The age-herald., 1901-05-14

it's doors to release "Cole" and "Jim" Younger the last act will be played In
 one of the strangest tragedies in history.
 Thomas Coleman, better known as Cole" Younger, was born in Jackson l County, Mo, ffty-seven years ago.
 "Jim" is six years younger. They are the
 sons of Col. Henry W. Younger, one of
 the pioneers of Missouri and among It's
 most prominent and wealthy citizens. | They had twelve brothers and sisters. | Colonel Younger was a citizen of high
 standing, as is shown by the fact that he | served for eight years as county judge
 and was twice elected to the State Legis-
 1ature. His children enjoyed a good home
 and were given the best educational ad-
 vantages which the State afforded. The | family was the last one from which It
 might have been expected the most mo-
 torious of modern day bandits would | come.
 Yet, coming from such an ancestry at | least five of the Younger boys took part ] in all the bloody raids and fierce fighting | of guerrilla warfare in Missouri and Kan
 sas during the civil war. and wound up
 their career by series of bank rohberics
 and murders which have no parallel in
 criminal annals The Youngers were the | chosen allies and associates of the James 1 boys, and took part in their most daring l and sensational exploits. "Cole," Jim"
 and Bob" Younger were captured in 1876 after @ most exciting and prolonged man hunt during which a number of officers
 were killed and the three Youngers were shot almost to pieces. In company with
 Jesse and Frank James the Youngers
 had just attempted the robbery of a bank | at Northheld, Minn. During this attempt, which proved fruitless, the cashier and | several citizens who attempted to inter-
 fere with the bandits were shot to death. | The James boys finally succeeded in es- | caping from their pursuers after a run
 ming fight extending over several states
 and went to Mexico, where they re-
 mained In hiding for some time.
 | The Younger boys were immediately
 tried pleaded guilty and were sentenced to imprisonment for life. Bob" Younger died in prison. Cole" and "Jim," neither of whom was S5 years old at the time of | their arrest, have served twenty-five years behind the bars.
 The people who have been fighting for years to get the sentence of the Younger
 boys suspended during good behavior | have always claimed that in sence they
 were the victims of circumstances, and | that. while no excuse could be made for
 the bloody crimes they committed, yet
 they were started on their careers by the
 acts of other people and were not natur- I Ill 1ad
 ogists have been able to find some his-
 torical justification for their position.
 Colonel Younger, father of the bandits,
 was, 1t Is claimed, a Union sympathizer,
 but his large property interests were so
 located that when the Civil war broke out they were menaced by both Federals and
 rebels as the guerrilla warfare swept | back and forth through Missouri and Kansas. Even before Sumter was fired on | the Youngers had begun to. feel the ef-
 fects of the preliminary struggle which gave the Sunflower State the name of .Bleeding Kansas" Finally, when the
 war was really on. party of Federal I scouts rode down through Jackson Coun- ty burned the livery stable of Colonel | Younger, and rode away nearly fifty head of his horses. They are also said to have
 destroyed other property As result Colonel Younger threw In his lot with
 the rebels and the boys went with him.
 They were expert horsemen. experienced
 hunters and brave men, and they at once
 joined the band of guerrillas then being
 organized by the notorious Quantrell. AS
 members of this gang they took part In
 many pitched battles ambushcades, and
 sieges, and thus early learned to put
 low value on human life. They hunted
 men like wild animals through the hills
 of Kansas and Missouri, and were them selves hunted in turn. Shut up in farm houses by superior bodies of Federal troops and fighting desperately until the roof was set fire over their heads, they
 more than once cut their way out ali9 | vanished into the country, leaving behind AA q . IA -H-t-