The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-08-01
WORLD A WONDERLAND
TO THE YOUhGERs
Pardoned Bandits Marvel at the
inventions Of Past Quarter
ola Century.
THEIR FIRST DAY OF FREEDOM
Aged Convictr Acted Like Boys Lee Loose
From school-Electric Cars, Tsls-
phones, Photographs, Etc.
Furnish Entertainment.

|
| phones, Photographs, Ktc~
| Furnish Entertainment.
| Minneapolis, Mimi, special: Jim and
Cole Younger, after twenty-five years of
close confinement in Minnesota's prison
at saltwater, were liberated Sunday
T, morning. For a quarter of century their
lives had been a blank They had lived
and worked and slept in their prison
/ tomb, hoping almost against hope. They
were IKE children turned loose froi6
hardly knew which Wy to turn, The out
side world was all SO strange to them.
The Younger brothers never saw an
: e..aattric car till their liberty was granted.
The whole world was changed and the ia
I, nous bandits stood and marveled at what
they saW. They talked by telephone, rode
in an electric car, dropped nickels in slot
machines and laughed and cried alter
rately from JOY. They were surrounded
by many friends who took keen delight in
clearing UP vision that had been
dimmed by twenty-five years of awful
solitude.
When they reached the open air, Cole
was first to speak and said:
I'VE thank God and our friends for this
glorious awakening from the old life into
the new. This is the happiest moment OF
| my life and it seems strange to think
that, after twenty-five years of prison ser
vice, we are permitted to walk the streets
Of Saltwater with you gentlemen, practi-
cally free and about to begin LIES battles
| anew. Everything comes new and strange,
but suppose we will get accustomed to
things in few days"
Saw Sights of tho City.
Their friends, among them ]. w. Phil
lips of Minneapolis, member of tho
house of representatives, and, incidental
ly, the second man shot at during the
Mortified raid. decided to take the
Youngers right into the heart Of the city.
Nothing missed Cole Youngers eyes on
the way to town Cole stood in wonder
ment as he viewed the hills of the Wis
consin side of the St. CroiX river. THAT
view" said Cole, attracts my attention
more than anything else. Isn't that a
magnificent picture, with the river In the
foreground
Few persons would have commented on
the scene. but Coles remark only served
to show that man can appreciate any bit
Of nature after having been shut out from
its beauties for twenty-five years. On the
streets they saw so many faces that have
become familiar to them at the prison.
! Occasionally an acquaintance would rec
ognize them, but many Of their friends
and some of the guards didn't know them
in their citizens clothes until after they
had disclosed their identity. When the
party arrived down town an electric car
came into view. Neither Of the boys had
seen an electric car, excepting at t.s
tance, and they stopped and spent u lew
seconds watching the car. AS the motor
man turned the crank and set the in
motion Cole threw his hands into the air
and cried "Goodby'' to the car as 1t dis
appeared around corner. The Youngers
, stopped at a cigar store long enough to
shake hands with more Of their friends
and then made circle Of block or two
and returned to the prison A morbidly
curious crowd surrounded them on Chest
nut street and a hundred more fol-
loved them couple of blocks, but grad
ualy fell back. and when they reach ID
, the prison the curious ones had all dis
| appeared.
Dine With the Officers.
Cigars were passed around when they
returned to the prison office and the war
, den said to them:
| We'll, boys. I can't tell just when you
are going to leave here for your place CT
employment but I want to tell you thai.
you will find rooms in tie officers quar-
} tiers upstairs, where you can make your
selves at home. You will>take your meals
with the officers in their dining room, and
. you are free to come and go whenever
you so desire. If you want to go down
town during the day, do so, and sort of
!, get accustomed to being out among your
fellow men. You will now go in for din
. ner and after dinner you will be treated
, to a boat ride, R. H. Bronson of the board
! Of prison managers having decided 70
take you up the lake on his launch"
The Youngers FASTENED their dinner and
were soon ready to go. The launch left
the city about 2 o'clock and the party
spent the afternoon cruising on the
steamer. The heat was intense, but the
Youngers were occupied in admiring the
beauty spots along the river and didn't
seem to notice the temperature.
The warden says that place of en-
ployment has been chosen for the Mis-
! sourians, and they will remain here few
: days longer They are receiving many
offers Of employment some good others
mediocre and some actually detestable.
Fourteen Offers of Employment.
Indications that the Younger broth.
ers will not begin working until next
, month. State Agent Whitticon held a con.
ference with the Youngers in the govern
2 cr's room at the prison, where all applica-
tons for services were fully gone over
There were fourteen applicants, but most
of them were not of an order that could
be considered, offering employment where
the Youngcrs would be compelled to ex-
hibit themselves for the profit Of others
q Cole and Jim Younger came downtown
and while here called on many of their
distinguished and influential friends, in
Guiding doctors and clergymen. Coie SAID
1t would not do for any one to get sick T..
saltwater during the morning hours, In
asmuch there was not a physician 10
. be found in his office. The Youngers re-
| ceived an offer to go into the northern
} part of the state to view the scenery and
for weeks fishing, but declined the Of
fer, adding that the scenery In the vicin
! ity of Saltwater was all they desired
Speaking of the steamboat trip up the
lake in the afternoon, Cole said:
Il would have paid $4,000 yesterday, if
had that amount, if my sister and ny
Missouri friends could have seen us com
ing up the lake on that little craft. 1 sat
in the boat speechless and drank in the
nature. There was a feeling In my breast
Of unallayed pleasure"
The future work Of the Youngers has
not been definitely decided upon They
will live for the next few days at the
prison, at liberty to go and come as they
, choose. They will stop at the warden's
1or,, l1.,sn I, -