Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1902-10-24
ENDS'HIS OWN LIFE
Jim Younger, a Once Notorious
Bandit, Commits Suicide.
Tho story Of His Desperate Career
Was n Member of Jesse James
Gang of Outiaws-A Love Az
fair Said to Have Caused
His Last Rash Act.

st. Paul, Mimi, Oct. 20.-James
Younger, one of the famous Younger
brothers, compatriots of Jesse James,
committed suicide yesterday by
shooting. Younger was recently
paroled from the Saltwater peniten-
tiary, where he and his brother, Cole
man, were serving life sentences for
participa tion in the Northfield bank
raid in 1876.
James Younger was the youngest
of three brothers, Robert, Coleman
and James, who between the years
1866 and 1873 gained great notoriety,
through their association with Jesse
and Frank James. The band headed
by Jesse James was charged with al
most innumerable robberies of banks
and railroad trains, in the execution
of which many desperate encounters
took place and many men were killed.
The members of the band had served
through the civil war. fighting on the
side of the Confederacy with Guam
trell and his guerillas.
In September, 1876, the band en-
( tered Minnesota, traversing the state
as far as Northfield, in Rice county.
There, on September Z, after terror
izing the people on the street, an at
tempt was made to loot the First ma
tional bank. Cashier J. J.. Haywood,
who was in charge of the bank, made
plucky fight to preserve the funds
of the institution and during the en-
counter he was shot and killed, not,
however, until he had wounded one
or more of the raiders. The citizens
of Northfield armed themselves and
started in pursuit of the desperadoes.
A week was spent in their des-
perate retreat, the pursuing posse of
citizens time and again coming into
contact with the bandits and eXchang-
ing shots with them. The raiders
were handicapped by the wounded,
whom they were endeavoring to car
ry with them, and finally, in a thick
wood, the posse succeeded in sur
grounding them. y battle ensued, in
which three members of the gang
were killed and the three Younger
brothers We're captured. Jesse James
and the other outlaws succeeded in
escaping.
The prisoners were brought to trial
and on November 81, 1876, pleaded
guilty to the charge of murder in the
first degree, this plea, it is said, hav-
ing been entered to avoid the inflic-
tion of the death penalty. The broth
ers were sentenced to life sentences.
In 1889 an effort was made to Sc
ruce an unconditional pardon for the
brothers. Superintendent of Census
William r. Merriam, who then occu-
pied the gubernatorial chair. refused
to grant pardon. Soon after this
Robert Younger died in prison.
All efforts at securing an uncondi-
tional pardon having failed. a bill was
introduced in the legislature in 1901,
empowering the state board of par
dons to grant paroles to life prison
ers who had served % years or more.
The bill was opposed, but finally
passed both branches of the legisla-
ture and was sent to Gov. Van SAINT
for his signature. The governor had
three days within which to sign or
veto the bill, failing which the act
would become law without his sig
nature. Before the three days had
expired the house recalled the bill and
did not return it to the governor un-
til the time for his action had elapsed.
The state pardoning board, however,
of which the chief justice of the state
is a member, decided that the bin had
become a law without the signature
of the governor, and on July 10,
1901, upon recommendation of the
board of prison commissioners, pa
role was granted to Coleman and
James Younger and on July II they
We're released.
Under the terms of the parole the
brothers were not to leave the State,
and since their release they have been
engaged in business of various sorts.
James Younger suffered much from
old wounds and several months ago
an operation was performed for the
Iemoval of a rifle ball from his back.
Letters that had passed between
Younger and lady with whom he is
said to have been much in love were
found in his room. The lady, who is
prominently connected, is said to
have reciprocated his affection and it
was reported at one time that they
were to be married. The lady's rela-
tives objected to the marriage and n
further obstacle was the fact that a
paroled prisoner could not legally
contract a marriage. The couple de-
termined to disregard the objections
of relatives and an effort was made
to overcome the other obstacles to
their marriage, by securing from the
state board full pardon. This eff
fort failed and, it is thought, had
much to do with Younger's deter
mination to end his life.