Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1901-04-11
THEY0UNGER BROTHERS
Minnesota Legislature Will Free
the Famous Bandits.
THE STORY OF THEIR LAST RAID.


Battle at Northheld Bank Twenty
four Years Ago the Most Sensation
al I'm Their Whole Career-OutIawa
Made a Bloody Fight For SIX Days
Against Large Posse of Citizens.
Bob and Cole Younger, members of
the Jesse James gang, who were sent
to prison nearly a quarter of a century
ago for their memorable raid on the
Bank of Mortified, Mimi, are to be
liberated by an act of the Minnesota
legislature. The Northfeld bank rob
berry, says the Chicago Inter Ocean, was
the most sensational affair in which
these famous bandits eyer participated
and attracted worldwide attention wen
at a time when similar raids by the
James-Younger band were Of Almost
weekly occurrence. It marked the be-
ginning of the end Of the reign Of terror
which the bandit gang had instituted.
Previous to the Mortified raid the
James and Younger boys had plunder-
ed banks and railway and express lines
at will, their presence. seeming to in
spire a terror which prevented opposi-
ton. At Mortified, however, the citi-
zen fought them to the death, and
three Of the Younger brothers-Bob,
Cole and Jim-were captured after a
six days running fight. They were
given a trial at Faribault, Mimi, and
sentenced to penal servitude for life.
Later Jim Younger died in prison, and
then the friends of the surviving broth
ers began an agitation for their pardon.
A petition signed by every member
Of the Missouri legislature, by the
state officers and by men of national
reputation was turned down by the ex-
ecut1ve of Minnesota. The plea that
the Youngers had been amply punished
was met by the assertion that to free
them would be an encouragement to
other men to engage in similar crimes.
Year after year the effort to secure
their release was renewed, and in time
1t created a friendly sentiment which
has found expression in the passage Of
an act by the Minnesota legislature
providing for their freedom.
There were six Younger brothers, one
of whom died in boyhood. They were
the sons of Colonel Henry w. Younger,
a southern man who moved to Cass
county, Mo-, in 1880. The five boys
who lived to attain their majority were
Richard, Thomas Coleman, Robert,
James and John. During the war
they, like the two James brothers, were
with irregular or guerrilla troops, who
stole as often from side as the 9TH
er. After the war they became BAN
dts.
The first robbery of the kind with
which the Youngers were later identi-
fed was that of the Commercial bank
of Liberty, Mo-, on Feb. IA, 1866, when
$4,000 was obtained. The robbers fol
lowed the same tactics which were en-
ployed afterward time and time again
and which always succeeded until the
Mortified robbery. The party, well
mounted and heavily armed, rode into
the town, firing and yelling in the
streets, and terrorized the citizens,
while two of the gang dismounted and,
with cooked ~revolvers, forced the cash
Ter to hand over the banks funds.
The Younger boys were first known
to be with the James brothers in the
bank robbery at Columbia, KY. The
cashier, refusing to give up the money,
vas killed. The scene of the mex raid
was in Iowa. At Corydon, Ia, they
succeeded in robbing a bank of $4,000.
On May 81, 1873, the st. Genevieye
bank was robbed of $4,000.
In 1873 they began to rob railway
trains. The Chicago, Rock Island and
| Pacific suffered first east of Council
Bluffs. Next the cash box of the Kan
sas City Fair association was robbed
i = = I--s- TLs1 ---~ G11T--
ed by the holding up of the Malvern
and Hot Springs stages in January,
1874. Then the band attempted an
other train robbery at Gad's Hill, on
the Iron Mountain railway.
The Youngers and the Jameses then
separated for awhile, as heavy re
wards were offered for their arrest
| Many attempts were made to capture
them. In n of them John Younger
was killed. At times the detectives
were hunters, and then again they
would be hunted.
In December, 1875, two parties were
organized for robbery. One, consisting
Of Jesse James, Bob Younger and
James Younger, stopped a train al
Muncie, Mo-, and robbed the express
safe of $4,000. Another party, con
sisting Of Cole Younger, Frank James
and the Millers, robbed a bank at Cor
NTH, Miss. Later the James brothers
the three Youngers, Charles Pitts and
Glenn Miller robbed a Missouri Pacif.
train at OtterYille, No., securing ST,
800.
In 1875 they decided to rob the banl
at Mortified, Mimi, on Sept. z. Thu
band consisted of Bob, Cole and james
Younger, Bill ChadWell, Glen Miller
Frank and Jesse James and Charlie
Pitts. They rode directly to the bank
where Frank and Jesse James AM
Cole Younger dismounted and entered