The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-20
jim YOUNGER'S
TRAGIC FINISH
The Famous Bandit of Years Ago
Makes an End of It With
a Revolver.
He Leaves Incoherent Letters Eyi.
~ IDENTIFY Prompted by Hopeless
Affair in Love.
Warden Wolfer and Cole Younger
y Both Believe That His Mind
-.- Was Unbalanced. III


dime novels, committed suicide yesterday
at st. Paul. This dead shot in bank rob-
berries, train robberies and skirmisheS
with sheriff's posses, fired a gun yester-
day for the first time in twenty-six years.
But this time he was his own victim. Ai1n-
ing at the side Of the head above tho
ear he killed himself instantly.
Jim Younger ended his own life as an
old man. paroled after twenty-five years
Of exemplary conduct in prison and ap-
parently demented from the effects Of tho
twelve bullet wounds that preceded the
fatal thirteenth. n
In his life, romantic If ruthless, he died
Economically bewailing, through a mess
age to his sweetheart, the fate that kept
them separated. For Jim Younger, more
unfortunate than the man without a
countrys2 was, in the eyes of the law, =
man without an existence. Actual life he
found not worth living while he was legal
~ dead and he grimly harmnonized the law
with the facts. :"
A Love Affair.
Soon after his release from the Still
water penitentiary, in July, 1901, 1t was
announced that Jim Younger would marry
Miss Alice Mueller, young woman close
ly related to one of the most prominent
families in st. Paul society. Another
member of the same family labored for
years to further the release of Jim and
his brother, Cole Younger. During this
period Jim became intimately acquainted
with Miss Mueller. She has been a
writer for st. Paul newspapers and other
publications. But the marriage was rem
dered impossible when the authorities de-
clared that, as paroled life prisoner.
Jim Younger was legally dead, and could
perform no civil contract until he was
pardoned. ".
The suicide took place yesterday NOR.
ming at the Reardon Hotel, a cheap hotel
at Seventh and Minnesota streets, St
Paul. The fact was discovered by Mrs
Mary Kelly, the housekeeper. Soon after
o'clock Yesterday afternoon she entered
Younger's bedroom, believing it unoccu-
pied. She saw him apparently asleep in
his bed. But because Of the late hour she
thought best to see if he was ILL., e She
touched his hand, found it cold, and hur-
ried to notify the police. 2
Examination showed a CORY wound in
the left side Of Youngers head above and
behind his ear. The right hand, stretched
at his side, clutched with the Texas
hold" a 3S-caliber bulldog revolver in
which one cartridge was empty The left
haaldsWa across his breast. He had been
dead the doctors said, since 8 Of clock in
the morning. Yet he looked to be Sleep!
ing, save that the half open eyelids I'M.
covered the mild blue eyes so often asso-
ciated with characters of desperate dar-
ing. 49,. - :. '--n
His Last Messages.
The belongings of the dead man had
been neatly arranged in preparation for
his long nights rest. His clothing, in
Guiding his kid. gloves, were folded upon
a chair. A table bore his watch and
chain and his red leather purse The
purse was empty and a Single dime lay
on top of it. A large brown envelope be-
side the. purse was filled with papers.
Across the face of the envelop waS
written in bold, steady hand:
"Al relations just stay away from me-
No crocodile tears wanted. Reporters, b
my friends. Burn me up
The other side of the envelop was in
scribed:
ITO all that's good and true, I love
(you) and bid (you) farewell-Jim
Younger At one corner, with smaller.
more wavering strokes, were the words,
20 Lassie, good-by.''
Within the envelop were papers not
given to the public. But across a largs
sheet was the principal message:
"Oct. 1S-Last Night on Earth. ID.
so goodbye, Lassie, for still think
of thee. A. U. c."
Forgive me, for this is my only chance
II have done nothing wrong. But poll
tics is all that Van SAINT, Wolfer and 9TH
ers of their stripe care for. Let the peo-e
pie judge. Treat me right and square,
reporters, for I am a square mana So
cialist and decidedly in favor of women'x
rights. r ''~.
Bryan is the brightest man these
United States has ever produced. His ons