Waseca County, Minnesota - Chapter 44, 1905

Robert Murphy, Mrs. Eckenbeck, Mrs. Jane Soule, Miss Murray Of Rattlesnake Bite, John Dunn, Minnie Young

CENTENNIAL YEAR - DEATHS OF JOHN HOFFER, MRS. WM. RODDLE, MRS. S. W. LONG, ELDER SMITH, CHRISTIAN KRASSIN, ROBERT MURPHY, MRS. ECKENBECK, MRS. JANE SOULE, MISS MURRAY OF RATTLESNAKE BITE, JOHN DUNN, MINNIE YOUNG - B. H. TAYLOR DROWNED - SHOOTING OF YOUNG FULLERHOT CITY ELECTION FOLLOWED BY LIBEL SUIT - GOPHERS IN BLOOMING GROVE - BRISBANE'S CENTENNIAL ADDRESS - NORTHFIELD BANK ROBBERY - CAPTURE OF THE YOUNGER BROTHERS - RAILROAD BONUS OF $30,000.

The -iveatlier in ^Minnesota was magnificent. At twelve o'clock midnight, all over the land, the Centennial year was welcomed by the ringing of bells, the firing of guns, music of all kinds, especially of the brass band sort. In every village and hamlet there was great public rejoicing.

To signalize the great event, preparations had been made ou an extensive scale during several preceding years for a AYorld's Exposition, at the historic city of Peinisylvania. The great fair opened on the 10th of iMay, and closed on the 10th of November. On the Fourth of July there was held, in that city, the most magnificent and extensive celebration ever held in the Union. The story of the Exposition is as entrancing as a splendid romance, and it was in all respects a fitting imd worthy comraemcration of the one himdredth anniversary of the adoption of the great Declaration of Independence.

the shrill notes of the fife, the thunder of the big bass drums, the shrill notes of Young America, the sunrise salute of thundering cannon and the grand display of flags and bunting, the answer is, it is the great anniversary of the birth of the American nation - the most memorable event, save that of the birth of Christianitj% in all the history of mankind.

In their influences upon the future destinies of mankind, the doctrines of the Declaration of Independence, enunciated by the Fathers, in 1776, stand forth in true statesmanship mountainhigh beside the selfish doctrines of plutocrac.v and kingcraft.

The Fourth of July, 1776, was the birthday of a great nation and of grand doctrines. The old doctrines of the divine right of kingcraft, bolstered up and defended by a hireling priestcraft, received a rude shock that day.

The great truth that all men are created with equal rights - that by the great God of the universe, they are endowed with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - that to secure these rights, governments are established among men - that government derives all of its just powers from the consent of the governed - that whenever any government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the governed, all the people, to alter or abolish it and institute such government as will secure these rights and the safety and happiness of all the people - this great truth should be imperishable.

No such doctrine, in its entirety, was ever before enimciated. Never before 1776 did men dare to make it and stand for it. ]\len before had preached the doctrine of civil and religious liberty in isolated instances, and had suffered martyrdom; but this was the first great uprising for equal rights and privileges. And our young men and women should study these doctrines and get clear ideas of the nature and the character of this sublime event in the history of our country and in the history of the worlds for America is a great world power.

The doctrine upon which this government is founded should cover the whole earth. Everywhere it should be established that all government should of right be by the people and for the people, and not the people for the government. This is the grand idea of our nation - liberty regulated by laws enacted by

Let us hope that this nation of American freemen shall exist while time shall last, and that the hallowed principles of the Declaration of Independence may spread abroad throughout all the world and prove a blessing to all mankind. Let every American remember that it is "righteousness that exalteth a nation" and that "injustice will destroy any people." "Columbia! Columbia! to glory arise, The queen of the world, the child of the skies."

The Winter Of 1875-6

As a rule, the winter of 1875-6 was pleasant in ;\Iinnesota. There was quite a severe snow storm Jan. 28, 1876, followed by pleasant weather until Februai-y 29, when there came a heavy fall of snow followed by cold weather until the last of ilarch. The snow did not melt away until the last days of ]March, when it went suddenl}-, causing floods and washouts in many parts of the country. April was a favorable month and seeding was done at the usual time.

