The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-10-20

now in Boise. Idaho. for her health.
Il Is also said that relations betw zen
| Jim and Cole. Younger. We're very much
strained-in fact. that the brothers had not
| been on speaking terms for the past six
| months. The differences between the broth
| crs are reported TO have been over mo1Sy
i matters.
/ The body was viewd by the Coroner. who
deciIed that an inquest was not necessary
Il L. not yet known what disposition VIII
| be made Of the remains, some doubt aris-
/ whether the body can be removed from the
State
/ RECORD or THE YoUNGERS.
The Younger brothers were born in MIS-
sour, Thomas Coleman Younger IN 1874.
Jim In 1850, John Cwho was hanged IN Tex
1 as,. in 1876, and Bob. who died in the sull-
water penitentiary. in lS5s Their father
was Henry W. Younger. County Judge.
member OF the Missouri Legislature and
u man OF wealth.
At the outbreak Of the Civil War. the
Kansas Jay Hawkers" made a raid into
Missouri and destroyed much OF Judge
Younser's property Cole Younger. then
boy Of l. years. Joined Quantreus guerrinas
and fought with desperate courage under
his banner. He was made Lieutenant by
Quantrell and became little less famed than
the guerrilla chieftain.
When Qusntrell lost his life in Kentucky.
Younger joined the forces under General T.
Kirby Smith. and commanded a force of
guerriIlas in louisiana.
In the cary part Of 1866 Cole Younger was
commissioned by the Confederate Govern
ment TO raise a regiment IN California and
was engaged in this work At the time Of
Lees surrender.
Il
and two sisters had been Killed and all the
Younger property destroyed. After the
war. the guerrillas found 1t hard TO return
TO peaceful paths. The life Of Cole Younger
was still sought by his enemies. and he was
obliged TO keep in hiding with d number OF
his old followers.
AORTHFIEI.D BANK ROBBERY.
Between the years 1856 and 1873 the Youn-
ger brothers gained great notoriety through
their association with Jesse and Frank
James. The band, headed By Jesse James,
was charged with inhumerable robberies Of
banks and railroad trains. In The execution
Of which many desperate encounters took
pace and number of men were killed
The scene Of the most Of their alleged
post-bellum depredAtions was the State OF
Missouri. and those adjacent thereto, but In
September, 1876. the band entered AIinreso-
Ia trgyersing the State as far as the little
town of Northheld. IN Rice County. There,
on September !. after terrorizing the people
on the street. attempt was made TO
loot the First National Bank
Cashier u l. Haywood. who was IN
charge Of the bank. made plOclxy hght TO
preserve the funds Of the institution from
the robbers and during the encounter was
shot and killed: not. however. until he had
ounded one or more OF the raiders.
The citizens OF Northheld. quickly re-
covering from the panic into which The
advent of the raidets had thrown them,
armed themselves and started In pursuit
Of the dssperadoes. who. baf1ed at the
resistance they had encountered, had
mounted their horses and were attempting
10 escape.
CAPTURED AND CONVICTED.
a week was spent In their desperate re-
treat, the pursuing posse Of clnzens time
and again coming in contact with the ban
dts and exchanging shots with them The
raiders We're handicapped in their retreat
BY the wounded whom they were endeavOr
Ing 10 carry along with them and. finally,
in a thick wood. the posse succeeded in
surrounding them
A battle ensued in which three Of the
members OF the gang were killed and the
three Younger brothers were captured
Jesse James and the remainder OF the
outlaws succeeded in making good their
escape.
All OF the three Younger boys had been
wounded in the series of battles that had
marked their retreat and to this day carry
the bullets fired at them by the plucky cit
izens
The prisoners were brought speedily 70
trial and on November 2. 1876, pleaded
guilty to the charge Of murder in the first
degree. this plea 1t Is said. having been
entered In order to escape conviction
by a jury. which would have involved the
inhIation Of the death penalty. The
brothers were sentenced to the Saltwater
Penitentiary TO serve a life sentence
FIRST EFFORT FOR PARDON.
In 1889 an effort was made to secure an
unconditional pardon for the brothers. 1t
being pleaded in support OF this EFFORT that
IL had not been proved that either Of the
brothers had fred the shot that killed
Cashier Haywood. and a further plea for
mercy was based upon the ground that
Bob" Younger was dying Of consump-
tion,
superintendent Of Census William r Mer-
Ram, who then occupied the gubernatorial
chair. refused to accede to the request for
a pardon. there still being very strong
sentiment against the brothers In North
field and Rice County, Shortly after this
Robert Younger died In prison.
Frequent attempts were made TO secure
pardons for the remaining brothers. the Pc
tltions being signed by leading raen h all
walks Of life. both citizens of this State
and Of Missouri.
Among those who made especial EFFORT
70 secure the granting Of a pardon was
Senator Stephen B. Eil1ins OF West vlr-
ginia, who. # is said, had known the broth
ers well in the days before the war. It ia
also related that the Senator's life was
saved during the Civil War through the
efforts Of Cole Younger EIxlns had been
captured by QuantrelIs guerriIlas and had
been sentenced to be shot. but Younger
connlved at his escape from the gang. and
succeeded in restoring him to hIs regiment
JIM AND COLE PAROLDD.
All efforts at securing an unconditional
pardon having failed. bIll was introduced
in the State Legislature In 1901 empower
ing the State Board of Psrdons 20 grant
paroles TO life prisoners who had served !
twenty-five years or more. The bin was
hard fought, but finally passed both
branches OF the Legislature and was sent
to Governor Van Zant for his signature.
The Governor had three days within
which TO sign or veto the bill. failing
which the act would become a law without
his signature. Before the three days had |
expired the House recalled the bill and