The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1914-02-06
Cole Younger Here.

Cole Younger, the noted Missouri
bandit, appeared here last Monday
night at Reynolds Theatre before a
small but very much interested audi
ence in an address in which a little per-
sonal experience is related and summed
up to show what his life has taught him.
| Mr.. Younger was in the Mortified,
Mimi, prison "a years and ten months
for an attempt to rob Minnesota Bank.
He was sentenced for life, but paroled
and finally pardoned through the efforts
of his Missouri friends and the people
of Minnesota.
First he does not defend his conduct
in that affair, but draws a lesson from
his life and cautions young men to avoid
the dangers that inevitably follow. In
prison Mr.. Younger devoted his time to
study. He learned many things, SO he
says, among them the philosophy of
humankind, the fear of God and re
spect OF law. He said that all law was
based on the Ten Commandments,
and the absence of law is savagery.
There was some sentiment mixed with
the stubborn facts of his talk and more
than few lines OF verse he had stored
away, along with some quotations from
the Scriptures and Shakespeare, were
repeated to the audience in a very
agreeable manner in trying to impress
them with the lesson of his life.
From this Mr.. Younger related in a
brief way in conversational style the
important incidents of his experience.
He was fifteen when he enlisted in the
Confederacy under Hurst. Orders from
Federal authorities had been issued to
treat the Confederate scouts as outlaws,
and this stirred him to retaliate, which |
he did at the head of company in q
number Of fierce encounters. In the
meantime his father, who owned large
ranch, had moved to Independence and
was operating a livery barn in connec-
ton with the mail and stage coach line.
Some trouble affecting the mail line
caused the senior Mr.. Younger to carry
the case to Washington and on his way
returning he was murdered. Then Cole
Younger and his friends sought ven
geance upon the men who were guilty
Of the crime, and modestly he stated
that most of them were killed. The
war over Mr.. Younger settled on his
fathers farm until his enemies began
to operate again, and in each instance
he and his brothers were the victors.
But Cole Younger desired peace and he
and his brothers retreated to Texas and
began to operate ranch. About this
time the Iowa bank robbery took place
and the Associated Press connected the
Youngers with it. They had not been
near Iowa and proof of the fact was
made but all the,newspapers except one
or two kept prosecuting him. Finally
men we're sent to Texas
to capture the Youngers. Cole Younger
had made up his mind to meet them
and plainly set forth the facts, but get
ting within sight of the Youngers the
detectives fled. After time the ban
dts were low in finances, and while in
this condition they accidentally over
heard OF the hiding Of one hundred
dollars in the Minnesota bank.
1t was then that Cole Younger made up
his mind to commit his first robbery in
order to recoup his lost fortune and leave
the country for South America. The
attempt failed as recorded. The Younger
boys were crippled in the pursuit and
captured. The brothers died in prison
and Cole was finally paroled and par
doned.
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