Arizona republican., 1903-07-24
A MEETING WITH BANDITS
An Incident of the Northficld Bank
 Raid.

"I can feel my hair raise whenever I | think of the meeting l had with the James and Younger boys" said J. P. Forester. of Covina, Cal. Tt was just after their attempt to rob the bank at | Northfield, Minn. had charge of the bill posting for a circus, and would sometimes accompany one of the out fits on their trips We were posting
 the show for Northfield, and our route was through the rural districts west and north of the town. When we had finished the work, we were about fif- teen miles from NOrthfield by the road. We inquired of a 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 and it would shorten our travel about four miles.
 We concluded to take this cutoff. 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. Presently we saw an old log house a few rods away.
 The timber had become quite dense and dark, and the surroundings were some what uncanny. As we drove toward the cabin, man came around the cor ner with a Winchester across his arm, another came out of the door and seY- eral around from back Of the house, all armed with Winchesters and revol- vers. Things were beginning to look rather bad for us. They walked right up to our wagon and wanted to know our business.
 "I told them that We had been out posting bills for a circus, and had talk en this route as a shcrt cut to North 1 field, and we were lost. said l. You l can see, l said, by our wagon that we
 are with a show I was much fright ened and showed it plainly, l suppose. | Yes, said the leader, the wagon looks all right. but may be you are and may be you are not After asking several other questions. he stepped away with
 two or three oi 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 mile put us onto the road
 again. 1 thanked him and b-eathed easier when we had left him and were out of sight
 On reaching Northfield we, heard for
 the first time of the bank robbery and
 murder and lost no time in telling our story to the authorities. who immedi- ately organized force to kill or cap | ture the bandits Of course my busi-
 ness kept me moving every day and be- fore they were captured I had left the | city, so I did net see the prisoners af- | ter they were taken. but often wonder ed if they proved to be the ones we en- ] countercd in the dark woods num- ! Der of years afterwards I was in Min ! neapolis and having plenty of spare | time ] thought l would run out to the ! penitentiary. l was shown through the
 shops where the prisoners worked and scanning the faces closely l discovered i one fellow watching n:e. It seemed tC
 me that he looked like the fellow that pilcted us through the woods. l asked
 the guard who he was and he said il
 was Cole Younger. I asked him if could speak with him and he said l could. I stepped over near him and said: You look at me as if you had seen nc before, Yes said he. I havC 1 seen you before l asked him where It was in the big timber near North field, he sad, 1 showed you the way out of it and you gave us away w, might never have been taken had it not been for you '"-Kansas City Journal