The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-17
away, Jesse James spoke to Cole

Cole" he Said, were in a a fix,
II there's only one way out of it.
Our trail is so plain that a blind man
can follow it. Handicapped as we are,
our situation means death to us unless
we can move rapidly. Jim can't Iva
He's nearly f~nisa~a w, We can't
way with him. We ought TO end
his sufferings. He must die in d few
hours anyhow. Then we a travel
faster, and 1 think we can get away"
Aand this was the reply Of Cole
Younger:
Jesse, we will separate row and
here. If Frank shares your sentiment,
and if Charley Pitts thinks the same
way, you can take them with YOU,
you cuTs!"
None in the PARTY realized TIE danger
more fully thar Co:e Ycurgsr. He
says that he felt that 81 that Jesse
James had said was true, but the
thought Of desertirg his brother filled
him with horror.
The Younger brothers ana Charley
Pits ran the guard eff Bue Earth at
2 o'clock that IRONING. ThTy CT s ed
over and left the regiment OF rurcuers
Mank3to while most Of the men CT the
town were searching for them and
entered the woods to the Wes!.
The following night Jesse and Frank
James broke away and at, last reached
the South.
The fugitives were trudging pain cu,ly
across the prairie, rlaki9g for the tim
Der that shirts the WatOnWan river,
rear Ma6elia, when the sheriff and
Zoe men rose ~ within a hundred
yards ard ordered them to surrender.
The four rlucged irto Hansa singh
and wa*ed aCr9ss. TIE pu"suers had
to ride around. .fast before TIE bandits
reached the timber the posse cane up
and opened fire. 1T YVES returned and
two horses were killed. THE robbers
were too weak ard stiff to run. too
badly wounded toGght, but they glined
the woods.
They were speedily surrounded by
200 men. who began firing into the
WcoCs. It lad no effect. The sheriff
cal ed for volunteers to go in wi h him
s.. men ranged themselves by him.
Cautiously they moved through the
brush.
They had advanced perhaps fifty
yards, when a man sprang before them.
His revolver and the sheriff's rifle
cracked at the same time. The weak
ened outlaws ain was bad, whi:e the
sheriffs bullet went true II Charley
Fits sank to TIE ground dead. He
died trying to protect his chief.
A few minutes later the Younger
brothers were discovered.
There was a grim smile upon their
drawn faces. The red handages told
of nan wounds. Each brother chose
his a and three bullets found their
mSfk9fa the first exchange. There was
alotner exchange. Cole and Jim
OUNCE sank TO the ground. Their
shattered bone refused to bear them.
The sheriff and r men retreated
Tne brothers dragged th:mselv S furth-
er back. The. pursuers fired from be-
hind trees.
PROSTATE brothers. His right arm
was helpless by his side. With the
other he blazed away. Cole and Jim
grltted their teeth and loP I'd the re-
Nolvers as fast as Bob emp. ed them.
A bullet tore through Bob Younger's
He shrugged his shoulders and
sent a bullet after the ma he thought
saw a bullet strike Jim, already so
sCrely wounded. His face twitched.
Let up" he cried; 1.-The boys are all
shot to pieces" He threw down his
revolver and walked irto the lire, while
the fire was still going on
He was then only twenty-five years
old, a mere boy.
Cole had a rife ball under his right
eye, which ~paralyzed the optic nerve.
There was q bullet in his thigh, anoth-
er in his chest and eleven other bullet
wounds in all.
Fight buckshot and a rife ball were
taken from Jim's body. He had an
ugly wound in his shoulder. and nearly
half his jaw had been carried awav
by a ball.
At the time Minnesota had a pecu-
liar law. It provided that any prisoner
charged with murder in the first degree
who pleaded guilty could not be hang
ed, but must be sentenced to states
prison for life.
But for the murder of G~ustafsor : e
Youngers would have stood trial -.
as it was they pleaded guilty and we're
sentenced to prison for life. Their
sister, Miss Retts Younger, Their sew
enteen years old, was in court when
sentence was pronounced. She threw
her arms about Coles neck and her
grief was so pathetic that many PEG
pie left the court room in tears.
For nearly ten years Cole and. Jim
were under the surgeons care in prison
at Saltwater. To this day Cole is en-
ployed in the hospital. Bob died five
ear ago..
For t~werty-one years Cole has been
a student. His brothers too became
earnest readers. Today Cole and Bob
are remarkably well educated men.
The feeling against the Younger
brothers has died away. Senator Step
hen B. Elkins is one Of those who has
several times interviewed Gov. Clough
and urged him to pardon the Youngers.
Gov. Stephens, Of Missouri: ex-Gov.
Crittenden, of the same state: Mai
Emory S. Foster, of Chicago: even
William A. Pinkerton, the head of the
Detective bureau, and many Others
have worked for the pardon of the two
men.
The warden recently told The World
correspondent that the Youngers were
model pr soners-the most learned. gen.
tie and admirable men in the peniten-
tiary.
Jesse James was betrayed and shot
dead; Frank James, 3the only member
Of the famous gang now free, is a.
IVA tnhr ma n In a Ct Louis thnn4nn