Part 3

All this time I was on my knees on the floor, with Bob Younger standing guard over me. I had a revolver under the counter, where I stand, and which was in full view, and I endeavored gradually to edge over and obtain possession of it, but Bob saw the attempt, and seeing the weapon, put it into his pocket, saying, at the same time, that I could do nothing with this, and it was of no use. He then placed it in his pocket and commenced searching me, but did not take anything from me. The pistol was a Smith & Wesson, and we always regarded it as an excellent weapon. Bob having turned his head partially around to see what was going on in the other part of the room, I raised my head with the view of giving the alarm to any one I saw in the street, but my movements were quickly observed by Bob who pulled me down, saying at the same time, that I had better keep quiet for, if I attempted to rise again he would kill me. He then inquired where was the cashier’s till, and I pointed to a box containing some nickels and scrip, the former done up in cartridges. He seemed to know very well there was more loose money than that, and he told me he would kill me if I did not show him the till. I did not answer him, and he pulled out a drawer containing stationery, but the drawer having some $2,000 he did not open, supposing, probably, that in its contents were the same.

Meantime, while the two men were engaged with Heywood, James told Bob Younger to bring out the sack. Bob took out a green bag and thrust a handful of scrip into it, but did not take any of the nickels.

The distance from where I was to the rear of the bank, is about 25 feet, and the rear door of the two hardware stores adjoin the rear door of the bank. I thought if I could make my way out in this direction, I would have a chance of giving the alarm, so that the citizens would come to the rescue. In making this movement, I should have to pass where Mr. Wilcox was sitting, and I made a slight motion for him to move so that I could get past. He saw my motion and shifted his position. The man who stood over me having his attention directed to the proceedings of the others, I started, but was immediately followed by Charley Pitts, who fired at me, the ball going through the blinds of the door and lodging in a brick chimney, but not striking me. There was a stairway leading down, and Pitts standing on top of that, fired down on me, I having reached the bottom at the time, fired again, the ball just striking me below the scapula, passing through the thin portion of it, and down, passing out about half an inch below the collar bone, the course traversed being about seven inches, and narrowly missing the sub-claviel artery, where the wound would have been fatal.

I think it was James that said, while keeping us down, “don’t one of you move; we have fifty men on the street, and you will be killed if you move.” The safe was not locked at all, but there was only about $15,000 in it, which they might easily have secured.

Mr. Bunker said he recognized the body killed at Madelia, as that of Charley Pitts, and also identified Bob Younger, by the likeness published herein.

NICHOLAS GUSTAVSON.

Several citizens of Northfield narrowly escaped with their lives during the encounter. A Norwegian, Nicholas Gustavson by name, was struck with a bullet at the right side of the head, just at the ear, the ball running under the scalp and out at the top of his head. He says when he was struck, and for several minutes after, his whole left side was paralyzed. But after a few minutes of unconsciousness, he was able to reach his boarding house, but the next day he was unable to rise from his bed. It was evident that the skull was fractured, and depressing upon the right lobe of the brain, and if the patient was not opportunely relieved by trepanning the skull, the man must succumb. Subsequent events proved the correctness of this view, for the operation was not performed, and the poor fellow expired on the eleventh—four days after the dreadful tragedy, thus adding another victim to rekindle the fire of indignation in men’s minds.

Illustrative of the dangerous nature of the weapons of the lawless ruffians carried, it should have been stated that balls fired from one side of Mill Square struck and completely riddled buildings on the other side of the square, a distance of one hundred and fifty yards.

THE INQUEST.

Friday afternoon the coroner, Dr. Waugh, from Faribault, held an inquest upon the bodies of the two scoundrels who met with such a richly deserved end, and the following gentlemen were sworn as a jury: A. H. Rawson, S. L. Bushnell, R. Silk, J. L. McFee, R. Plummer and C. W. Gross. The jury were not long in arriving at the following verdict: “That the two unknown men came to their deaths by the discharge of firearms in the hands of our citizens in self-defense and in protecting the property of the First National Bank of Northfield.”

The same jury, with the coroner, held an inquest over the remains of the lamented victim of the raid. The witnesses who gave evidence were E. Hobbs, ex policeman J. S. Allen, F. Wilcox and E. L. Fuller, whose statements were similar to those the same gentlemen made to the writer, and recorded elsewhere in these pages. The verdict found was: “That J. H. Heywood came to his death by a pistol shot fired by an unknown man attempting to rob the First National Bank of Northfield.”

THE ROBBER HUNT.

ON THE ROAD.

