ed regime I was in the storeroom.

Jan. 25, 1884, when we had been in the prison something over seven years,
the main prison building was destroyed by fire at night. George P. Dodd,
who was then connected with the prison, while his wife was matron, and who
still lives in Buffalo, Minn., said of our behavior that night:

"I was obliged to take the female convicts from their cells and place them
in a small room that could not be locked. The Youngers were passing and
Cole asked if they could be of any service. I said: 'Yes, Cole. Will you
three boys take care of Mrs. Dodd and the women?' Cole answered: 'Yes, we
will, and if you ever had any confidence in us place it in us now.' I
told him I had the utmost confidence and I slipped a pistol to Cole as I
had two. Jim, I think, had an ax handle and Bob a little pinch bar. The
boys stood before the door of the little room for hours and even took the
blankets they had brought with them from their cells and gave them to the
women to try and keep them comfortable as it was very cold. When I could
take charge of the women and the boys were relieved, Cole returned my
revolver."

Next morning Warden Reed was flooded with telegrams and newspaper
sensations: "Keep close watch of the Youngers;" "Did the Youngers escape?"
"Plot to free the Youngers," and that sort of thing.

The warden came to his chief deputy, Abe Hall, and suggested that we be
put in irons, not that he had any fear on our account, but for the effect
on the public.

"I'll not put irons on 'em," replied Hall.

And that day Hall and Judge Butts took us in a sleigh down town to the
county jail where we remained three or four weeks. That was the only time
we were outside the prison enclosure from 1876 till 1901.

When H. G. Stordock became warden, I was made librarian, while Jim carried
the mail and Bob was clerk to the steward where we remained during the
administration of Wardens Randall and Garvin, except Bob, who wasted away
from consumption and died in September, 1889.

When Warden Wolfer came to the prison, he put Jim in charge of the mail
and the library, and I was set at work in the laundry temporarily while
the new hospital building was being made ready. I was then made head
nurse in the hospital, and remained there until the day we were paroled,
Warden Reeve, who was there for two years under the administration of Gov.
Lind, leaving us there.

Every one of these wardens was our friend, and the