Death Of John Hoffer

Saturday, Jan. 6, 1876, ilr. John Hoffer, residing near Alma City, met with a fatal accident near Capt. Dickerson's mill on the Agency road, not far from Maukato. He was returning home from ]\lankato with a load of lumlter and was driving a pair of spirited young horses. They became frightened by an attempt of other men and teams to pass them on the road and ran a short distance, Mr. Hoffer falling off, and the horses continuing on with the forward part of the wagon. They were finally caught without being much in.jured. Mr. Hoffer was fouud luieonscious and was cafried into Mr. Marble's house. He was apparently in a dying condition, with blood running from his mouth, nose and ears. Doctors were called, but the unfortunate nuui remained unconscious until his death about thirty-six hours after the accident. The physicians said that he had sustained a fracture of the skull at the base. It ^\'as claimed that the racing was the result of too much whisky.

Death Of Mrs. Wm. Roddle

jMts. Wm. Roddl'?, one of the pioneer women of our county and mother of Hon. "VV. H. Roddle, late secretary of state of South Dakota, died Jan. 21, 1876, of congestion of the lungs. She was sick only a short time. She was the mother of Mrs. G. W. Watkins, Mrs. Buel Welch, Mrs. Stephen R. Child, Hon. Wra. H. and Benjamin Roddle, and Mrs. C. E. Root, who died some years ago. She was a good neighbor and an exemplary woman.

Miscellaneous Happenings Of The Year

:\Ir. Alvah Kinney, of Woodville, Feb. 20, 1876, met with a sad accident near Elysian. He was thrown from his wagon by a sudden jolt, and in his fall -broke both bones of his right leg between the knee and the ankle. One of the bones protruded through the flesh when he was brought hom,e.

The residence of B. S. Lewis, Esq., now occupied by Cashier J. B. Sullivan, was built during the Centennial year by Mr. Silas Barnard, since deceased.

The Sons of Temperance, one of the oldest total abstinence societies in the United States, organized a division in Waseca, March 3, 1876. It is claimed that this is the oldest temperance society of this country, the first Division having been organized as early as Sept. 29, 1842, in the city of New York. That it has accomplished a grand work in the uplifting of humanity, is admitted by all. Several Divisions were organized in this county by Dr. M. T. Anderson, a very earnest advocate of total abstinence.

Death Op Mrs. Sbth W. Long

The following is from the Waseca Radical of March 15, 1876 : "The citizens of this place were surprised and shocked last Wednesday to hear of the death of Mrs. Sarah Long, wife of Sheriff Long, of this city, who died in Janesville, on Wednesday morning, March 8,"187G, of congestion of the lungs, after a few days of illness. The funeral services were held at the Episcopal chapel, in Waseca, last Friday; Rev. Mr. Young, of Mankato, officiating, and the remains were buried In the family lot at Wilton. She was fifty-four years of age last June. She came to Okaman with her husband in 1856, and had an extensive acquaintance in this county. Deceased was a member of the Episcopal church, and was held in high esteem by all her acquaintances. She leaves a large family

Shooting Of Young Fuller

"A sad and lamentable affair occurred in the town of Janesville, last Friday evening, March 24. Mr. James Ash, an old resident of that town, highly respected, was married last Thursday. The married couple went to St. Peter that evening where they s,-,ent the night. The next day they returned to his farm in Janesville. Just after the couple retired for the night, some of the boys and young men of the neighborhood opened the charivari by firing guns, drumining on tin pans, jingling bells, &c. He took down his shot gun and fired into the crowd. The shot struck a boy about fourteen or fifteen years of age, a son of Orlando Fuller, some of the shot striking him in the breast and penetrating into the lungs, and others striking him in the abdomen."

Fortunately the wounds did not prove to be mortal and the lad soon after recovered. The evils of the barbarous charivari were made prominent in this ease, as several protracted law suits grew out of the ait'air.

Death Of Rev. Elijah Storrs Smith

Elder Smith, as he was familiarly called, was a pioneer eleruyman of Wilton. Pie was a native of Rutland county, Vermont, and was born June 18, 1805. He was licensed to preach the gospel at the age of twenty-eight . lie married Eoxana Laws in 1829. For twenty years he was pastor of the Baptist church at Elba, Genesee counly, N. Y. He then removed to Indiana where he spent nearly three years, thence to Illinois, where he preached until 185!), when he came west to Wilton as a home missionary. He was a very faithful and patient clergyman. He and his good wife participated in all the hardships and deprivations of frontier life with Christian cheerfulness. They had no children born to them, but had two adopted daughters. One of them, :Mary, became the wife of Dr. York, of Kansas, who was murdered by the notorious Bender family of Uiat state. .Mr. Smith died of paralysis, April 7, 187(i, in his seventy-first year, and his remains lie buried in the, Wilton cemetery of which he took especial for several .years prior to his death.

