Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-10-19
A MEETING WITH BANDITS.
An Incident of the Mortified Bank
Raid.

Raid.
Kansas City Journal.-"I can feel
my hair raise whenever | think OF the
meeting / had with the James and
Younger boys" said J. p. Forester oil
CCvinR, Cal. 1T was just after their
attempt to rob the bank at Mortified,
MINI. had charge of the bill posting
for a circus, and would sometimes &C
company one of the outfits on their
trips. We were posting the show FOR
Mortified, and our route was through
the rural districts west and north of
the town. When we had finished the
work we were about Is miles from
Mortified by the road. We inquired
of farmer If there was not a shorter
way than the main road. He replied
there was a rather blind trail leading
through the big timber on our right,
and thought we would have no trouble
TO find our way through it, and it would
shorten our travel about four miles.
1--WE concluded to take this cut off,
as we were very tired and anxious to
get back to the city, so we turned into
this trail and got along well for two
or three miles, when the trail got so
blind that we could not see it. Pres
emily we saw an old log house few
rods away. The timber had become
quite dense and dark, and the sur
Ioundings were somewhat uncanny.
AS we drove toward the cabin a man
came around the corner, with a Win
chester across his arm, another came
out of the door, and several around
from back of the house, all armed with
Winchesters and revolvers. Things
were beginning to look rather bad for
us They walked right up to our
wagon and wanted to know our busl-
ness.
Il told them that we had been out
posting bills for a circus, and had
J taken this route for a short cut to
Mortified, and we were lost, said 1.
You can see,' said, by our wagon
that we are with show l was fright
ened, and showed it plainly, 1 suppose.
Yes, said the leader, the wagon looks
all right, but maybe you are and may
be you are not After asking several
other questions, he stepped away with
two or three of the other men, and
held a little consultation. They came
back to the wagon, and the leader said
he would show us the way out. He got
into the wagon with us, and after driv-
ing about a mile put us on to the road
again. l thanked him, and breathed
easier when we had left him and were
out of sight.
ION reaching Mortified we heard
for the first time of the bank robbery
and murder, and lost no time in telling
our story TO the authorities, who I'M
mediately organized a force to kill or
capture the bandits. OF course my
business kept me moving every day,
end before they were captured l had
! left the city, so | did not see the prIs
, oners after they were taken, but often
wondered if they proved to be the ones
we encountered in the dark woods.
A number of years afterward / was
in Minneapolis, and having plenty of
spare time / thought l would run out
to the penitentiary. | was SHOWN
through the shops where the prisoners
worked, and, scanning the faces close
ly, discovered one fellow watching
me. II seemed to me that he looked
like the fellow that piloted us through
the woods. / asked the guard who he
was and he said it was Cole Younger.
asked him if l could speak with him,
and said, you look at me as if you
had seen me before Yes said he, 4
have seen before I asked him where.
1T was in the big timber near North
field, he said. 4 showed you the way
out of it, and you gave us away. We
might never have been taken had it
not been for you