The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-02

with a pencil and on brown paper II was
not what the Jayhawker expected The
reading Of this note thirty-three years
later will not embitter the most loyal men.
Here is a copy:
I'VE make no war upon women. We
whose names are hereuntO annexed re-
specially ask of Col Peabody, the COM
mander. the privilege of fighting eight
OF his best men, hand to hand, and that
he make the selection"
The first signature to this challenge
was Coleman Younger The jayhaWkers
laughed and sent the message back The
next day the Jayhawker removed the Wo-
man from her place of danger, and there
was a fight. 1t was unequal but both
sides quit satisfied and rode away in OPP
posite directions.
Independence. No, continues TO be a
base of operations for the jayhawlSers.
IL was always necessary for the guerrilla
to know the situation there. An old wo-
man rode into the town with basket
of garden truck on her saddle and went
traffiCing among the soldiers. She sold
out her stock and mounted TO return. As
she was riding out a Jayhawker called
her back. That was suspicious The old
woman pulled up her dress, drew "A pis-
tOl from her bootleg, fired and killed
the jayhawker, and put spurs 10 her
horse. There was a running fire, until
the old woman was beyond the reach Of
her pursuers. That odd woman was
Coleman Younger.
There might have been fewer graves
in the grasses along the border but for
another incident. Younger had become
a terror. HIS Idtner was an eA-luuSc
and an eX-lawmaker in the state. He
was an old politician and a man who had
given counsel in and of the cOnfederacy.
He was the father of fourteen children,
and the owner of a stock farm in Cass
county, Missouri. He was driven from
his home, his horses were taken and his
farm devastated. That was war. Cole
man Younger could not object to that.
The old man. chased to Kansas City, UNI
dertOok later to return to his home. lie
had been told to stay. away. lie was
m o arl . = n
into the grass, where it was found by
Coleman Younger and his brothers, James
and Bob. The sons lnelt by the life
less form and with clasped hands over
il they Swore to aVenge his death. While
they were taking the oath the jayhawkers
were plying the torch to the Younger
home. The mother of these boys, de-
prived of necessities, and roken-hearted,
died of consumption a little while after.
Before she closed her eyes for the last
time her younger boy was taken from
her side, hung up and left for dead. That
was war on the border. The incident
intensified it and prolonged it.
Sometimes ii has a CHASTITY grotesque
aspect. The SHOWS of one Christmas sea-
son whitened the hills and housetops in
Kansas City. The blizzard was fantasti-
cal as a coyote. Cole Younger and his
band were not far away, and a command
of Jawhawkers held the town. The lat
ter had taken possession of saloon and
were playing cards and drinking when
some of the church bells were changing
the tidingS. A company of strangers went
into the saloon and jointed in the game
and ordered drinks as fast as they could
be served. The strangers left the table,
went to the bar, ordered another round
to the tables. As the players drained
their glasses there was a flash and re-
port, and another and another and some
shrieks and means and hurrying of feet
The men who had ordered the last round
disappeared and rode away. The drift
ing SHOWS covered their course. The alarm
was given and when the soldiers from
quarters went into the saloon they found
their comrades dead, with their cards still
in their hands The face of one of the
dead men was cut with the splinters OF
the glass from which he had drank his
draught of death.
The man who planned this Christmas
surprise and who had carried it into exc
cution was Cole Younger. 1t was his way
of celebrating Christmas.