Drowning Of Burt H. Taylor

One of the truly sad events in the history of "Waseca was the drowning of Burt H. Taylor, April 15, 1876. On that date, at the northwest shore of Loon Lake, within the city limits of Waseca, a son of Mr. Glidden, a lad ten or twelve years of age, took a small skiff and ventured out into an open space of water between two fields of ice. While he was paddling around, all unconscious of the dangers awaiting him, the wiad from the west drove down some floating ice, which closed in between the boat and the shore. The ice rapidly accumulated and the boy found it impossible to make his way out. He became frightened and hollooed for assistance. To add to his alarm the boat leaked some, and he had nothing but his cap with which to throw out the water. Mrs. Glidden soon discovered the perilous condition that her boy was in, and supposing the boat would be crushed by the ice and her son would be drowned, became very much alarmed and excited and cried piteously for help to rescue her boy.

Young Taylor, with the generosity and courage for which he was noted, stripped off all but his underclothing, plunged into the ice-cold water of the lake and swam to the rescue of the boy. A number of persons intently watched him as, with strong arms and noble spirit, he reached the floating ice and commenced the perilous effort of breaking through it and gaining the boat. He successfully broke through the first barrier of ice, and it seemed for a time that he would really accomplish his object. He then struggled heroically through the ice and slush which was tossed madly about him by the fierce wind until within thirty feet of the boat.

What a grand effort! Could he succeed? It seemed so, but no.' He was chilled to the vitals, or injured by the floating ice cakes, or taken with cramp ! He sank to a watery grave.

The citizens were soon aroused, and the utmost excitement prevailed. Morris Landers, with his team and wagon, took Daniel Murphy, Will Blowers, and others and went around on the south side of the lake, taking with them a boat. As soon as they reached the west side of the lake, where it was clear of ice, they launched the boat and went to the rescue of the boy who was still fast in the ice. In the mean time, Emil Sandretzky and Dr. Mcintosh came around on the north side of the lake with another boat, and and made their way through the ice, both boats reaching the boy about the same time. The ice, driven by the strong wind, immediately closed in about the boats, and it required the united strength of all on board to break their way out of the ice-gorge against the wind.

Having set the seared and chilled boy on shore, the boats then returned, with poles and grappling irons, to search for the body of young Taylor. The search was kept up until a late hour Saturday night, but owing to the high wind and the weeds and grass which cover the bottom of the lake in that vicinity, the body was not found. The search was continued all day Sunday, but without avail. There was more or less search for several days, but the body was not discovered until May 7, following, when ]\Ir. A. G. Bush, brother-in-law, of young Taylor, found the remains near the west shore of the lake, southwesterly from the place of the accident. ]\Ir. Taylor was a Master ]\lason and his remains were interred with Masonic honors.

A List Of Deaths

]Mrs. Charles Bckenbeck, one of the earliest settlers of "^"aseca, died on the 19th of April, 1876, at the age of forty-five years, of cancer of the bowels. She was a native of Germany, but had resided in America for many years. She was mother of ~Sh\ S. C. Eckenbeek, well known to all the early settlers and now in the milling business at Appleton, Minn.

;\rr. Christian Krassin, of St. ilary, aged sixty years, died on the 23d day of April, 1876. He was born in Prussia and came to America about the year 185'J. He settled first in AVisoonsin, but came to this county in 1856 and opened a farm in St. IMary township. Some four years prior to his death, he was injured severely by a ferocious bull. After this accident he never saw a well day. He was a whole-souled, industrious and prosperous farmer, a quiet citizen, a kind husband and father, and a true friend.

dent on Saturday, May 13, 1876. She had been. down to Le Sueur river washing some clothing, and while passing a colt, on her way to the house, was kicked by the brute in the stomach and abdomen so severely that, after lingering for several days in intense pain, she died on the 25th of the same month. She left a large family of children.

