Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-04-11
NOTED ROBBERS AT LAST MEET
MERlTED FATES.
FRANK JAMES SURVIVES
And Two Of the Younger Brothers
Linger in Prison-Tneir Possible
Pardon Leads to a Review of the
Desperate Crew to Which They
Belonged.

ne HtWS HUN Ot. ldui, MILL,
that the Younger brothers are about
to be released from the Minnesota
state prison, where they have spent
the last twenty-four years of their
lives. has created a sensation in Min
nesota, where they were so well
known in their boyhood days as the
friends and comrades OF the James
boys, Jesse and Frank. Frank James
has for ten years been resident of
st. Louis. In that time he has made
hundreds of friends and in all that
time he has refused to say word
about the life that he and the Young
ers and Jesse led for nearly twenty
years.
Recently for the first time he con.
scented to talk for publication. The
news that the Younger brothers were
to be pardoned seemed to give him
great joy and set his tongue wagging.
In all the twentyf four ye1s of their
Incarceration the Youngers have al
ways refused to give the names of the
men who accompanied them on their
fearful mission to Mortified, Mimi.
which ended in the killing of several
of their number and capture of others.
Capture of the Robbers.
After the bank robbery at North
field, every man in that town armed
himself with some sort of shooting
iron and set out on horse back and on
foot after the robbers. Not far from
al ~ 4
on all sides and ordered to surrender.
The desperadoes refused and were
fired upon. Many of their number
were killed but Cole, Jim and Bob
Younger were taken alive. Charlie
Pitts. Bill Caldwell, Clell Miller and
others were slaughtered.
In the midst of the firing horse
was started out from the brush. 1t
was ridden by two men seated back
to back. One of them guided the horse.
The other with revolver in each
hand beat off the pursuing party The
horse went like the wind. The pursu-
ing party followed as fast as possible.
A mile from the place where the
Youngers had been corralled and their
comrades shot down the two men or
horse back ran into farmer who was
driving pair OF horses along the
road. Jumping from their one horse,
who was now nearly winded, they cut
the traces and straps that held the
farmers team to the wagon and then
each man securing a mount Of his own
rode away from the pursuing party.
OF all the famous crowd that was
first known as Quantrell's band, then
as the Youngers, and then as the
James boys, only two were left to
freedom after this fearful affair at
Mortified. AS these two rode away
one fell wounded and fainting from
his horse, only to be lifted back into
the saddle and helped along by the
other.
James Brothers Escape.
The act was one which could scarce
ly be expected except from brothers,
for it jeopardized the lives OF both
rescuer and rescued Who were these
two men? That was the question often
asked at the time. 1t was said by
many who pretended to know that the
man who had fallen from his horse
bloody and faigt was Frank James and
that the man who had stopped to lift
him back into the saddle was Jesse
James.
The Youngers, in all of the twenty
four years that they have spent be-
hind the walls of the Minnesota peni.
Tertiary, have never betrayed their
comrades, and have always refused TO
tell who the two lone riders were who
made their escape on that one horse
on that memorable occs sion. The
James boys have neither seen fit to
deny that they were the two who
made that escape
Frank James Story.
Neither have they ever admitted
that they were there, but now Frank
says:
Il fought in the confederate army
with the Youngers. We were boys to-
gether. They were brave fellows.
They were true men. There was not
coward nor liar among them. II
they promised at any time to meet you
at a given spot or place on the open
highway or in the brush they were
there, even If gun was sticking out
every inch Of the way,
They might not have been angels
and on Sundays you would perhaps
not have found them sitting up in the
front row. but they were men OF their
word and had they been given
chance they might have lived different
lives to what they did. They were
charged with many crimes Of which
they were entirely innocent.
The other day noticed an article
in the newspapers written by Alfred
Henry Lewis. | don't know the fell
low. but he told a story OF an alleged
bank robbery which he claims took
place at Gallatin, Mo. According TO
his story, the bank robbed was the
property of Gov. Dockery, and accord
srv =, hfS story tn | Inst the uOmt-