John Younger
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John Harrison Younger (1851 – March 17, 1874) Was an American outlaw, he was the brother of Cole, Jim and Bob.
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[edit] Biography
He was the 11th child of Henry Washington Younger and Bersheba Leighton Fristoe's 14 children and their 5th son, the third to survive into adulthood.
John and his younger brother Bob were too young to join the guerrillas so they stayed at home to look after their mother and sisters.
In January, 1866, Bob and John drove their mother to Independence, Missouri to purchase winter supplies. Recognising the family from his military days a soldier came up to the car and made some comments about Cole. John told him to be quiet and the soldier slapped him around the face with a frozen fish, John got out his pistol and shot him between the eyes.
After an examination of the dead body it was revealed the soldier was carrying a sling shot, so the killing was ruled as self-defence.
The Youngers headed to Texas for a peaceful life until Bersheba became ill, so the boys (with the exception of Cole) took her back to Missouri to die.
As soon as they arrived they were harassed, Bob was knocked unconscious and John was hanged four times(?), this was too much for Bersheba, and she died on June 6, 1870, her 54th birthday.
After Bersheba's funeral John and Bob met up with Jim and, because it was not safe to stay in one place, they often moved between Missouri and Texas.
On Jan 20, 1871 he shot and killed 2 Texas Deputy Sherriffs[1].
In 1873 Jim, John and Bob Younger joined the James-Younger gang.
On 17 March 1874 Jim and John were headed to some friends in Roscoe, Missouri. Several men came up to them and asked them for directions. Suspecting that they were detectives a shootout began, John was shot through the neck and died. Jim buried him by the roadside to avoid the law digging him up. Later he dug him up again and buried him in an unmarked grave in the cemetery.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
[edit] Further reading
Books:
External links:
- Younger family genealogy on the official website for Frank & Jesse James Ancestry