July 11, 1876, ilrs. Jane Soule died at the residence of her son, William, in ilorristown. Mrs. Soule, a widow with eight children, came to Minnesota in 1855 and settled in ^Morristown near our county line. She was the mother of J\[r. George Soule, for a long time a resident of this county. She was one of God's nobie mothers in Israel.

A sad and heart-rending death occurred at the home of George Murray, of Iosco, July 20, 1876. A daughter of Mr. Murray, five or six years old, was bitten by a rattlesnake on one of her feet, Sunday evening, July 16, near the house of Richard Dreever. The snake was killed and had six or seven rattles. The child lingered until the 20th, suffering great pain, when death came to her relief.

John Dunn, of Woodville, brother of J. M. Dunn and one of the early settlers, died July 21, 1876 of inflammation of the membranous lining of the skull near its base. His suffering was intense. He was about twenty-four years of age, and highly respected.

Some Marriages

There was a double wedding July 3, 1876, at the residence of Mr. and ilrs. Noah Lincoln, of Wilton, the ceremony being performed by Judge Canfield. The high contracting parties were Mr. A. D. Scullin and ]\Iiss Elva Lincoln and ilr. I. F. ScuUin and Miss Louise Lincoln. Both gentlemen were then residents of Oakland, Freeborn county.

The last marriage of note of the year was that of Mr. Clarence T. Ward, since deceased, to ]\liss Annie E. Baldwin, then of Redwood Falls, ;\Iinn. The bride was the well-known daughter of

-Judge H. D. BaldAvin, one of the prominent and early settlers of the county ; the groom was the eldest son of Hon. W. (}. Ward, late of this city. Clarence died some years ago, but his widow still resides at Redwood Falls.

A Hot Election

The Waseca village election of 1876 occurred ]\Iay 2, and was one of the most exciting ever held in the place. A strife had arisen between Hon. W. G. Ward on one side and B. S. Lewis, Esq., on the other. Each had his friends and each had pluck, ilr. Lewis had control of a paper then published in Waseca, called the "Leader." To offset the Leader's influence or supposed influence, Senator Ward empolyed the "ilinnesota Radical" to publish a large edition of extras which he sent to every voter in the village. The language used on both sides was more emphatic than elegant, and out of that contest grew a strenuously conducted libel suit by Mr. Lewis against ]\lr. Ward. It resulted in a judgment of one dollar damages and costs of suit. It Avas some yeai's before harmonious relations were re-established between the contending factions.

Gopher Day In Blooming Grove

For a number of years, the voters of Blooming Grove, at their annual town meeting voted to appropriate $25 a year for the killing of gophers. June 26, 1876, was gopher day, and >t;23.84 was distributed among the "gopher boys" that day. Samuel Remund received the highest awai-d, $-1.75, and Charles Wolf the lowest, 30 cents. The boys produced satisfactory evidence of having killed 1,548 striped gophers and 171 pocket gophers.

The Centennial Fourth Op July

The fourth of July, 187(i, was celebrated in almost every village and hamlet in the United Slates, and many of the citizens of this coimty met at Waseca 1o observe the day. Rev. Loring ofl'ei'ed prayer, Mrs. Willsey read the Declaration of Independence, Hon. i'etci' ]\lc(iovern delivered the oration, and Hon. AVin. Brisbane was county historian of the day. After referring to the general hi.story of the country, Mr. Brisbane spoke as follows of the

County Op Waseca

"On the second day of February, 1855, about 3 o'clock p. m., a weary, halfstarved party reached the recently erected shanty of Mr. Sutlief, about ten miles south of the now thriving young city of Waseca. Need I tell you how grateful they felt for the cheering warmth of that humble shanty? Hitherto, for several nights, they had spread their straw beds upon the snow, and you could have followed their trail by the blood in the cattle tracks, for there was a hard crust on the snow at that time which cut the cattle's legs.

How strangely inconsistent is the human mind! That night in the himible shanty the hearts of the little party swelled with gratitude, and they thought they were happy. But, on the morrow, the country presented such a forlorn and desolute appearance that a sort of despondency began to creep over them. The country was covered with snow, and even the trees looked short and stunted. The weather was intensely cold. Neither houses nor barns nor sheds nor fences could be seen anywhere. Like Robinson Crusoe, they were monarchs of all they surveyed. They received no letters to tell them of absent friends at home, nor newspapers to instruct or while away an hour, for the nearest postofflce was at Mankato. There was no neighbor to drop in and tender a word of comfort, for their nearest neighbors were at Owatonna, twenty miles away. Such were the surroundings of the oldest settlers in Waseca county, twenty-one years ago last February.