The desperate freebooters had dashed from Northfield with but five horses, one, the brown mare carrying double. They rushed ruthlessly on, taking the entire road, and demanding that those they met should “take to the ditch.” A short distance out of the city an old German farmer with his heavy team loaded with “garden truck,” met them on a narrow road on each side of which were deep gullies. Drawing his pistol the leader exclaimed with an oath, “take the ditch G——d d——n you.” Over the old fellow went scattering his vegetables, breaking his wagon and harness, and sprawling himself in a sea of stagnant mire.

After several hours the frightened agriculturist succeeded in getting to town, and related a wonderful story of being attacked by fifty giants fifteen feet high, mounted on fire breathing steeds, and carrying twenty-five pound cannons in their hands!

THE DASH THROUGH DUNDAS

was made at full speed, causing the greatest excitement. All were now mounted, but a horse taken from a farrier, Empey, near Northfield, evidently found it difficult to keep pace with the trained nags belonging to the robbers.

A short distance out of Dundas the gang stopped at a farm house and borrowed a pail which they took to a spring near by. Here they paused long enough to water their animals, and wash the desperate wound which Bob Younger, (as was afterwards found) had received directly through his right elbow, and which besides bleeding profusely had become almost unbearable, even to a man of his determination and vigor. Throwing the pail by the side of the road, the squad hastened on, little thinking of the pursuit which was being organized in the rear.

As it is now known that the squad, as it now remained, consisted of Cole, Jim and Bob Younger, Charlie Pitts, and probably the James boys, their names will be used in this narrative hereafter, wherever they are known from their own statements to have been.

As the horse taken from the farmer Empey of course wore no saddle, it became necessary for the comfort of its rider that one be impressed. To accomplish this, two of the gang called at the house of a farmer living a short distance from the road, and telling that

THEY WERE OFFICERS AFTER HORSE THIEVES,

borrowed a saddle. This took place at 4½ o’clock, and a half hour before, the landlord of Cushman’s Hotel in Millersburg saw the other four pass his house on a gallop. He says that three of them stopped at his hostelry the night before. He saw the other two pass some time later, but did not recognize among the six, the man that made up four whom he had entertained.

Mr. Cushman says the men were extremely well-behaved, using no liquor, and indulging in no profanity or vulgarity. They retired early and arose late. He speaks of one as evidently the leader, he appearing like a man who had never done any manual labor. His horse was cared for by the others, and his quiet directions were promptly obeyed. The men talked but little, saying that they were from Illinois and were civil engineers looking over the country, to decide upon the feasibility of building more railroads in that section. This party had left Cushman’s house at 9 o’clock Thursday morning, and had leisurely ridden the ten miles to Northfield.

THE PURSUIT.

In the meantime there had been mounting in hot haste, and detachments in wagons and on horses had started from Northfield to undertake to head off the bandits on what is known as the Dodd road. This road the robbers seemed to have missed, and, notwithstanding their earlier start, they did not arrive at the town of Shieldsville, fifteen miles away, until after a squad of five men had reached that point. These men were in a saloon refreshing themselves and telling their wonderful tale, when the rough riding marauders dashed up in front of the place. The boys were attracted to the door by the noise of the horses’ hoofs, and two or three started for the wagon in which their arms had been left. This movement was promptly checked by the leader, and the lads slouched back to the saloon.

The bandits leisurely proceeded to water their animals, and while doing so an inquisitive old party standing by enquired “where they were going?” All laughed at this query and one, pointing to Bob Younger whose arm was still bleeding, replied that “they were going”

“TO HANG THAT D——D CUSS.”

After having watered the horses the desperadoes seemed in no haste, but practiced with their pistols on the pump shattering it to pieces. Soon, however the order was given and all dashed away, going toward Waterville.

The dash and daring of the robbers had electrified the people of the town so that nothing was done, but after they had got well off, the gallant squad of pursuers started on the trail. Soon they were joined by others, augmenting the force to seventeen, and the bandit band was sighted in a ravine about four miles from Shieldsville. The attacking party opened fire from the brow of a hill but their arms consisted of rusty shot guns, and small pistols, hence nothing was accomplished. When the attack commenced the bandits wheeled in platoon and discharged a harmless volley at the pursuers.

The horse of one of the robbers fell, and it was supposed that he had been shot, but he quickly recovered. As the bandit sought to mount him again, he found his girth broken, and in obedience to an order from the chief, he mounted behind his comrade, and the gang moved off at a round trot. The abandoned horse was found to be the one taken from Empey, and the saddle, the one borrowed near Millersburgh.

A BALKY NAG.

An hour or two later the bandits seem to have lost their road, for they called at the house of a farmer named Sager, and demanded a horse, saying they were after horse thieves. Sager is a prudent German, and required to see their authority. They laughed at him and secured his horse, but on attempting to mount him, they found him balky, and were obliged to abandon their plan. They then forced the farmer to accompany them quite a distance to point out the road, first asking the route to Waterville, but finally deciding to take the Cordova road. Sager went with them to the edge of the town of Kilkenny, and left them in a large meadow going towards Cordova.

