The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-07-09
COLE YOUNGER'S STATEMENT
Tells of the NorthfieId Raid and
Briefly Describes the Street.
Fight.
Refers to Their Flight and Capture.
His First Reference to the
Affair.

Warden Wolfer, and is the first
statement of the Northtield raid ever
made by the Youngers. The letter
was written last March:
For the first time l will now write
out and give the facts Of the raid
made on Northfield, Sept. Z, 1876. We
left MankatO Sept. 2 for Nortetield
We had been informed that eX-Gov.
Anles, of Mississippi, and Gen. Benja-
min Butler, of Massachusetts, had de-
posted $75, 1000 in the National bank
of that place, and it was the above in
formation that caused us to select the
bank of Northheld. | have seen it
stated several times in newspapers
that we were frightened away from
Mankato owing to the recognition Of
one of the members Of our party, but
such was not the case, for if any one
thought they recognized any of us at
that time we knew nothing of it. That
we talked about the banks of that
part of the state is true, but we came
TO the conclusion that they mad
enough to do care for the farmers who
had already suffered too much from
grasshOppers to be troubled by US,
VIC WCuU w 1Ol III
expectation of getting the S75, 900 be-
longing to eX-Gov. Ames and Gen.
Butler. In going to our destination
we went by different routes
We agreed, by majority vote to
rob the bank. Our plans as agreed on
by all the party, was to get into the
bank and make our retreat before the
alarm was given, if possible, but if
we failed and an alarm was given
that shooting was to be done should
be for the purpose Of frightening the
people from the street, and in no case
was there to be an attempt to kill.
In order to carry out the above
agreement the following arrangement
was made: Three were to ride ahead
and enter the bank DIS soon as Clell
Miller and myself had crossed the
bridge leading into the square, pro-
vided too great crowd was not on
the street. One-fOurth of mile be-
hind the first three were Clell Miller
and myself, who were to take our pO-
SitiOns directly in front of the bank
in order to call the three in the bank
out in case the alarm was given. An
other quarter of mile behind us the
remaining three. including Jim
Younger were to take up their sta
tiOn 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 | 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. 4
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 [ said
above, if too many people were on the
street the attempt was not to be
made and the three men were to ride
straight through the town on the Dun
daS road. When Miller and myself
crossed over the bridge l saw crowd
of citizens about the corners, also our
boys sitting there on some boxes.
remarked to Miller about the crowd,
and said "Surely the boys will not 60
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 l replied, ''If they do the alarm
will be given as sure as there's is a
hell, so you had better take that pipe
out of your mouth" The latter part
of my remark was called out because
Miller was so sure that there would
be no trouble that he had lit his pipe
Just before we crossed the bridge, say
ing as he did so that he was going to
smoke through the entire proceedings.
AS we took our posi-
tion in front Of the bank, noticed
that the bank door had been left
open, and l could hear men talking
inside. got down from my horse to
fix my saddle girth, and while doing
so, told Miller to get off his horse
and close the door, which he did.
Just at that time some one across the
street shouted "Robbers in the
bank" jumped into my saddle and
fired my pistol in the air, to let those
at the bridge know that the alarm
was given. At that moment man
came up to the bank, and then start
ed to run away, whereupOn Miller
drew his pistol down on him and cried
out: stop or I'll kill you" The
man halted, but soon began to move
off slowly, and seeing that Miller in.
tended to shoot him, l called out;
"Don't shoot him, let him CO." the
man meanwhile running off down the
sidewalk. AS this happened, the
three men left at the bridge, entered
the street on full run. Stiles, as he
is called, met the man whom Miller
had permitted to go, and commanded
him to stop, threatening to shoot him
if he did not. l shouted to Stiles tC
let the man 90, and not to shoot him,
whereupon Stiles and the man on the
buckskin horse, passed on up the
street, fifty or 100 yards south of the
bank. Jim stopping in front OF
the bank with me, ** \
Jumping off of my horse l ran to the
bank door and told the boys to hasten
out, as the alarm was given and !
thought the citizens were arming
themselves. Bob Younger came out,
and /, thinking all were coming, got
on my horse and started north to the
corner of Bridge Square, when 1 saw
street with a gun. To brighten hin
away, L SHOU pane VI grass Oul
above his head, whereupon he step
ped back out of sight. This man wa!
/ think, DR.. Wheeler. 1 then free
into the corner of the building OF
on Bridge Square, to brighten TIT
people away from our horses, and the!
ran around the corner out of sight
Bob went on down the sidewalk tt
the stairway, intending to get hi
horse at that point. l noticed tina
Bob was tine only one who had answer