Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-03-12
WILL Be LIBERATED
Famous Bob and Cole Younger to
Gain Their Freedom.
BASIS OF AN ACT OF LEGISLATURE
The Robbers Last -spoiIation
of the Bank of Mortified Their In
doins-Put Up Bloody Fight for Six
Days. III

Bob and Cole Younger members of
the famous Jesse James gang, of
whom probably every man, woman
and child IN Ottumwa has read, and
who We're sent to prison nearly quar-
ter OF century ago for their memoir
able raid on the bank of Northfield,
Mimi, it is said. will soon be liberat-
ed by an act of the Minnesota legisla-
ture
The Northfield bank robbery was
the most sensational affair in which
these famous bandits ever participat-
ed. a1ld attracted worldwide atten-
ton even at time when similar raids
by the James-Younger band were of
almost weekly occurrence. 1t marked
the beginning of the end of the reign
OF terror which the bandit gang had
instituted. Previous to the North
field raid the James and Younger boys
had plundered banks and railway and
express lines at will, their presence
seeming to inspire a terror which pre-
veslted opposition. At Mortified,
however, the citizens fought them to
the death, and three of the Younger
f'rothers-Bob, Cole, and Jim were
captured after a six days running
fight. They Were given trial at Fari.
'bault, Mimi, end sentenced to penal
'servitude for life. Later Jim Young
-er died in prison, and then the friends
of the surviving brothers began an ag-
itation for their pardon. A petition
signed by every member of the Mis-
souri, legislature, by the state officers,
and by men of national reputation was
turned down by the executive of Min
neseta. 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 it created a
friendly sentiment which has found
expression in the passage of an act
by the Minnesota legislature provid-
ing for their freedom.
First Raids by Youneers.
There We're six Younger brothers,
One of whom died in boyhood. They
were the sons of Colonel Henry w.
Younger, a southern man, who moved
ito Cass county, Missouri, in 1880. The
five boys who lived to attain their
majority We're Richard, Thomas Cole
man, Robert, James and John Young
'er. During the war, they like the two
James brothers, were irregular or
guerrilla troops, who stole as often
from one side as the other. After the
war they became bandits.
The first robbery of the kind with
which the Youngers were later iden-
titled was that of the Commercial
bank of Liberty. Mo-, on Feb. IA, 1866,
when $4,000 was obtained. The rob-
hers followed the same tactics which
were employed afterward time and
time again, and which always succeed
ed until the Mortified robbery The
party, well mounted and heavily arm
ed, rode into the town, firing and yell
ing in the streets. and terrorized the
citizens, while two of the gang dis
mounted and, with cooked revolvers,
forced the cashier 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 mon
ey, was killed. The scene of the next
raid was in Iowa. At Corydon, Iowa
they succeeded in robbing bank of
$4,000. On May 81, 1878. the st.
Genevieve bank was robbed of $50, 900
In 1873 they began to rob railway
trains. The Chicago, Rock Island and
Pacific suffered first east of Council
BluffS. Next the cash box or the Kan
sas City Fair association was robbed
of its days receipts. This was fol
lowed by the holding up of the Nal
Fern and Hot Springs stages in jana
airy, 1874 Then the band attempted
another train robbery at Gad's Hill, pr
the Iron Mountain railway
Killing of John Younger.
The Youngers and the Jameses the1
separated for a while, as heavy re
wards were offered for their arrest
Many attempts were made to capture
them. In one 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, consist