The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-04

After the amnesty bill had been killed in the
Missouri legislature 1 could see no hope for
me, and | could plainly see that l had to
get out. thought that If 1 could get $4,000
or $4,000 from someone worth millions I'd
take 1t and GO.
There is no need of me rehearsing our CAP
ture and subsequent sentence to this prison
we came here, and for the first three years
were under special guard, Ben Cayou who
DIED recently. We worked together for MANY
years, and while the thresher company en-
ployed the conyicts we made sleeves. We
never had any trouble with any one and al
ways did our duty as prisoners. At the time
OF the big prison fire, in 1884 the conyicts
were liberated from the cell room Abe Hall
the deputy warden, took word for our
good behavior, and George Dodd the cell
room guard, got US to protect the women who
were in the little shed. The next morning.
when they sending conyicts to various
Jails, someone said to Mr.. Hall: "Chain the
boys" but he refused to chain u.s. and took
US to the Washington county jail, assisted
by Judge Butts and the then Sheriff HoIcombe
At the end of ten years of service, Warden
Reed put Jim and 1 in the store room and
Stordock put me in charge Of the library,
put Jim in charge Of the mail matter ad-
dressed to cOnvcts, and gave Bob position
as clerk for Steward Benner. Bob remained
there during Stordock and Randall's admin
istration and died Sept. IA, 1889. l remained
in the library until the present administration,
and Jim Is still postmaster and librarian. I
am now chief nurse in the prison hospital.
| am now ffty-three years Of age, and Jim
is forty-nine If fortune should favor me
and 1 get out of this prison, 1 would first 20
back to Missouri, but I might decide to To-
cate in Texas l would like to go into stock
farming, and If liberated from here I would
prove to the world that no one would have
any cause to regret the favors shown me. II
there is writ against US in any part OF
the United Htates We will cheerfully go there
and meet it, feeling satisfied that we can
PROVE OUR INNOCENCE.
There has been some talk of US going into
the dime museum or show business. You can
say right here that we will never go into the
museum, show or saloon business. 1 love my
family to well to make a show of myself
at any time. only want an opportunity to
lead an honest and honorable life and to
prove to the world that 1 am not as black
as l am painted.
Being asked the question, "Why did you
plead guilty to an Indictment charging you
with murder in the first degree when you
Haywood was killed." Cole replied: Be
cause under the excitement the people
Of Minnesota thought we ought to be hanged
for the best deed we ever did, owing to the
had raked up all the sensational matter,
! such as bank robberies, railroad robberies
| and other crimes from 1860 to the time of
the Northfield affair, and connected our
| strange land, without money to employ coun-
| sci. and 1t has been the same from that day
! to this. We have had no money with which
| to get any one to do anything for u.s. All
and noblest standpoint. charity and humanity
| on the part of those who have extended to US
helping hand. Among them were two Of
| Gods noblemen of this state. now dead,
namely, ex-Goy. w. r. Marshall, and Gen.
Sibley. and my hope and belief is that they
are now enjoying the blessings Of that bet
What about the Blue Cut robbery Cole?"