The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-23
BANDITS PLAN TO LOOT.
BANKS OF FIVE TOWNS OF MTSyEsor,
ON THE LIST OF THE RAIDERS.

ON THE LIST OF THE
Dash Across tho state and into Dakota witt
tho Booty-Free Show by tho Gang n,
Observation-Disclosures at Northheld spoi,ed
tho Plan An Old Guerriila's Story.
Train robberies and bank robberIes. n,
they were executed years ago. said tho ot
guerrilla. who continues to live quietly in IN,
upper end OF Manhattan. his past unknown IA
his neighbors. were as carefully planned a.
battles. and sometimes more so. for a General
often fights before he gets ready
THE L reporter. who knows the history ~
the old man. had asked him about the bill in
the Minnesota Legislature framed for the pur-
pose OF pardoninR Jim and Cole Younger, who
with the James boys and their gang, raided
the Mortified First National Bank In 1879
The bill has passed the Senate by a vote O, al
to 1S. and its passage by the House is assured
In spite OF strenuous opposition. When thu
measure was In committee. leading citizen,
from all over the State appeared before tina
committee to advocate the enactment OF the hin
or protest against it.. While citizens from
Mortified fought it. several minister's, among
others. advocated the bill in the name OF hu.
manity. The Missouri Legislature had pre-.
viously recommended indirectly the pardon Of
the YounRers.
Very few people know" said the old
guerrilla. how that Mortified Bank robbery
was planned. l reckon I know. as l was in.
vited to be one OF the party. There was a Eel.
low named Bill Caldwell. His home was in
Hastings. Mimi. Bill had few II any friends in
the town. He was a loafer. Measly and good for
pothing as he was. and as all town loafe1s are.
he had a little OF that natural gumption which
such men have that gave him an inkllnc OF
what was going on where he lived and in
the country. Nobody ever knew how BNl
49, $500 - A
Massachusetts, and Ben Butler were deposi.
tors in tho Northtield Bank to the amount o,
$4,000. But Bill Chadwell knew OF it. and
while he was sulking about the corners Of
Hastings he suddenly disappeared. and there
wasn't O man in town who would have gone
around a block to bring him back. I reckon
Bill did not stop many times In his journey to
Missouri. He headed for Jesse James and told
him OF the money in the Mortified Bank. He
told James that in the vicinity OF Mortified
we're the towns OF Mankato. Rochester. st.
Peter and Le Sueur. There was q bank In each
town. The farmers had deposited most Of their
earnings In these banks.
"Bil Caldwell knew every hogpath in his
State. and while he was a coward when alone.
he was Just the sort OF fellow to do work for
Jesse James. TIL Minnesota raid was not
planned by the YounRers. When Bill Chad
we'll had infatuated Jesse James with the
scheme to raid n half dozen banks in Minne-
sofa and clear out with the booty to Dakota,
Jesse submitted the plan to his brother Frank.
Jesse and Cole Younger were not friendly.
Frank James and Cole were comrades.
Jesae wanted Cole to 60 on the expe.
dition and Frank was deputized to win
Cole to the raid. I know that Cole Younger
was opposed to 1t. He said. and at that time it
was true. that they had better stay where they
were known II they expected to remain in the
business OF robbing trains and banks. Cola
Younger was hard up. He realized that he
could not get work that would pay him.. as he
thought. and. besides. he was branded as q
bandit. and to object to anything the leaders
suggested was to incur their hatred.
THE %plotters finally agreed. and one day In
the summer Of 1875 Bill Caldwell. loafer from
Hastings. rode into Minnesota followed by the
James boys. the Youngers. Cole. Jim and Bob.
Charley Pitta and Clell Miller. The first town
they entered was Mankato. They represented
themselves as Missouri horse traders. While
they were lolling about town studying the sit
bation; to hnd ,4f.utt TIE n, best hour II for rciding the
t Rsee &elt ineS ex Who as ins dc she q so s sRs in'e eTsib +.
tion o. their horsemanship. This vas exactly
What the raiders sas wanted; It rave their horses
out late. in the afternoon on, the river bank to
watch the racing and shooting at targets by
s sas %fa Sn0 @ RfG cons ehsy ,nf las tee s these on ea 4 5fld
tions we're as much enjoyed BY the people as a
riders. mounted on Well-groomed and feet
h9rs : paraded the streets followed by an adj
The riders object in, these street paradss
That was always as tmp9rtant in planning a
before, he goes into the attack which way his
horse lie to head as soon, as the work is done.
barley pn r Wv was Suf Raid. t az w sl6niels G Geie Y MSeSst ted I
the boys that the Mankato raid had better he
that the bank did not carry enough money to
warrant a raid. and he had discovered that in
Es s1r : GT 1ps G fat town n they fhey Mould Ion have to 3b use bt the
to give, up their FIRST plan, Cole Younger was
the only man who seemed to have made the
o' sThe pSa rH9 DIVIDED ide ir and struck out for North.
field. reaching that place Nv, days after: They
Of the, bank. the entrance. the exits. and the
roads leading out OF town. There was no halt
Fl The sG rsiis szsr @sds or st hSTss r lay t Ct S Ssnk and
surrounded it. To this day there is some
s stnrx js in e. Bob Be- who yoon entered Dnd The thu 5 h smss t oHs
that i. they deny that Bob was in the bank or
s"ai S"i the l1 robbery. aP Cole s Ynukns sam ssd v Sisil
Jim Younger and Bill Chadweii went, to The
bridge. where they stood ready to give the
rna'?Ss den az; VAS s p the Sopr selected for tn. raid.
The streets were nearly deserted. The cashier.
HAYWARD. and one clerk. were in, the bank.
Three men covered them with pistols. On going
~ the men had left the bank door open. This
little circumstance probably spoiled the game.
The men with the pistols shouted and cursed.
In the ktreet, Cole Younger told Miller to dis:
mount and close the door. but before 1t could
be done the cashiers resistance had served as
an alarm and the cry, rang out in the street.
Robbers in the bank!
The doors Of the safe were not locked. but
they seemed to be. and this fact caused The
cashier to open. the doors. The cashier. said
the safe wa time-lockei and he could not
open t. Jesse James. 50 it is claimed. rushed
clerk. who ran for a side door, and hit him.
The cashier was, struggling to lock Jesse
James in the vault. Meanwhile. citizens and
the outside guard were shooting, COS
Younger called to the men in the hank to coma
out. He gave them the alarm in plenty ~
time 4 they had, minded him. Jesse James
Whatever bungling there was Of that lob was
due to jesse James. The. cashier grabbed a
and James killed him and escaped.
In the. fight In the street the first mar 70
fall was Bill Chadwell: CleIl Miller was shot
Younger was hit In the right shoulder. Cole in
tho IL