The scripture says that we ought not to take our flight in the winter or on the Sabbath day; yet the oldest settler of the county took his flight in the winter. Perhaps he was not well versed in scripture or else he disregarded its teachings. Be that as it may, he has learned wisdom from experience, and has now become a teacher of. men by publishing a paper of commanding influence in this village. And as everything connected with the history of that individual must be interesting, it may not be out of place to mention the difficulties he had to overcome even in getting married. In those early days when the oldest settler made up his mind to take unto himself a wife, he went to consult with the man who could make two into one, viz.. Esquire Jenkins, a man of rather eccentric character. In talking the matter over grave doubts arose whether John Jenkins was really a bona fide justice or not. Here was a rather unlooked-for dilemma. To solve the problem, John started and actually did walk on foot all the way to St. Paul to get Governor Gorman to confirm him as a legal justice of the peace, and thus empower him to bind in the holy bonds of matrimony the oldest settler of Waseca county."

"But now all is changed. Instead of traveling thirty-five miles on foot to reach a postofRce, we have plenty of them near at hand. Instead of being compelled to send East for a paper and wait four or five weeks after its publication before receiving it, we have three published in the county, and the telegraph to inform us instantly of all matters of importance. Society here, too, will bear favorable comparison with that of any other part of the country.

It is seventeen years last month since I came to Waseca county, and I have sometimes thought I was as great a fool to start in summer as the oldest settler was to start in winter. There was a track, to be sure, but nothing that could be called a road. Bridges, like angels' visits, were few and far between. I thought the clouds that floated over Minnesota were rotten and couldn't hold water, for the rain fell in torrents. I was just a month to a day coming three hundred miles.

In those days we had to go seventy miles to market - often wallowing through the mud, often through the snow - compelled at times to camp out when the thermometer ranged ten degrees below zero. I have often thought that it is a blessing that there is to be no resurrection of the brute creation, for if there were, all eternity would be spent in lawsuits for assaults and batteries upon the poor, dumb animals that hauled our wheat to Hastings. Then we had little or no time for fall plowing. The year before the railroad was built to Waseca I was nine weeks on the road to market with two teams. And what did we get a bushel for our wheat at Hastings? From forty to fifty cents. If we hired the wheat hauled, we had to pay from twenty-five to thirty cents a bushel, which left us the magnificent sum of twenty to twenty-five cents at home. This is no wild and imaginary statement. I recollect selling to ilv. Hunter four hundred bushels of wheat at thirty cents a bushel, taking it all in "store pay." I have seen the time when a pound of pork would buy only a pound of salt, in Wilton, and when butter brought only six cents a pound, and - will you believe it - the wagons still screamed for grease. We couldn't afford to grease our wagons for it took much grease to bring a little money, and yet it is just as far to New York now as then. Still we grumble, although we get from three to four times as much now for wheat as we got then. It may be asked, "How do we get so much mor? for our wheat now than then?" The question is easily answered. The power of capital and the skill of the engineer and of the mechanic have annihilated distance and brought New York to our doors. In plain language, cheap transportation has doubled and trebled the value of our wheat. * " *

I think I have alluded to the struggles and contests of rival villages and localities for the location of county seats. Waseca county has had her share of these contests. When the county was set off from Steele, some four or five places contended for the honor of having the county seat, but Wilton finally won the prize - at least every one thought so. But establishing county seats is something like nominating candidateci for the presidency. One or two prominent candidates feel quite sure that they will be nominated, but the various factions can not harmonize, and the consequence is some obscure individual steps 1o the front and wins the prize. It was just so with Wilton. She thought it was all "hunkaadora" with her, so far as I ho county seat was concerned: but one dav an engineer came along with his staff and said he wanted to locate a railroad through Waseca county. He did; and he left Wilton out in the cold. A station was established about five miles north of her, and then it began to be whispered that It would be better to have the county seat v/here the county market was. This generated a terrible local storm. The lightning flashed, the thunder rolled, and the elements jarred so that the Second Adventists declared the crack of doom had come.

