Bob Younger



Robert Ewing Younger (October 29, 1853 - September 16, 1889) was an American criminal and outlaw, the younger brother of Cole and Jim Younger, he was a member of the James-Younger gang.

Born in Missouri on October 29, 1853, Robert was the thirteenth of fourteen children born to Henry Washington Younger and Bersheba Leighton Fristoe. During the Civil War his brothers Cole and Jim rode with Quantrill's Raiders. Bob was only 8 when the war broke out in 1861. He saw his father killed by Union soldiers and his home burned to the ground.

After the war, his brothers formed the James-Younger gang with Frank and Jesse James. For ten years the gang robbed banks, trains, and stage coaches across Missouri, Kansas, and other nearby states. Bob Younger is believed to have first joined the gang in 1873.

In September of 1876 the gang robbed a bank in Minnesota and killed a clerk. The townspeople decided to fight back, and in the ensuing shootout all three of the Younger brothers were captured. Bob was wounded in the elbow and later in the chest.

Bob Younger was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. He died of tuberculosis in prison on September 16th, 1889 aged 35 years. His body lies buried in the Lee's Summit Historical Cemetery in Lee's Summit, Missouri.

External Links:


 * Younger family genealogy on the official website for the family of Jesse James: Stray Leaves, A James Family in America Since 1650

Bob Younger