In this field the bandits resorted to all known means to destroy their tracks, and esconced themselves in the mysterious depths of the Big Woods, where it was impossible to track them, as the thousands of hogs which root up their living there, had almost entirely displaced the sod, and it was not an easy matter to distinguish the footprints of man or beast.

Many have the impression that the bandits were sheltered Thursday night by a notorious character living in the woods on the west side of Kilkenny, but according to the statement of those captured, they lay hidden in the thickets.

THE PURSUIT GROWS HOT.

During Thursday night excited crowds had gathered in all of the towns in the vicinity that could be reached by telegraph. Men of every class volunteered to join in the hunt, and they came armed and mounted in every conceivable style. The great majority had arms of little account, and a large portion of the volunteers were entirely defenceless. There were many intrepid men who joined in the pursuit in an earnest manner, and many younger ones who started as they would in a chicken hunt, for sport and excitement.

The telegrams had summoned the chiefs of police, detectives and several members of the police forces of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and at six o’clock Thursday evening, Chief King, Detective Brissette, Sergeant Clarke and patrolman Brosseau and deputy sheriff Harrison, of the former city, and Chief Munger, Detective Hoy, and officers West, Hankinson, and Shepherd, of the latter place, were on the scene of the tragedy.

Under direction of Chief King, the St. Paul squad followed the trail of the robbers under charge of Detective Brissette, while Detective Hoy and his party proceeded to Faribault intending to start from there and attempt to head off the robber band. Every point of egress from

THE BIG WOODS

was thoroughly picketed during the night, probably two hundred volunteers being engaged. Early on Friday morning Sheriff Asa Barton, of Rice county, who had been up all night arranging the guards, commenced to accept new recruits and dispatch them as rapidly as possible to the front, providing every weapon that would snap a cap, that could be obtained in the vicinity. His labors were arduous and incessant, but his splendid constitution and indomitable perseverance enabled him to endure throughout the three weeks that the hunt continued. The number of robber hunters cannot have been less than five hundred during Friday.

The pursuers dispatched from Faribault were headed by brave, intelligent men, among whom were Col. Williams, J. H. Harding, Dr. Hurd, T. Loyhed, Mr. Baxter, James Hunter and Sam Dunham, chief of police of this city.

Nothing was heard of the bandits during Thursday night, but on Friday, it was found that they had started in a westerly direction. It was difficult to pick their trail, as men and horses shod in every manner had passed over the roads during the night and morning. Rumors of all sorts came in from all points, and the leaders scarcely knew what to do, but they wisely determined to maintain their line of pickets.

It can truly be said that these knights of the road traveled on their reputation, and they were looked upon as such desperate and sanguinary foes that few men would have been willing to meet them except at considerable odds. The pickets had been liberally placed, but the squads were necessarily small, as an area of more than four miles square was guarded. At most places only two or three guards had been placed, and through one of these squads a

WONDERFUL ESCAPE

was made. It was supposed that the bandits would try to break the line at a northerly point, toward Cordova, hence their track to the southwest was unlooked for.

At seven o’clock Friday morning two men called at the house of a Mr. James, on the Cleveland road, and asked his wife, he being away, if she had seen anything of two little black mules that had strayed or been stolen. Being answered in the negative, they asked how far the river was behind the house, and if there were any swamps between. She told them the river was about one-quarter of a mile back, and that there was a swamp which she thought they could pass.

One of the men then inquired which direction was south. Mrs. James informed him, when he said he guessed she was mistaken, but on taking out a pocket compass, he acknowledged that she was correct, and made a polite apology for contradicting her. On leaving, they bade her a pleasant “good morning.”

The gang then attempted to cross the Little Cannon river behind James’ house but could not get through the swamp, and returning they took to the road going toward Waterville. After proceeding a short distance they accosted a party of five men working on the road. They said they were in pursuit of the robbers, and asked if the two bridges, one above and one below were guarded. When told they were they asked if there were any fords between. On learning that there were two, they said that they had better take care of them, and immediately started across the fields to the river.

No sooner had the bandits left, than Mr. James, who had been told by his wife of the visit of the men, came up. After a hurried consultation, in which it was decided that the party that had just passed were the robbers, James with three of the men hastened to the upper bridge about a quarter of a mile away, and reported to Major Rogers, who with two men held that point. A portion of the squad immediately started for the fords, James and two others going to the lower, while Rogers and the remainder stopped at the upper one about forty rods away.