"When the firing ceased and the smoke of battle cleared away, they began to look around for the dead and wounded, but not a soul was to be found. While the Wiltonians slept, the garrison fled, carrying the archives and munitions of war with them. They threw up fortifications and entrenched themselves at a place called Waseca, and then swore by the 'Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress' that they had come to stay, and stay they will. Now there is not a man in the county but is proud of the county seat. And as this is the centennial birthday of our nation, we can not do better than to banish the recollection of past feelings of animosity from our hearts, should any still linger there. Let us throw the mantle of forgiveness over all men and stand erect before God and the world, thus proving our title to true manhood. Let us forgive those who have wronged us. It is not worth while to hate when so few years are given us in which to love. Let our affections and good intentions be strengthened, that our hearts may be lighter and our hands stronger for the life work before us."

Horses Stolen And Barn Burned

On August 14, 1876, Mr. Fred Schultz, residing in Freedom, had a span of voung horses stolen from his stable, and the stable, together with another horse and some grain, was consumed by fire. Several haystacks were also burned. A fellow named George Buck was caught with the stolen horses at Minnesota Lake the next day and arrested. He was afterwards sent to prison.

The Northpibld Bank Robbery

About 2.30 p. m. of that day, three armed men entered the bank in Northfield, where Heywood, cashier. Bunker, assistant cashier, and Wilcox, clerk, were present. They immediately jumped over the counter, through a space of about two feet left for the use of the teller, and cried out, "Hold up your hands! We are going to rob the bank." One of the robbers starting to go into the vault, Heywood followed him and partially closed the vault door. The robber pushed Heywood back, and one of the other robbers came to his assistance and struck Heywood on the head with his revolver. The two then dragged Heywood again towards the vault, cursing him and telling him to open the safe, the inner door only of which was closed. At this time they drew their knives, and one of them drawing his knife across the cashier's neck, making a scratch, again ordered him to open the safe. Just at this moment Bunker attracted their attention by starting for the back door. One of them immediately fired at him, striking him in the fleshy part of the shoulder. He however, did not stop, but ran out, giving the alarm. Failing to make the brave Heywood open the safe, and hearing firing out of doors tlie robbers started out. The last one .jumping over the counter, turned, and placing the muzzle of the revolver within a foot of He>w()od's head, shot him in the right temple, killing him instantly.

About the time the three robbers entered the bank, six others, three of whom advanced from opposite ends of ^lain street , commenced firing revolvers promiscuously right and left, and yelling furiously and i)i'ofanely ''(Jet out you s - of a b - !"' The first two shots they fired into Lee & Hitchcock's front windows, cutting smooth holes through the glass and tearing great holes in the shelving inside. !Most of the windows for five hundred feet on both sides of the street bore evidence of the reckless shooting. In a few moments quite a number of citizens opened fire on the robbers. A. R. Manning and Henry AVheeler shot two of the robbers dead and wounded one or two othei-s. The pe<iple were thoroughly frightened and the robbers soon left, taking with tliem their wounded.

The whole country was thoroughly aroused. Ai-ined men in this county and throughout Southern ^Minnesota guarded the highways and watched eveiw avenue of escape until most of the bandits were killed or captured Septeml)er 27th. The following account of the capture oi the Younger brothers is from the ^Innkato Review, which said : in the memorable Hght. From him we learn that the first intelligence was brought to town by Oscar Suborn, a lad about seventeen years old, son of Ole Suborn, 'who lives in Linden township. Brown county. It seems that the four robbers came to his father's house, on Thursday morning, and asked for breakfast. They were told it was not ready, but if they would wait it would be furnished them. They said that they could not wait, and got some bread and butter, went off some distance from the house and sat down to eat it. They represented themselves as a hunting party, but the family suspected them as being the robbers, and after they left, the boy took a horse from the team his father was using to haul hay, and brought the information to Madelia, four and onequarter miles distant. The location is in the vicinity of Armstrong lake. Sheriff Glispin was one of the first to receive the intelligence, and within five minutes he and several others were mounted and started. Others were directed to go in other directions to intercept them In their retreat. The first sight Glispin's party had of them was at the right hand outlet of Hanska lake, six miles west of Madelia. Here Glispin called upon them to surrender, but they continued to retreat and shots were exchanged.

