouri, who was chatting with a
party of story teller5 yesterday
Everybody knew that Steve Elkins was
pretty bad Republican, and was an
expert in the art of holding up
people in political game, but nobody
suspected that he ever associated with
train robbers.
"Well, as Chicrgo people are be
ginning to think that life is dreadfully
monotonous if they can not read a SEN
sational account of bold train robbery
every other morning before breakfast
| will tell you of Steve Elkin's ac-
quaintance with train robbers" re-
marked Mr. Cassidy
'Steve and his brother were boys to-
gether with Bob, Cole and Jim Young
er in small town in Missouri, not a
great way from Kansas City. A short
time before the opening of the war
Steve left the college at Columbia,
Mo, and taught school at Harrison
vile, 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 an obed1ent student
But it is a little singular how these boys
came to join gang of freebooters
and finally associate themselves with
the notorious James gang. 1t happen
ed in this way: Old man Harry Young
er, the father of the Younger boys,
was staunch Unionist. One night
about the beginning of the war he
visited a small town near Kansas City
on matter of business, and he went
to start home after nightfall with
5000 in his pocket. His friends plead
ed with him to remain until the next
| day, and warned him of the risk he
was taking, as the surrounding coun-
try was alive with federal soldiers.
But Uncle Harry mounted his horse
to start on his journey home, and re-
marked to his friends, No, l hardly
think anybody will harm me- l 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, be
cause he was a Unionist himself. SO
he started for home.
That night Uncle Harry's horse
trotted up to the barnyard bars at
home and whinnied to be let in, but
the animal bore no rider. The next
day the body of Uncle Harry Youn-
ger was found 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
rified. The Yankees had murdered
and robbed him of the 5000.
up to this time the Younger boys
had taken no decided stand either fo1
or against the Union cause, but when
they learned that their poor old
father, who was strong Unionist il
the midst Of rebel country, had been
murdered by the Yankees they swore
lasting vengeance against the federals
and the boys made their oath good by
Immediately joining Quantrells band
! of guerrillas, which was then in that
part Of the state. These Younger
! boys were all brave. determined anc
courageous, even in the face of danger
and death After the war was over
they joined the James gang and were
the first to startle the country by /;
train robbery at Gad's Hill, Mo, bacl
in the early '10s. Up to that time th'
holding up of trains had never beer
heard of, but the business soon be
came quite fashionable in Missouri
and the Indian Territory But tn,
Younger boys were born for an honor
able career, as they We're good fellow
at heart before circumstances per
suaded them to beome freebooters."