The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-17
DINED WITH JIM YOUNGER.
Pinkerton and Bly, Fail to Recognize
the Notorious Highwayman.
From the Chicago Tribune.

It IOLl lIlG NulNdEO IIIUuIlbs
Speaking of detectives reminds me of
q little experience once had with Allan
Pinkerton out in Frisco" The speaker
was Jim Younger, who is serving life
sentence in the Minnesota penietntiary at
Saltwater for the great Mortified bank
robbery of Sept z, 1876. Il saw Pinker-
ton only once in my life" continued
Younger, land that was at the
Palace hotel in Frisco where l
had the honor of eating sup
per with him and Yankee BLY,, the great
Louisville detective. IL was in the spring
of 1875. The Wells-Fargo express had
been held up coming through the mount
aims in Southern California and robbed of
about $4,000 The Pinkertons were put
to work on the case. They found out that
/ was in California at the time and of
course they had our crowd down for do
ing the work. But everything was laid
to the James and Younger brothers in
those days, you know.
Now it happened that | was the only
one of the boys west of the mountains at
that time l was doing a little prospect
ing in the state, and didn't know of the
robbery till it came out in the papers.
Well, one night early in May, 1876, / was
walking down Market street in Frisco,
when a lady touched me gently on the
arm and said, Mr.. Younger, believe l
replied that il was my misfortune to bear
that name, and in moment l recognized
the lady as an old Missouri girl whom /
had befriended years before, when she
was little more than child. She hadn't
seen me for nine years, and during that
time | had grown a full beard, changed
my Missouri SLOUGH hat for silk 'tile,'
and cot into the habit of wearing broad
cloth clothes, yet that woman knew me
at glance.
After talking about our old Missouri
friends a few minutes, she said: DO
YOU know that Pinkerton is in town? |
replied that | did not. We'll, he is she
said. He is up at the Palace hotel and
Rly is with him. Now Allan Pinkerton
had made his boast that if he ever saw
Jim Younger he would know him. BLY,
had seen me five years before in Louis
vile and had come along with Pinkerton
to take me in.
81 had a curiosity to see the two great
est detectives in America and l wanted
to show PinlIerton that he did not know
Jim Younger So l asked my friend if
she would walk up to the Palace hotel
with me. She was astonished a such
foolhardy proposal and begged of me not
to think of doing such thing. l was de-
termined to see them and finally pre-
vailed on her to go with me, We stepped
into the parlor of the Palace hotel, and
as we passed the dining room door my
companion called my attention to the
two detectives seated at supper |
went down to the Office, registered, and
told the clerk that l wanted supper for
two. AS we walked into the dining
room, as good luck would have it, the
head waiter led US to the very table
where PinlSerton and BLY, were. | sat
down opposite Pinkerton and the lady OPP
posite Bly,. Did eat a hearty support
We'll, no. My companion gave me some
uneasiness. She was pale and nervous,
thinking, of course, that | might be
recognized and an attempt be made to
take me. But I enjoyed that meal as
much as any | ever ate In my life.
Il always had profound contempt for
detectives. They had come on from New
York and Chicago in drOves to capture
US until we got so used TO their ways
that it was a positive enjoyment to have
a few of them around / had a worse
opinion of detectives than ever after eat
ing supper that night. The very man
they had travelled across the continent to
take had walked right into their arms
OF course they couldn't have taken me,
anyhow and it was probably fortunate
for them that they didn't know me. Well,
after supper / strolled downtown with
my friend. She invited me to her home
to stay as long as / wanted 10, but | con-
cluded that il was getting a little too
warm for me out there, as I was alone, so
/ walked over TO the other side of the city
and took a train out for the east.
WHO was the ladyl Well, don't care
TO say, for even at this late day IL might
cause some unpleasant talk out in Frisco.
She was a true friend Of ours, however, If
she did belong TO one Of the best families
Of the city / don't know how long
Il a g. s.HrH
there. but since We have been here BLY,
visited u.s. When tOld him that had sup
per with him ia Frisco IN 20, and logged