Ft. Smith News-Record—The recent pardoning of Cole Younger has brought to light the fact that one of the old citizens of Fort Smith was present at the wedding of Cole Younger.

I has been currently reported in this vicinity for years that Cole Younger and Belle Starr were husband and wife, but to the majority of people this was regarded as a mere tradition, but its corroboration by a witness to the marriage, removes al doubt from the question.

The man who witnessed the wedding was Mike Harrington, who has resided in this city for forty years or more and followed the avocation of teaming with al freight was transported to the country west of us in wagon trains.

This morning a party of old citizens were discussing the pardoning of Cole Younger in the officer of Justice Edmondson, when some one expressed a doubt as to the reported marriage.

“I know they were married,” spoke up Mike Harrington, who up to that time had taken no part in the discussion. “I was present at the wedding and saw them married. It tool place down in Texas and they were married on horseback. I had known both of them by sight for some time, so there was no possibility of my having been mistaken.

During her early life Pearl Starr, the daughter of Belle Starr, was always known as Pearl Younger and on her many visits to this city to attend court, Belle Starr always introduced her daughter as Pearl Younger, a daughter of the celebrated bandit.

In speaking of the statement made by Mike Harrington, an old citizen said:

“I do not know whether the two were married or not, but I do know that Belle Starr was with the Youngers for many years before they go into that trouble in Minnesota. They took her to old Sam Starr’s house and it was while with them that she became acquainted with Jim Reed, the robber captain she married after Cole younger was sent to the penitentiary. She took the name of Starr after he was drowned. Sam Starr and Frank West killed each other at a dance near her home in Younger’s bend. It was several years after this that she married Jim July, a Creek, who took the name of Starr. That was a case of the wife conferring the name on the husband, instead of her taking the husband’s name. July was an uncle of Naomi July, who was a member of the Buck gang and was hanged here several years ago.”

A dispatch to the News-Record from St. Paul, Minn., this afternoon says that Cole Younger will probably leave there for Missouri next Tuesday noon. He has received a number of offers of employment and assistance from his Missouri friends, one of which appeals strongly to him, being to raise stock in Texas.

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