Younger Brothers captured once again

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

MADELIA -- When it comes to telling the story of capturing those infamous outlaws, the Younger brothers, folks in Madelia go all out, including stenciling the outlaws' images in the crosswalks.

Adding to the aura is a mural depicting the capture which runs nearly the full length of the Christensen Building at the end of main street. It was commissioned by Everett M. Christensen Jr., and the Younger Brothers mural was painted by the Sweere Brothers--Ryan, Jonathan and Craig--of the Twin Cities in 1998.

On Saturday, the community relived the turn-of-events Sept. 21, 1876, that led to the "Magnificent Seven" from Madelia capturing the men who were part of a failed attempt to rob a Northfield bank two weeks earlier during its fifth annual "Younger Brothers Capture Celebration."

With Rex MacBeth of Eagle Lake as narrator, the story unfolds during an hour-long theater-in-the-street production on Madelia's main street. With Adeline Yates Nagel directing, local volunteers donned Old-West style clothing, fired blanks from revolvers, shotguns and rifles of the era and rode horses in recreating the event.

With the Farmers State Bank "acting" as the Northfield bank, eight outlaws, representing Frank and Jesse James, Bob, Jim and Cole Younger, Charlie Pitts, William Stiles, aka Bill Chadwell, and Clell Miller, lay siege to the bank.

A bank cashier and a local citizen are killed by the outlaws while the defenders fatally wound Chadwell and Miller.

The attack repulsed, the remaining outlaws split up into two groups in making their escape. The James brothers head to the west and get safely into South Dakota.

The Younger brothers and Pitts, all suffering wounds, are chased by a Northfield posse in a southwesterly direction toward Madelia.

When the outlaws cross the Ole Sorbel farm near Madelia, Sorbel's son recognizes them as the Northfield bandits and reports it to Sheriff James Glispin.

A posse is organized and pursues the outlaws who make their last stand in a thicketed, swampy area in the Watonwan River bottom. It's there that seven of the posse's best marksmen confront them, and Pitts is shot to death and the Younger brothers are injured and taken into custody.

As Macbeth notes, the Younger brothers are grateful for not being shot or hanged on the spot. The brothers are depicted getting medical treatment and food in Madelia before being taken to Faribault to stand trial.

Doug Bottin who portrayed Sheriff Glispin was recognized for his performance, and Macbeth gave a tribute to those died and survived the terrorist attack on New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon, as well as the hijacking victims.

The reenactment ended with a mounted color guard and the singing of the National Anthem by 12-year-old Ashley Sullivan.

The day's events wound up with an all-horse Western Grand Parade with Macbeth as grand marshal, a steak fry at the American Legion and a western supper of Greek bison sandwich, potatoes, bean, watermelon and ice cream at the VFW.