The Saint Paul globe., 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 / had to
get out thought that if could get $4,000
or $l5,UUO from someone worth millions, I'd
take it and GO.
There is no need of me rehearsing our cap
ture and subsequent sentence to this prison.
we came mere, 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 convicts we made sieyeg. We
never had any trouble with any one and al
ways did our duty as prisoners. At the time
OF the Dig prison IRE, in 1884, the convicts
were liberated from the cell room Abe Hall,
the deputy warden, took our word for our
good behavior, and George Dodd the cell
room guard, got to protect the women who
were in the little shed The next morning
when they were sending convicts to various
jails, someone said to Mr.. Hall: Chain the
boys" but he refused to chain us, and took
us to the Washington county Jail, assisted
by Judge Butts and the then Sheriff HOlcombe.
At the end of ten years OF service, Warden
Reed put jim and l in the store room and
gave Bob position as bookkeeper. Warden
Stordock put me in charge of the library,
put Jim in charge of the mail matter ad-
dressed to convicts, and gave Bob a position
as clerk for Steward Benner Bob remained
there during StOrdock and Randal's admin
istration and died Sept. IA, 1889. 1 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 l get out of this prison, 1 would first go
back to Missouri, but 1 might decide to To-
cate in Texas. l would like to go into stock
farming, and il liberated from here 1 would
prove to the world that one would have
any cause to regret the favors shown me. II
there Is a writ against US in any part OF
the United States we will cheerfully go there
and meet it, feeling satisfied that we can
odT PROVE OUR INNOCENCE.
alT1rere has been some tax of us going into
the dime museum or show business. You can
say right here that will never go into the
museum show or saloon business. l love my
family to well to make a show of myself
at any time. l only want an opportunity to
lead an honest and honorable life and to
prove to the world that 1 not as black
as | am painted.
Being asked the question, ''Why did you
plead guilty to an Indictment charging you
with murder in the first degree when you
were not in the bank at Mortified when
Haywood was kiled?' 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 Northfeld affair, and connected our
| strange land, without money to employ eoun-
| sci, and it has been the same from that day
! to this. We have had no money with which
| to get any one to do anything for US. All
| that has been done was from that highest
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,
| Sibley and my hope and belief is that they
are now enjoying the blessings of that bet
| ter world
What about the Blue Cut robbery, Cole?'