The Northfield Tragedy; or, the Robber's Raid: A Thrilling Narrative; A history of the remarkable attempt to rob the bank at Northfield, Minnesota; the Cold-Blooded Murder of the Brave Cashier and an Inoffensive Citizen. The Slaying of Two of the Brigands. The Wonderful Robber Hunt and Capture Graphically Described. Biographies of the Victims, the Captors & the Notorious Younger and James Gang of DesperadoesHanson, J. H. (Joseph Have)
History
The Northfield Tragedy; or, the Robber's Raid: A Thrilling Narrative; A history of the remarkable attempt to rob the bank at Northfield, Minnesota; the Cold-Blooded Murder of the Brave Cashier and an Inoffensive Citizen. The Slaying of Two of the Brigands. The Wonderful Robber Hunt and Capture Graphically Described. Biographies of the Victims, the Captors & the Notorious Younger and James Gang of Desperadoes
Hanson, J. H. (Joseph Have)
Bank robberies -- Minnesota -- Northfield -- History -- 19th century
At first he seemed rather reluctant to talk much, and when asked his name,
he said it was George Huddleston, to which the writer replied, “Oh, I know
who you are,” when he said, with a cheering smile, “Yes, most people know
me in St. Paul. I stayed at the Merchants, and was there when the Red Caps
went to Winona to play the Clippers. I afterwards went over to Minneapolis
and stopped at the Nicollet, but on my return to St. Paul, I registered at
the European.”
“But are you not a brother to the two men in the other room?” was asked.
“Yes, we are brothers; we are all brothers, sir,” was the reply.
“And they say you are the Youngers. Of course, I know Cole, but I would
like to know if you are Jim or Bob?”
“I will tell you in the morning,” he said. “I would rather not say
anything now. The others will tell you anything you wish to know.”
But by chatting familiarly with him, many facts of interest were elicited.
He spoke of the Northfield escapade, and said it was the first of the kind
he ever was in. When asked about his wound in the right arm, if it was not
from the carbine of Wheeler, he stated that he thought it was from the
pistol of Bates—he did not see Wheeler. His arm dropped on his leg as
described, he said, which led to the belief that he was wounded in the
leg.
In speaking of the dead men at Northfield, the writer said that there was
some uncertainty whether the big man was Miller or Pitts. The prisoner
promptly said, with a smile, “It was not Miller.”
He expressed himself freely as to his poor
OPINION OF THE DETECTIVES,
and gave an account of his party’s wanderings from Mankato. He said all
six crossed the railroad bridge together. They came right through the town
on the railroad track. They knew, he said, the other bridge was guarded,
for he saw the guards; and then, hastily correcting himself, he said:
“We knew the bridge was watched, and then hastily crossed over on the
trestle bridge. We got some melons out of a garden, and on the right of
the railroad, a little further down, we got two old hens and one chicken,
the only fowls on the place, and then went on to the place where we were
disturbed when getting our breakfast ready. We had it all ready to cook
when”
WE HEARD THE MEN
“running and shouting up the line and as quickly as we could we got out
and crossed the State road (Garden City road.) If we had not left our
bridles, the police would not have known we had been there. I had but one
arm and I seized my blankets. If I had had two, I should have tried to
carry away some of the chicken, for we were dreadfully hungry. After
crossing the road we went southeast to the river, ran half a mile up the
stream and there laid down all day.”
Asked if he did not hear shots fired, he said he did, and saw one of the
pursuers within twenty yards of him,
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