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

away, Jesse James spoke to Cole
Younger. y4sr-~
Cole he said, "we're~in a bad fix,
and there's only one way out of it.
Our trail is SO plain that a blind mar
can follow it. Handicapped as we are,
our situation means death to1us unless
we a move rapidly. Jim can't live.
He's nearly finished now. We can't
get away with him. We ought to end
his sufferings. He must die in a few
hours anyhow. Then we can travel
faster, and l think we can get away
Aand this was the reply Of Cole
Younger:
jesse, We will senarate now and
here. If Frank shares your sentiment,
and if Charley Pitts thinks the same
way, yCu can lake them with you,
you curs!"
None in the ratty realized the danger
more fully than Cole Yourger. He
says that he felt thai all that JESSE
James had said was true, but the
thought of deserving his brother filled
him WITH horror.
The Younger brothers and Charley
Pits ran the guard off B'ue Earth at
2 o'clock that lo1ning. They crossed
over and left the regiment of pursuers
behind. The four passed Through
"hhN Z VI - IL liz IL liz
town were screening for them and
entered the wooGs to2the wesS. "
The fo,lewir night Jesse and Frank
James broke away ard at last reached
the South.
TIE frgitives were trUGging painfully
across the: prairie. making for the TIM
Ter that skirts the Watonwan river,
rear Madelia, when the sheriff and
ice men rode un within a hundred
wards o1o6 n~IncC1 .4Lo~o 80 o,--o~lO~
TIE four plugged into Hansa sl1ugh
and waded across. The pursuers had
to ride around. }Just before the bandits
reached the timber the posse am up
and oper ed fire: It WIS returned and
two horses were killed. The robbers
were too weak and stiff to rum. toe
badly wounded TO fight, bat they gained
the woods.
They were speedily surrounded by
geo men. who Slogan firing into the
woods. It had no effect: The sheriff
called for volunteers to go in with him.
81 men ranged themselves. by him.
Cautiously they moved through the
brush. s -
They had advanced perhaps fifty
yards, When a man sprang before them.
His revolver and the sheriff's rife
cracked at the sane time. The weak
nedToutlaW's aim was bad, while the
sheriff's bullet went tru and Charley
Pitts sank to the ground dead. He
died trying to protect his chief.
A few minutes later the Younger
brothers were discovered. :5a:5.
There was a grim smile upon their
drawn faces. The red bandages told
of many wounds. Each brother chose
his man, and three bullets found their
mark in he first exchange. There was
another Exchange RT2Gole 1eand Jim
OUNCE sank to the ground. Their
shattered bones refused to bear them.
The sheriff and h men retreated.
Ihe brothers dragged Themselves furth-
er pack. The pursuers fired from be-
hind trees.
Bob Younger stood up between his
PROSTATE brothers. His right arm
was helpless by his side. With the
other he blazed' way. Cole and Jim
gritted their teeth and loo cd the re-
Nolvers as fast as Bob emp,-ed them.
a bullet tore through Bob Younger's
side. He shrugged his shoulders and
sent a bullet after the ma he thought
had wounded him.. Then Bob Younger
saw a bullet strike Jim, already sc
screly wounded. His face twitched.
Let up he cried; 1.-The boys are all
shot to pieces" He threw down his
revolver and walked into the line, while
the fire was still going on.
He was Their only twenty-five years
old, a mere boy.
Cole had a rife ball under his right
eye, which paralyzed the optic nerve.
There was a bullet in his thigh, anoth-
err in his chest and eleven other bullet
wounds in all.
Fight buckshot and a rifle ball were
taken from Jim's body. He had an
ugly wound in his shoulder, and nearly
a his jaw had been carried away
by a ball.
At the time Minnesota had a pecu-
liar law. 1t 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~ustafson A-e
Youngers would have stood trial. s.
as it was they pleaded guilty and were
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 h 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
al ago.
For twenty-one "a Cole has been
a student. His brothers too became
earnest readers. Today Cole and Bob
are remarkably we'll 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 g.. 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, the only member
Of the famous gang now free. is a
Waterman in a st. Louis theater.
a stout backbone