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ROVIN' 'ROUND By H. C. Hotaling Carl L. Weicht, editor of the North- field News, is giving monthly histori¬ cal talks over St. Olaf college radio station WCAL. In his last address he discussed the raid of the Younger and James brothers' gang on ^he North- field bank in 1876. Bank robberies to¬ day are so frequent they hardly make a stir in society outside of the com¬ munity w^here their raid is made, but in the case of the robbery of 59 years ago, all Southern Minnesota was aroused. Mr. Weicht rightly refers to the men who routed the bandits as heroes. He might also have said the same about hundreds of men who for days pursued the robbers until their capture near Madeiia. Well do I re¬ member the visit of this gang to Man¬ kato on the day previous to the raid on the Northfield bank and the murder of Cashier J. L. Heywood. Following their escape from Northfield, these men made their way westward but found it a difficult task owing to the fact the highways everywhere were guarded by armed men. Their appearance in Blue Earth county was first noted by Sebastian Kopp in Lime township north of Mankato and from that time until their capture they were hunted night and day. At Northfield two of their members were killed and others wounded, so they were not anxious to encounter any more of the Minnesotans if they could possibly evade them. From Lime township where they took Jeff Dunning, mana¬ ger of one of Henry Shaubut's large farms three and a half miles north of Mankato, a captive, they proceeded south, although that evidently was not their original intention. They had abandoned their horses near Madison Lake and were proceeding on foot through the big woods. They were not used to timber and were endeavoring to make the prairie country in Nicollet county across the Minnesota. Before releasing Dunning, they not only ex¬ acted a promise that he would not re¬ veal their presence in the community, but made inquiry as to getting across the river. They were told the only way to get over was by getting the Young brothel's, Ed and Bill, to row 5^ them over; they had a boat and some¬ times performed that service for neighbors and others. It was cloudy and rainy weather and after obtaining this-I information, they turned back to imber and Dunning at once sent Word into Mankato as to their presence. Aiter nightfall they made their way south crossing the Blue Earth river at Mankato on the bridge of the Omaha railway. The old covered wagon bridge just a short distance down stream was not only closely guarded but log chains had been interlaced so as to make it im¬ possible for anyone to drive through at night. They were discovered, how¬ ever, when making the trip across the railway bridge and a large posse of men were armed and out looking for them early the next morning, but no trace of them could be found. That those who gave their time and effort to their capture were heroes was evi¬ dent by the fact that they were pursu¬ ing a desperate and notorious gang of robbers. An incident of this was re¬ vealed following their capture six miles west of Madelia. They were brought to Mankato, and one might say placed on exhibition, as they were in the old frame depot that, in 1876, stood on Fourth street near the present Immanuel hospital, and while there told of having hidden through the day under a brush pile near Minneopa. In telling of the incident. Cole Young¬ er, I believe it was, related how nearly discovered they were and described the boy and his sawed off musket who came within a few feet of their hiding place. Said he, "Had that lad dis¬ covered us, he would never have told anyone as we had him covered." The young fellow who carried that gun was my brother Fred, now residing in Faribault. Asking Fred about it he writes: "I was in a bunch of 25 or 30 men v^rho started out from Mankato about four o'clock in the afternoon, taking to the woods near South Bend on the old Good Thunder road which, at that time, was heavily wooded. By the time we struck the woods a lot of the fellows disappeared, running to¬ ward the village of South Bend about as fast as they could go. I went on in¬ to Rapidan township to the Rogers mill, reaching there about 12 o'clock at night. There were some men there from Faribault and Mankato. One man gave me a shotgun and told me to be on guard. He was shaking from fear, i In the morning Frank Loring, a baker, drove out from Mankato and gave us som.e summer sausage, but no bread. During the day I left and made my way back to Mankato alone, going northward and striking the Minneopa road. Did not know I was near the robbers as I did not see or hear them." On their way eastward from Man¬ kato previous to the Northfield rob¬ bery, the men who wore long linen dusters and rode fine horses stopped at the foot of Glenwood ravine where the store of Devlin & Keefe now stands and watered their horses in a dam which had been constructed across Glenwood creek by Charles and Edwin Goodwin and myself. We thought they were cattle buyers, and when they asked in a gentlemanly way if they might water their horses, were given permission to do so. A picture of the dam and us kids had just previously been taken by Mr. E. F. Everitt, the pioneer photographer, who had his gallery on Cherry street. Mr. Everitt ' made thousands of stereoscopic views and I understand his old nega¬ tives were stored away for many years in the barn of Thomas Hughes, historian of Blue Earth county. Others have said the negatives are now the property of J. R. Snow, photographer. Anyway, if they are in existence, they would reveal a lot of the beauty spots of the county as well as tell some in¬ teresting stories of sixty or more years ago.
