The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-11

and A. Bunker, clerks, were at their
desks. They looked up into the muz-
zles of revolvers.
open the SAFE" commanded Jesse
James
Cashier Hayward refused. saying
that it was a time lock and he could
not.
The outer door of the vault was open
and Jesse James started to try the
inner door. Hayward jumped forward
and tried to shut him in. Pitts stopped
the cashier, and then Bunker broke
for the door. Bob Younger fired two
shots and one struck the clerk in the
shoulder.
open the door or Wen slit you from
ear to ear said Pitts, and he made a
cut in HayWard'S throat, but the I'M
daunted cashier shok his head.
The revolvers and guns We're now
swapping and barking outside, and it
was not the robbers who We're doing
all the firing. Frontier citizens were
not wholly unprepared.
Hurry up there. it's getting hot out
here" shouted a warning voice.
The three hurTiedly ransacked the
drawers, securing very little money,
and started for the door. AS Jesse
James, who was the last. Ieaped over
the counter, he saw Cashier Hayward
reaching for a revolver. James re-
volver spoke and Hayward dropped
It was hot on the street. Northfeld
ever had men who are accustomed to
shooting. And they kept their guns
handy. for the prairie chicken season
was on
From corner room in the Dampier
house DR. Wheeler first opened the re-
turn fire With quick aim he caught
Bill Caldwell as he was mounting, and
the man fell dead
Manning, a tOwnsman, stood on the
sidewalk and fought from the open. He
killed Clell Miller as he was riding
away and brought down Bob Younger s
s117 cH v~S1
Bob sought cover and aimed at Man
ming. but a bullet fired by DR.. Wheeler
from his office in the SERVER block shat
tered the outlaws shoulder.
Younger shifted his pistol to the 9TH
err hand and sent a bullet through
Wheeler. Meanwhilee other townspeople
began firing. Nicholas Gustafson, a Nor
Wegian was killed, probably because
he did not understand English and the
command to get off the street Cole
Younger ordered retreat As they
started off, Jim shouted; Boys, don't
desert me- I'm shot.
While the bullets were flying about
him, Cole Younger turned, lifted his
brother on his horse and rode after the
others.
AS the horses galIoped away, every
outlaw left a trail of blood. At Dun
das, three miles from Mortified, they
stopped to dress their wounds. Then
on again
They met a farmer near Empey driv-
ing a pair of fine horses The six men,
dripping blood and rudely bandaged,
held up Empey- They cut the. traces
of his horses, cut off the harness and
took his team, leaving their wounded
ones instead.
Cole Younger had a bullet in his
thigh. Jesse James was not badly hurt.
Frank aJmes had a bullet wound in
his leg Jim Younger's mouth was part
" shot away and his arm was broken
by a bullet Bob Younger's shoulder
was shattered and he had other wounds.
Pitts wounds We're not serious in them
selves, but he bled freely and was grow
ing weak
This was the condition of the six ban
dts when they started on that struggle
for liberty which lasted fourteen days
and which has no parallel.
Within a few hours the whole coun-
try knew of the raid. For 500 miles
around, wherever a telegraph instru-
ment clicked, it told that the state offered
81. 600 for each of the gang. dead or alive,
that the Northf1eld bank had offered
$500 and the Winona and St. Peter rail-
road $500. Even in their dire extremity
these men were feared.
The six wounded men plunged along
for four days without interference
Then a posse of fourteen overlook them