The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-12
NOW A PHILOSOPHER.
Cole Younger Had Plenty of Time TO
STUDY


Study.
Chicago, May 11.-From the fire of war,
the blood of outlawry and the gloom of
a felon's cell Cole Younger has emerged
a philosopher. At the Grand Pacific he
looks like prosperous country lawyer.
Frank James, who accompanies him, has
more the aspect of the bad man." but is
quiet and uncommunicative.
The Cole Younger of the bandit days
and the Cole Younger of today are differ
ent characters. Younger's speech is now
polished with quotations from the clas-
sizes, the Scriptures. Shakespeare. Emer-
son, Indian legends, French phrases,
Greek and Latin proverbs are part of the
every day speech of this one-time bad
man" Here are some of his sayings:
"The man who chooses the career of
outlawry is either a natural fool or an
innocent mailman, for outlawry is a ut
companion for treason and anarchy"
i've read the Bible through thirty
times. A man has plenty of time TO
think in prison and study law. religion
and Shakespeare but don't advise peo-
pie to so there for their opportunities. "
In my lonely hours 1 learned that
hope is a divinity; that surplus of de-
termination conquers every weakness;
than vengeance is not for man; that holy
pictures are not all of religion
Il have noticed that when man claims
to call goodness, that claim alone does
not make his credit any better at the
grocery store or at the bank. Each of us
owes an honest, manly effort toward the
material worlds progress. Honest labor
is the key that unlocks the door of hap
piness.''
Get into partnership with God. but
don't try to be the leading member of
the firm. He knows more about the bust
ness than you do. You may be able for a
time to practice deception upon your fell
low-nen. but don't try to fire any blank
cartridges at the author of this uni
verse
II will say Just one thing in my own
defense During my career of outlawry
1 rode into town under the glare Of the
noonady sun; and all men knew my mis-
sion. No man can accuse me Of prowl-
ing around at night or Of ever having
robbed a loine man or the honest poor.
Yet there is no heroism in outlawry. and
the fate Of each outlaw in turn should
be an everlasting lesson to the young OF
the land"
L have been shot twenty or thirty
times and am now carrying more than a
dozen bullets. The wounds I received
while wearing the grey I've ever been
proud OF but the others arouse a mem
DRY that nails me to the cross. Few
men suffer as 1 did when. through the
Spanish-American war l realized that
was wearing the stripes when l should
have been wearing my country's uni
form"
Il did save Senator stephen B. Elkins
from Quantrell in October, 1852. 1 rode
into camp and said to Quantren: You
have my Old friend and school teacher.
Steve Elkins. prisoner
4 hear he's a Union spy said Guam
trel.
e. IT'S a lie" I replied.
Raising nv voice 1 made this strong
BLUM IF any Of these hounds makes
more false charges against YOU. Steve.
its me he's got TO settle with at the
pistol point
u got a horse and followed him for
half a mile. for fear that somebody
mirht return and take a quiet shot at
him wo years later one Of a party Of
Union soldiers that we chased into Pine
Bluff. Ark. was the late Senator Cush-
man X Davis. He recognized ne years
afterward in prison and worked for my
parole