Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-01-13
NORTHF|ELD RAID
HERU SUMMONED
MANNING, WHO BRAvELY
FOUGHT JAMES-YOUNGER
GANG is DEAD.
CARRIED ONE OF HIS
BULLETS AND STILES WAS
FATALLY SHOT.

Mortified, Mimi, Jan. 9-Anslem
R. Manning, the hero of the Younger
James brothers raid on Mortified,
over thirty-one years ago, the man
who stood in the open and fought the
bandits until they fed before the ac-
curacy of his craftsmanship, dropped
dead here of heart disease. He had
usually been in excellent health, and
his sudden taking off is shock to all
the community. He was rs years of
age.
Nearly everybody in Mortified and
Rice county knew the old pioneer, not
alone because of the fame which the
fight with the bank raiders brought
him, but because he was for years one
of the best known business men of the
place.
In the early days, prior to and some
time after the raid of the Younger
and James gang, he was in the hard
ware business, his store being in the
rear of the First National bank, which
was the object of the attack of the
desperadoes, and where Haywood, the
fated cashier, met his death at the
hands of Jesse James. Soon after re-
firing from the hardware trade he be-
came the iceman of the town, and for
years, by reason of his daily deliver
les, has been familiar figure. His
wife died several years ago, but he is
survived by two daughters, Miss Caro-
line Manning, who is engaged in set
Element work in Philadelphia, and
Mrs. Frank D. Rogers of Annapolis,
Maryland
Mr.. Manning was not easily drawn
into conversation about the Younger
raid, but occasionally would relate
with becoming modesty the prominent
part which he took in the battle. When
the shooting began he ran for his
rifle, which stood in the window OF
his store; then hurried to the street
corner, where he could see the horses
of the band tied in front of the bank
When the outlaws saw the deter
mined-looking little man with the gun
they got down behind their horses. In
an instant Manning saw that to shoot
the animals would cripple the raiders
and he opened fire on the nearest
horse. Had the citizens followed his
lead and killed the horses in the be
ginning, the whole outlaw band would
very likely have been killed or cap
tured at once.
When Manning fired a second time
it was at Cole Younger, who was
struck in the hip. 1t is one of the
curious facts of this. battle that Cole
Younger rode and walked two weeks
in the effort to escape with the bullet
in his upper thigh. He was hit nine
times in the battle at Madelia
After this shot Manning went to
his store to reload. Then, returning
he saw Bill Stiles sitting on horse
seventy-five yards away, apparently
doing sentry dnty for the gang. Man
ming sighted his gun at the outlaw SO
long that citizens standing near by
yelled to HON, Shoot! Why don't you
shoot?''
The report of his gun came in an
|other instant and the bullet passed
through the heart of Stiles.
In the meantime DR.. Wheeler had
shot Clel Miller, another of the gang,
through the body killing him instant
ly, and had shattered the right elbow
of Bob Younger with another ball. The
robbers, who had had two men killed
outright and two more severely wound
ed, gathered their men from the bank
and made preparations for retreat.
They could not cross the bridge over
which they had come and so fed down
Division street, pursued by bullets and
fully warned that Minnesota was not
the place for southern outlaws.
The robbers were finally overtaken
near Madelia in Watonwan county.
The James brothers had desterted
and saved themselves by stealing
fresh horses and fleeing into the Da-
kotas and their companion, Pitts
were chased into marsh by the posse
Pitts was shot to death, Bob Younger
was chased into a marsh by the posse
Younger had five wounds and Cole
Younger eleven. None of the attacking
party was hurt.