The swamps and growth had retarded the progress of the bandits, but James had scarcely gained his position when the gang appeared on the opposite bank of the river leading their horses. They were carelessly talking, and made directly for the ford. Just as the leader stepped into the shallow stream, James exclaimed, “Come on boys,”

WE’VE GOT THEM NOW,

at the same time discharging an ineffective charge of small shot at the front robber. At this the leader shouted, “This is too hot, boys, we must take to the woods,” and all hastened back up the bank. But as they moved away, they must have heard the retreat of the pickets, who broke and ran, one leaving his time-honored Prussian musket in the brush, and another losing his valuable set of false teeth, for after moving up into the woods for a distance of not more than twenty rods, they wheeled and crossed the ford in the coolest and most deliberate manner. The alarm was immediately carried to Waterville, and the base of operations were soon changed. In the meantime the St. Paul party, with several active and intrepid Northfield men, had been actively on the trail, and just at dusk a sight of the enemy was obtained as they were breaking across a distant cornfield for the cover of the woods.

TRADING HORSES.

But before this the bandits had visited the farm of Ludwig Rosseneau, in Elysian township, and impressed two horses. The farmhouse is entirely secluded from the road, being nearly half a mile back. When the gang arrived there with their five horses, two of them went to the barn, while four remained at a small bridge near by. Mr. Rosseneau and his son went to see what they wanted, when they asked if he had any horses. One said he was the Sheriff of Rice county, and that he must have two horses and a guide, for he was after horse thieves, showing a large document, which the boy Wilhelm, who had been to school, says was a map of Minnesota. When the old man objected, the rascals drew their pistols and quickly closed the bargain. Two horses were brought from the stable and saddled; one was mounted by one of the gang, and the Rosseneau boy was forced to accompany them on the other. The simple German peasants had heard nothing of the Northfield tragedy, and hence were not particularly frightened, although greatly annoyed. The cavalcade passed from the farm, the leader ordering the boy to guide them through the woods to the old state road. It was a difficult country to ride through, but the boy knew the road and traveled along, talking in boyish style and getting short answers, until the chief ordered him not to talk so loud. On arriving at an opening near the road, a halt was made, and the lad was placed upon one of the robbers’ horses, which was disabled by a cruel gall caused by the girth under his forelegs. He was told to remain there until they returned, which would be soon. After waiting about half an hour, another lad came up and told him of the robber raid. Young Rosseneau quickly understood his position and made quick tracks for home. He says that after the robbers left him they dashed into the woods across the clearing, and galloped away as fast as possible. The next morning Rosseneau’s horses were found in their pasture near the barn.

ANOTHER HORSE TRADE.

Subsequently it was discovered that during the night of Friday a horse had been taken from the pasture of John Laney, 1½ miles from the village of Elysian, and a handsome sorrel mare badly chest foundered placed in its stead for value received. This farmer made a good trade as did Rosseneau, for his own horse came home early Saturday morning.

The hunted bandits were in a country from which it seemed impossible for them to escape, it being almost surrounded by lakes and swamps. A close guard was kept, and all expected that a capture would surely be effected on Saturday. There were hundreds of men on the hunt, but it is useless to say that the search was thorough, for if it had been they would have been found. Saturday passed and also Sunday, and no sign of them was discovered. Many became discouraged and weary, and as the weather had been wet and cold, large numbers of the pursuers returned to their homes.

However, the hunt was continued by many persistant men from all parts of the Stale. As their labor was unrewarded by any discoveries of importance until Monday and Tuesday, the symmetry of the narrative will be maintained by following the robbers according to their own statements.

SAFE FOR AWHILE.

Up to Friday night they had succeeded in procuring food from farm-houses, at one place going in and helping themselves to the entire cooking of the family. Wild plums and grapes had also contributed to their wants, and they had not suffered much, except Bob Younger whose wound was extremely painful. After trading horses at Laney’s, Friday night, they rode to a point in the woods about three miles back of Elysian and a short distance from German Lake. Here, less than one hundred and fifty yards from the road, after turning loose the three borrowed horses, they tied their three remaining horses to trees, and made a rude shelter with their rubber blankets in which they passed the night cold and wretched.

Saturday morning they broke camp, and after tying their blankets around themselves with their bridles, they abandoned their faithful steeds, and started forth on foot, leaving five saddles behind them. They moved slowly and cautiously, and during the forenoon they discovered a sort of island which proved an excellent hiding place. In the center of this little-explored tract, they found a pretty pond of water, and feeling secure they established a regular camp, making a good fire, and taking comfort generally. So safe did they feel that they shot a hog and a calf, but not succeeding in killing them the first time, although the shots went straight through their heads as they aver, and as the animals made good time in escaping, they lost a savory feast, not daring to fire more shots. During the most of the time the bandits had proceeded on foot leading their horses through the woods, and their feet had become terribly sore while their stockings were entirely worn out, and while resting here they dressed their

LACERATED EXTREMITIES