The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-04-19
ELKINS AND COLE YOUNGER
Capture of Senator by Bandits Years
Ago d Forgotten Incident.

DbSpiiCli DtHlO4l ElhlQS. senior SGD9-
tor from West Virginia, is a native of
Ohio, but was raised" I'm Missouri
and there received his education. saws
the Washington correspondent of the
New York Herald. It s not GENERALLY
known, but it is a fact that he has
mad a career which for variety of ex-
perlences and range Of adventures out
rivals that of almost any other man
IN the upper chamber. Just now. after
service of fifteen years in the senate
as confirmed regular, he has taken
the leadership of an insurgent move
ment of his own. protesting against the
treatment which the Payne tariff bill
gives the industries Of the new indus
trial south and also against the DOM
nation of New England in the great
Committees of the senate.
Senator Elkins' autobiography i'm the
congressional directory omits mention
Of one of the most remarkable Incl
dents ia his lfe. He was graduated
from the University Of Missouri in 1850
and later became a Nnion soldier dur
ing the civil war. Nowhere was local
bitterness more intense than in Mis-
souri,, and that feud was the beginning
of the outiawry which for many years
after the war was continued By the
James-Younser gangs Of bandits. Dur
ing the war the bandits carried on their
strife with utter recklessness Of human
life. Young Elkins was captured by
gang of the guerillaS. of which Cole
Younger was a member.
The ethics OF the game that the
guerrillas played in those days pre-
scribed that the captive be shot
Younger for some reason. had taken
a fancy to the young prisoner. and in
sisted that he be spared. His request
was finally granted and Elk ms soon
afterWard went to New Mexico where
he pTacticed law and politics and be-
came great property owner. laying
the foundation OF his fortune.
Many years after the war Cole
Younger and two Of his brothers were
captured, following their raid and rob-
berry of 2 bank at Mortified. MINI.
Cole Younger was sent TO the Still
water CMinnD penitentisTy for life and
served some twenty years. Then. IN
bad health and broken and repentant.
he asked a pardon.
The effort for that pardon developed
nationwide interest. There was bitter
opposition and also earnest insistence
that II be granted No man had larger
influence toward securing fl at last
than the man whose life Younger had
saved, Senator EIkins. far from for
getting the service that had been done
MIN, worked as hard for the aged out
law as the famous old brigand had
worked for him. " the end the par
don was secured. and Younger proved
the good judgment of the men who got
for him by living a worthy life
thereafter
Senator Elkins came TO congress as
delegate from New Mexico. and while
here became acquainted with Senator
Henry GassaWay Davis Of West Viz
ginia. whose daughter ne married As
q result Of this. after leaving the house
he moved TO West Virginia and en-
gagged in business. He always was
wealthy, but the great present-day for
tune has been made mainly in West
virginia Tt is said that he IS one OF
the richest men in the country, and t.
many who are best acquainted with his
affairs it would be no surprise 70 be as
sured that he is worth a hundred mill
lion dollars He came TO the senate fif-
teen years ago