Object Description
Title | Rovin' 'Round by H.C. Hotaling |
Description | Newspaper article headlined: "Rovin' 'Round by H.C. Hotaling." In Scrapbook of Newspaper Clippings |
Date of Creation | 1935-05-17 |
Dimensions (H x W x D cm.) | 19 x 18 cm. |
Minnesota Reflections Topic | Crime and Punishment |
Item Type | Text |
Item Physical Format | Newspaper clippings |
Locally Assigned Subject Headings | James-Younger Bank Raid |
Contributing Institution |
Northfield History Collaborative Northfield Public Library |
Contact Information | Northfield Public Library, 218 Washington St. S, Northfield, MN 55057, http://www.northfieldmn.info |
Rights Management | This image may not be reproduced for any reason without the express written consent of the Northfield Public Library; http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/library/ |
Local Identifier | NPL0059 |
NHC File Name | NPL0059.jpg |
Collection Title | Northfield History Collaborative |
Subject -- Chenhall's | Category 8 - Documentary Artifact-Article |
Subject -- LCSH | Bank robberies -- Minnesota -- Northfield -- History |
Language | eng |
CDM Modified Note | arRound1 |
Description
Title | Text |
Rights Management | This image may not be reproduced for any reason without the express written consent of the Northfield Public Library; http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/library/ |
Local Identifier | NPL0059 |
NHC File Name | NPL0059.jpg |
Transcription (FullText) | ROVIN' 'ROUND By H. C. Hotaling Carl L. Weicht, editor of the North- field News, is giving monthly histori¬ cal talks over St. Olaf college radio station WCAL. In his last address he discussed the raid of the Younger and James brothers' gang on ^he North- field bank in 1876. Bank robberies to¬ day are so frequent they hardly make a stir in society outside of the com¬ munity w^here their raid is made, but in the case of the robbery of 59 years ago, all Southern Minnesota was aroused. Mr. Weicht rightly refers to the men who routed the bandits as heroes. He might also have said the same about hundreds of men who for days pursued the robbers until their capture near Madeiia. Well do I re¬ member the visit of this gang to Man¬ kato on the day previous to the raid on the Northfield bank and the murder of Cashier J. L. Heywood. Following their escape from Northfield, these men made their way westward but found it a difficult task owing to the fact the highways everywhere were guarded by armed men. Their appearance in Blue Earth county was first noted by Sebastian Kopp in Lime township north of Mankato and from that time until their capture they were hunted night and day. At Northfield two of their members were killed and others wounded, so they were not anxious to encounter any more of the Minnesotans if they could possibly evade them. From Lime township where they took Jeff Dunning, mana¬ ger of one of Henry Shaubut's large farms three and a half miles north of Mankato, a captive, they proceeded south, although that evidently was not their original intention. They had abandoned their horses near Madison Lake and were proceeding on foot through the big woods. They were not used to timber and were endeavoring to make the prairie country in Nicollet county across the Minnesota. Before releasing Dunning, they not only ex¬ acted a promise that he would not re¬ veal their presence in the community, but made inquiry as to getting across the river. They were told the only way to get over was by getting the Young brothel's, Ed and Bill, to row 5^ them over; they had a boat and some¬ times performed that service for neighbors and others. It was cloudy and rainy weather and after obtaining this-I information, they turned back to imber and Dunning at once sent Word into Mankato as to their presence. Aiter nightfall they made their way south crossing the Blue Earth river at Mankato on the bridge of the Omaha railway. The old covered wagon bridge just a short distance down stream was not only closely guarded but log chains had been interlaced so as to make it im¬ possible for anyone to drive through at night. They were discovered, how¬ ever, when making the trip across the railway bridge and a large posse of men were armed and out looking for them early the next morning, but no trace of them could be found. That those who gave their time and effort to their capture were heroes was evi¬ dent by the fact that they were pursu¬ ing a desperate and notorious gang of robbers. An incident of this was re¬ vealed following their capture six miles west of Madelia. They were brought to Mankato, and one might say placed on exhibition, as they were in the old frame depot that, in 1876, stood on Fourth street near the present Immanuel hospital, and while there told of having hidden through the day under a brush pile near Minneopa. In telling of the incident. Cole Young¬ er, I believe it was, related how nearly discovered they were and described the boy and his sawed off musket who came within a few feet of their hiding place. Said he, "Had that lad dis¬ covered us, he would never have told anyone as we had him covered." The young fellow who carried that gun was my brother Fred, now residing in Faribault. Asking Fred about it he writes: "I was in a bunch of 25 or 30 men v^rho started out from Mankato about four o'clock in the afternoon, taking to the woods near South Bend on the old Good Thunder road which, at that time, was heavily wooded. By the time we struck the woods a lot of the fellows disappeared, running to¬ ward the village of South Bend about as fast as they could go. I went on in¬ to Rapidan township to the Rogers mill, reaching there about 12 o'clock at night. There were some men there from Faribault and Mankato. One man gave me a shotgun and told me to be on guard. He was shaking from fear, i In the morning Frank Loring, a baker, drove out from Mankato and gave us som.e summer sausage, but no bread. During the day I left and made my way back to Mankato alone, going northward and striking the Minneopa road. Did not know I was near the robbers as I did not see or hear them." On their way eastward from Man¬ kato previous to the Northfield rob¬ bery, the men who wore long linen dusters and rode fine horses stopped at the foot of Glenwood ravine where the store of Devlin & Keefe now stands and watered their horses in a dam which had been constructed across Glenwood creek by Charles and Edwin Goodwin and myself. We thought they were cattle buyers, and when they asked in a gentlemanly way if they might water their horses, were given permission to do so. A picture of the dam and us kids had just previously been taken by Mr. E. F. Everitt, the pioneer photographer, who had his gallery on Cherry street. Mr. Everitt ' made thousands of stereoscopic views and I understand his old nega¬ tives were stored away for many years in the barn of Thomas Hughes, historian of Blue Earth county. Others have said the negatives are now the property of J. R. Snow, photographer. Anyway, if they are in existence, they would reveal a lot of the beauty spots of the county as well as tell some in¬ teresting stories of sixty or more years ago. |