Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-07-13
THE NORTHFIELD RAID.
Ihe History as Told By Cole
Younger.
Alter Twenty-One Years. Silence the Chief
Conspirator Makes Public u State
ment of the Facts of
the Crime.

Uodlu Ol pdTQOnS Will, at their next meet
ing, be asked to pass upon the matter of
a pardon for the Younger Brothers, the
eldest of them, Cole Younger, after
silence OF twenty-one years, makes the
following statement, giving an account
OF the Mortified bank robbery:
Hon. Henry Wolfer, Warden State
Prison, Saltwater, MINI: Sir-For the
first time I will now write out, and give
the facts Of the raid made on Mortified,
Sept. !, 1876. We left Mankato Sept. q
tor Mortified. We had been informed
that Ex-Governor Ames, OF Mississippi
and General Benjamin Butler, OF Massa
chusetts, had deposited $4,000 in the
national bank at that place, aad it was
the above information that caused us to
select the bank OF Mortified. I have
seen it stated several times in the news
papers that we were frightened away
from Mankato owing to the recognition
OF one OF the members of our party, Blu.
such was not the case, for if anyone
thought they recognized any of us at
that time we knew nothing of it. That
we talked about the banks in that par,
OF the state is true, but we came to the
conclusion that they had enough to do
to care for the farmers who had already
be troubled by us, therefore we went to
Mortified in expectation OF getting the
$4,000 belonging to Ex-Governor Ames
and General Butler.
In going to Our destination we wen.
by different routes. Four, including
Bob Younger, went the southern way,
Jim Younger, myself and the other two
by the northern route. On the 9th of
September we stayed at GAINESVILLE, and
on the following morning we went to
Mortified where we met the other half
OF our party. We got Our dinner in dif-
restaurant on the west side OF the river.
Early in the afternoon we rode back on
the GAINESVILLE road two or three miles to
consult and arrange our plans. We
agreed by majority vote to rob the
bank. Our plans as agreed on by all
the party were to get into the bank and
make our retreat before the alarm was
given, ii possible, but if we failed and ali
be done should be for the purpose OF
frightening the people from the streets,
and in no case was there to be an at
tempt to kill.
In order to carry out the above plans
E.
Three were to ride ahead and enter the
bank as soon as Clell Miller and myself
had crossed the bridge leading into the
not on the street. One-fourth OF mile
behind the first three were Clell Miller
and myself who were to take our posi-
ton directly in front OF the bank in Or
der to call the three in the bank out in
case the alarm was given. Another
quarter of mile behind us were the
remaining three, including Jim Young
er, were to take up their station near the
bridge. In case no alarm was given
when the three men in the bank came
out, the men at the bridge were to
mount their horses and we were all to
retreat on the GAINESVILLE road, but, if the
alarm was given l was to signal those
at the bridge and they were to give the
rebel yell and fire their pistols in the air
to scare the people off the street. 1t
was understood that l was to remain in
front of the bank during our stay in
town, so that in case the citizens began
to get together and arm themselves, l
was to call the men out of the bank and
we were to immediately retreat, for there
was at no time any intention of making
a fight of it.
The first part OF our plan was carried
out, up to going into the bank, but it
was at this point that the first mistake
was made, for as l said above, if too
many people were on the street, the at
tempt was not to be made, and the three
men were to ride straight through the
town on the Dundas road. When Mil
Ter and myself crossed over the bridge, +
saw crowd of citizens about the corn
ers, also our boys sitting there on some
boxes. I remarked to Miller about the
crowd, and said:
"Surely the boys will not go into the
bank with so many people about. l
wonder why they did not ride on
through town."
We were half way across the square
when we saw the three men arise and
walk up the sidewalk towards the bank.
Miller said: "They are going in" and so
/ replied:
IF they do the alarm will be given as
sure as there is hell, so you had better
take that pipe out of your mouth"
The>latter part of my remark was call
ed out because Miller was so sure that
there would be no trouble that he had lit
his pipe just before we crossed the
bridge, saying as he did so that he was
going to smoke through the entire pro
ceeding. AS we rode into Division
street, the three men ahead entered the
bank, and I looked back and saw the
other three crossing the bridge. AS we
took our position in front Of the bank,
I noticed that the bank door had been
left open, and could hear men talking
inside. got down from my horse to
fix my saddle girth, and while so doing
I told Miller to get off his horse and
close the door, which he did. Just at
this time some one across the street
shouted: = 2..> y r..
"Robbers in the bank"
dumped into my saddle and fired my
pistol into the air to let those at the
bridge know that the alarm was given
At this moment man came up to the
bank and then started to run away,
whereupon Miller. drew his pistol down
on him and cried out: :. s.>5F s:5 49, ==;sss> 9
"Stop or I'll kill you S .5G 6. 6:
!: The man halted, but soon began to
move off slowly, and seeing that Miller.
intended to shoot him, ] called out: So
5 ''Don't shoot him; let him co. the
man meanwhile running off down the.
" ~