New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1899-04-05
Visits
Saltwater.
The Hembers Of the Legislature Call at the
State Prison.
An Interview With the Younger Boys.
Report of What Was Seen and Heard as Report
ed by a Twin City Newspaper Man.

~AAS
lowing is a report of what they saw and
heard: ...... -
"The population of the prison yester-
day was 512. OF this number 2SS were
in the shoe shop, 1876 were at
work in the twine factory and 14s were
employed in various prison duties, or
were on the sick list, which was not very
large. Thomas Fleury, one of the men
that robbed the Merchants National bank
messenger in so sensational a manner
several years ago, is at work IN the shoe
shop, and "Old Man" Meiggs, one of
his confederates, is still engaged in the
manufacture of twine. This feature of
the prison industry is now being pushed
to its limit in order to meet the demands
of the coming harvesting season. In the
shoe shop an average OF 1900 pairs of
shoes are made per day. 1t is wonder
full how deft these men have become.
Taken from every walk of life, very few
earning an honest living at any trade
when they were incarcerated, these men
now operate the most intricate machin-
cry for the manufacture of boots and
shoes, and, as the machinery and system
employed there is exactly the same as in
the large shoe manufactures of the
country, they will all be capable, when
they are released, of earning an honest
living as skilled workmen. This is a
busy place and to many a remarkable
place. Every stitch of work on a shoe
is done by machinery, and Warden Wolf
er says that the men not only take an
interest in the work, but that they learn
to think great deal of the machines,
some of the better class of meD making
veritable pets of them.
"It was not shops, however, interest
ing as they are, that claimed most of the
attention of the visitors. The bill that
has passed the senate and is now pend
ing in the house of representatives, pro-
viding for the parole of life prisoners,
under the operations of which the
Younger brothers may be allowed their
liberty as paroled prisoners of the state,
made these men the objective of many
of the visitors, especially of members of
the Legislature who wished to be able
with their own eyes to judge whether
they appear to be as surely reformed
men as the prison officials and those that
have been in contact with them during
the twenty three years of incarceration
claim to he the case. There is no ques-
ton that the Ycungers impressed most
of the visitors favorably. James Young
er was seen in the library, where he is
librarian, and Cole Younger was in the
hospital, where he has been head nurse.
Both men were quite reserved and gen.
tlemanly in their demeanor. They both
expressed the same sentiment with re-
gard to the possible enactment of the
law that may grant them liberty, and
that was:
"We hope, of course, that this law
will be passed, not only because of what
it will do for us, but more than that
because it will give every prisoner SEN
fenced for life ray of hope, au incen-
tive that may lead to his reformation.
We trust to our friends and we are very
thankful to them for what they have
done in our behalf. But, if the bill does
not pass, we shall bow our heads and
submit calmly to what we feel will be
the will of the people. If it is the will
of the people that we should be allowed
to pass the few remaining years of our
lives in liberty, then we will so live as
not to belle the trust imposed in us; but
but if the people will that we should re-
main behind prison bars, then we shall
bear malice toward none, but try to ac-
cept our fate in the proper spirit. We
can do nothing but rely on the help Of
our good friends p
s'Both the Youngers, in an interview
with Pioneer Press reporter, entered
an emphatic denial to the rumor that
has been ina.ustriously circulated against
them by those in whose hearts still burns
the fire of vindictiveness as bitterly as it
did twenty-three years ago, that they
would seek to earn a living as dime mu-
scum curiosities, or some manner of a
similar nature.
James Younger said: ''Rather thar
earn a5liying in that manner ! would end