"A horse owned by a Norwegian in the pursuing party was wounded, and it is thought fatally. The robbers then waded a slough, Glispin and his party being mounted could not follow them, but had to go round - a distance of several miles. After crossing the slough the robbers made straight for the Watonwan river, which they struck and crossed, at the bend, six miles west of Madelia, and near the house of Andrew Anderson. Glispin and party crossed about a mile east and got in front of them. They saw the robbers, and drove them back into the brush of willows and plum trees lining the bank in that vicinity. By this time horsemen and teams from town and elsewhere began to arrive, and there were probably fifty persons occupying the bluffs. Here the horsemen were dismounted, and recruits called for to charge the brush. Only seven persons responded: James Glispin, sheriff; Ben. Rice, son of the ex-senator, of St. James; Capt. W. W. Murphy of Madelia; Geo. Bradford, Clias. Pomeroy, jr., T. L. Vought, of Flander's House; and Jas. Severson, clerk in Yates' store. Others were called for but they refused to respond, and the gallant little band of seven, charged the robbers, passing through the thick brush in a northerly direction until striking the river, when they deployed as skirmishers, their line being formed about five feet apart. Then moving westward, up the river, after going about fifteen rods, they ran upon the four men, secreted in thick willows. Glispin was on the extreme right of the line, advancing in an open path, and being seen by the robbers, a shot was fired at him, which he dodged by falling on his knee, at the same time returning a well-directed shot from his carbine. Seeing Glispin fall. Murphy next at hand, supposed him to be shot and he opened fire with his revolver, the rest of the party following suit in rapid succession. Glispin kept up a rapid fire and Murphy having exhausted the six chambers of his revolver, Glispin handed his revolver to Murphy, the party steadily advanced sending volley after volley at the robbers. All stood up manfully, not flinching, but each and every one doing his whole duty. In the hottest of the fray assistance was called for from those in the rear, but no one responded. Then the order to charge was given. The man who seemed in advance of the robbers was hit, ran two rods in a cornering direction from the attacking party and fell mortally wounded. Cole Younger and his brother were seen to fall and were heard groaning, and the other brother, wounded at Northfield, stepped out of the brush, saying 'Don't fire any more, we are all shot to pieces.' The pursuers ordered him to hold up his hands, which he did, and fearing that it was a plan to decoy them, Glispin told his men to take aim at the man, and then commanded him to advance and deliver his pistol to Murphy, which he did. The firing ceased, and Glispin's men advancing, found one man dead, and Cole Younger and his brother lying together on the ground badly wounded."

Two of the sang, supposed to l)e the James brothers, left the other murderers and escaped to Dakota on stolen horses. As often as their horses tired out they would turn the tired ones loose and steal others. The two were never captured. The captured ones plead guilty, thereby under a peculiar statute, escaping hanging. They were sent to state's prison for life. One of the brothers died in prison, a second committed suicide after being paroled, and Cole, the worst of the brothers, has been pardoned - to the everlasting disgrace of the state.

"The three Missouri bandits and cutthroats - Cole, Jim, and Bob Younger - made their last appearance in St. Paul yesterday. At least it is hoped that we may never look upon their ugly mugs again. Sheriff Barton, of Rice county, assisted by his son and J. H. Passon and Thomas Lloyd, accompanied the convicted scoundrels to the state prison, where they have been sentenced to remain for life. * * * Three vulgar and brutal ruffians, every one of whom richly deserves a gibbet, have passed from their reception rooms at Faribault, - where they have been flattered and pampered for weeks, (by the foolish,) and where they have received their visitors with a benignity and patronage that was something royal in its style - to the penitentiary in Stillwater. Now let the warden of the prison see that they are kept there. The legislature of Minnesota has given these wretches their miserable lives - and it is hoped that an insecure prison will not give them their liberty also."

The Fall Election

P. C. Bailey, state senator ; Anthony Sampson and Fenton Keenan, representatives; Edgar Cronkhite, auditor; C. G. Parke, court commissioner; H. K. Stearns and R. 0. Craig, county commissioners.

Railroad Bonus

The year closed with an election in Woodville and Waseca in which the people decided by a vote of 266 to 51 to issue the bonds of the town in the sum of $30,000 to aid in the construction of the M. & St. L. railway, the bonds to be issued upon the completion of the road.