and ran out to my father and said, “there goes the robbers.” But his father said they were not, and told him to go and attend to his milking. He milked one cow and put the pail inside the gate and ran up the rode which they had gone up. His father halloed after him to come back and to take care of the cows, for if they were the robbers, they would shoot him. He ran on to Mars Ouren's, and asked if he saw the two men pass by. He said he did not see any, when the boy asked the man to go with him to see where the men had gone, but he responded by saying he had no time. He then started off alone, and told Christensen's folks about it, and went on the roof of the house to look around, but could see nobody. He then hurried up to a big hill, and still could not see anybody. When he returned, his father told him that four men had been to get something to eat,
SAYING THEY WERE HUNTERS
and fishers, and asked where they could catch the best fish. The boy ran over to Ouren's again and told them—his father objecting to his going, saying the men would shoot him. His father hitched up the horse in the wagon, but, seeing the boy so anxious to go, said he might take one of the horses and go and tell the people what he had seen, if he went the east road. He at once started for Madelia, riding at the utmost strength of the horse, which once fell and covered him with mud.
“I PICKED UP MYSELF FIRST,”
“and then the horse,” he said, “and was soon off again,” shouting to everybody to look out, the robbers were about. But no one would believe a word he said. At last he came to the hotel and saw Thomas Vought, who said they might believe him, because he always spoke the truth. He then gave up his horse and returned in a wagon. The people left him to take care of the horses, and they went down to the north branch of the river, by Andrew Andersen's. He heard the shooting, but saw nothing till the men were caught.
DURING THE WHOLE NIGHT
the utmost order prevailed, and no word was spoken of lynching, everybody stating that if such a thing was attempted, they would protect the prisoners with their lives. An inquest was held on the dead man and a verdict found in substance that the man met with his death from the hand of one of the citizens of Madelia while resisting arrest.
THE ROBBERS' LEVEE.
The next morning the Flanders House was literally crammed with [pg 57] eager people, anxious to see the captive bandits, and the street in front was thronged with an equally anxious crowd.
Cole Younger frankly acknowledged their identity, saying that he was Cole, born the 15th of January, 1844. The man lying by his side, he said, was his brother James, and the other, slightly wounded, Robert, their respective ages being 28 and 22 years.