The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-03-11
QUITS PATH OF CRIME
BILL STILES, ONCE MEMBER
OF JAMES GANG
Converted Away From Sin While
In Mission Church; Los
Angeles

j From the role of a member Of one
of the most famous bandit bands in
4 American history to that of a rescue
mission worker is the transformation
which has changed the life or Bill
Stiles, former lieutenant OF the fam
GUS James and Young brothers, who
traded the Northfield bank years ago.
In a letter from Mrs. J. W. Clewett.
sister of O.. s.. Miller, description
of Stiles and the rescue work he Is
now accomplishing is given, says The
/ Faribault News.
The letter is of particular inter-,
j est at this time, when a reunion OF
all those connected with the famous
raid is considered. Reports were cir
raid, but Mrs. Clewiett has talked with
| him in Los Angeles and enclosed to
/, her brother a booklet in which Stiles
tells his whole story, including the
escape from the posses, securing this
part of the country for all Of the
/ His story of escape and later of
being converted to the Christian faith
I follows:
st was the evening of October 80,
1913, in the Union Rescue Mission,
il North Main street, Los Angeles,
Ca, that was arrested by the Holy
Ghost and gave my heart to God.
|
in church service since small boy,
/ nearly forty four years before.
my criminal life began when /
was fourteen years Of age back in
New York as q pickpocket. ! had
Christian parents and lovely home.
NY father was as pf sSsS asn| Rhyfs ST.
me- nlen but the the devil lev &c got hold Of me in
some way, and seemingly could not
keep from going wrong. They sent
me into the country, but did no
, better'th / overheard them talk
ing of sending me aboard the School
! ship st. Mary, and then I ran away.
| He Drifted Westward.
| II drifted westward, and in 1875
Joined the James gang with the
| Younger brothers, and was with them
! in the Mortified robbery. / esca Jei
! the vengeance of the law, and made
my way to Omaha, Neb. had serv-
ed three terms OF one year each be-
hind the bars. In 1900 I was con-
life imprisonment. When those doors
closed upon me 1t was terrible; no
one can know my feelings but those
who have passed through such an ex- :
perience. 1t is life of torture; q
living death.
"On the 18th day Of March. 1912
got my release from prison, and
friends took me to the state of Wash
ington, where ! found employment in
lumber town. did not like 1t, how
ever, and soon found friend who
gave me work for two months; but
when he came to me one day and said
that he could not employ me longer
and became discouraged. At last
gave up trying to be good; ! found it
impossible, and determined to go back
into my old life Of crime. knew 1t
meant death to me, SO I began to
| prepare for what I knew in the end
would be the taking Of life before
and once more the old outlaw spirit
was upon me and I was becoming a
demon at heart. ! went to Tacoma
and Seattle and looked up some o
my old pals-men who did not care
for their lives. With them I planned
to go back into my old work of train
robbing.
| Avoided a Policeman.
81 came to Los Angeles on the 18th
day Of July, 1913. and began to look
up this country, both along the Santa
Fe and Southern Pacific railroads,
preparatory to striking and then
tains for month, in the vicinity of
what is now known as Pisgah Grande,
and drew my maps and laid my plans.
Il came back into the city and put my
men (as they had bad records and
We're wanted by the police) in hiding.
The night before the intended rob
berry I walked down Main street,
/ thinking over my plans and the course
mapped out, when found myself in
J front Of mission. Just then I saw
a policeman coming down the street
and naturally feeling suspicious, I
stepped inside TO avoid him and walk
ed way up front.
| ~ 4f
vice for my mind was upon the work
for the next day. ! felt little un-
easy, for ! had left my suitcase in
ny room, and in it some of the soup
| (nitroglycerine), some high explos-
ives, and my guns. / had everything
ready and So far my plans had gone
smoothly; but as I say. felt .wor-
when one of the workers came to me
and asked me to give myself up to
God. / told him that I did not be.
lieve in God. The life had lived
did not allow me to believe in q God.
do not remember his reply, for when
| attempted to get up I had no con-
what you think, but I know my legs
were fastened to that floor by pow
er not of this earth. kept trying
to get up, when woman came and
sat down beside me, and urged me
10 90 up TO the altar
Listened to Pleading.
| listened to her pleadings FOR tim
and then consented to CO. thinking
would do me no harm anyway. VIVA
seemed so strange to me was that
did not have any power to resist I
was not the woman, for had been q
womanhater since my early life; 1
was the power of God AS soon as
gave my consent my legs were releas.
ed, and went up and knelt at the al
tar. heard them praying, and
strange feeling came over me. It seem
ed as though something in my heart
was loosening up, and began to feel
happy; then a warm light came from
above and made my whole body burn.
How sorry I began to fee for nv
past life Of crime! I could lot keei,
back the tears-tears Of real repen.
lance. heard them tell me to re.
peat a prayer, but had found the
Lord before that. oh, what q joy
came into my hearth"
Mrs. Mort Brewster of Wells spent
yesterday with the Van Slyke fam
lily.
Miss Irene Sherman left today for
the cities where she will visit over