The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-09
FATE OF THE YOUNGER RROTHERs
Is STILL IN THE BAL
ANCE
FRIENDS ARE VERY HOPEFUL
All Thought to Rest Upon the Att
tude of Chief Justice Start
Letter From Ex-GOv.
w. j. Stone.
cLEMENCY IS looked FOR

u
plllty be decided today Their appIf-a-
tlon for parole from the Saltwater Deni-
tentlary, where they have been confnfd
Tor nearly twenty-five years. came befo. q
the board of pardons in due course ar
the regular meeting of that BODY YES
tenday' but action upon it was deferred.
Inc BOARD, after sitting until nearly
O'Clock adjourned until this morning at
o'clock. There were in all nearly for,y
cases on the calendar for this meeting
put decisive action was taken in only a
rev or them, although a number were
presented and taken under adviscmcnt.
What the final attitude of Chief Justice
Start will be upon the Younger parole
proposition, as it is now presented. has
not been made known, but his conduct
yesterday during the consideration .of
the subject was certainly such as TO in
dlcate that he was not irrevocabIy Op-
posed to the measure of clemcncv. and
led the friends of the prisoners to hope
Tor favorable action on his part
when the Younger petition was sa1ltn
up Warden Wolfer, who was sitting IN
the ante room, was requested to enter
the meeting. There were present on be-
half of the Younger brothers George M.
Bennett, of Minneapolis, who has for
nearly ten years been exerting himself
to secure some mitigation of their sem
tence; b. Schurmeier, of this city. and
Capt. Yates, who assisted in the capture
at Madelia, and has since become a friend
of the prisoners.
NAME AROUSES EXCITEMENT.
The name of Thomas Cole Younger
was read by Gov. Van SAINT, who acts as
chairman Of the board, and Immediate
ly the few who were present became
keenly interested in the proceedings The
discussion was entirely upon the petition
of Cole, and James YOunger's name was
merely mentioned incidentally Gov. Van
SAINT said that he had that morning re-
ceived a letter from former Gov. stone,
of Missouri, and a petition signed eXtcn-
sively by citizens of that state
Chief Justice tSart questioned Warden
Wolfer very closely as to the prison rec
ords of the Younger brothers and their
plans for the future in case they should
be paroled, and although he was partic-
ular to state that this must not be taken
as an intimation that he was in favor
of the application, the friends of the
Youngers could not conceal the fact that
they were encouraged by his attitude
Gov. Van SAINT and Attorney General
Douglas, the only other members Of the
board, gave no sign either favorable or
otherwise on this question, but hcther
justly or not the opinion has been gem
orally accepted for some time past that
they were willing to grant the parole,
and that the question practically hinged
upon the vote of Chief Justice Start.
The chief justice inquired Of Mr.. Wolfer
If the time served by the Youngers with
good time" allowance figured on the
same basis sas in case Of determinate sem
tence would aggregate thirty-nVe years,
and the warden replied that although he
had not computed 1t he thought it would.
AT to the prison records of the YOungers,
Mr.. Wolfer informed Chief justice Start
that they were as near perfect as pos
sible. There had never been a mark
against either of the men which involved
a loss of time allowance, and during the
nine and one-fOurth years that he mad
been warden, there had been no infringe
ment of the rules on their part
Justice Start asked what employment
the men had in view in case they snould
be paroled and the warden said he could
not say, but he had no doubt that suit
able work could be found for both.
Cole, he said mad been for some years
acting as chief nurse in the hospital, and
James as librarian and mail clerk. Both
were, he believed, physically able to
earn a livelihood Cole had suffered
some from an affection of the heart dur
ing the past year, but not to such an eX-
tent as to be incapacitated for work.
Cole is ifty-six years of age and James
did not believe Cole would be able to
qualify as a trained nurse in an outside
hospital although he had been a very
competent man in his position at the
prison.
He was asked further as to whether
the prisoners had relatives who were
financially able, and will ng TO care for
them in case they were released on
parole, and said he thought not. They
had a. naDhaU and I'm Missouri
both Of whom had some property, but he
did not believe they could care for the
prisoners indefinitely.
The warden explained that in case the
parole should be granted, the prisoners
would not be released from the prison
until suitable employment had been
found for them and he suggested that
the board of pardons, If It should decide
to grant the parole, should place some
restrictions upon the nature of the en-
ployment which they should be allowed
to accept The law which made the
parole possible, he said, had precluded
all possibility of the prisoners being pub
licly placed on exhibition, but he Thought
it would be for their own good to go
farther, If possible, and prevent their
getting into any occupation which would
subject them in any way TO the public
gaze. From what ne knew Of the men
he thought that would also suit them
best, as saey appeared to wish to avoid
notoriety.
CASE UNDER AMUSEMENT.
Mr. Bennett said he had made a close
and thorough study OF the case Of the
Youngers merely from personal interest
and not as an attorney. He had not been
employed by either the prisoners or Their
friends and expected no remuneration for
the trouble he had taken In securing the
letters and petitions and compiling the
other information he had presented to
the board He had become deeply inter-
ested in this undertaking and hoped the
board would grant the parole.
Mr.. Schurmeier also urged the board
to favorable action, and stated that he
would personally undertake to find en-
ployment for both of the Youngers, either
in his own wagon factory In this city or
elsewhere, as the board might see fit.
Chief Justice Start said that from nAs.
study Of the history of the YOunSers lie
was satisfied that their father had been
loyal to the Union, and had been muir
dered for the purpose Of robbery By
captain in the Union army. He read an
extract from the records OF the Rebel
lion in which were related the circum-
stances of the murder of Harry Younger
by one Capt. valley OF the United