Bob Younger

Bob Younger

Injured Bob Younger after his capture in 1876
Born Robert Ewing Younger
October 29, 1853
Lee's Summit, Jackson County, Missouri, USA
Died September 16, 1889 (aged 35)
Minnesota Territorial Prison, Stillwater, Minnesota, USA
Nationality American
Known for Banditry
Parent(s) Henry Washington Younger, Bersheba Leighton Fristoe
Bob Younger

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

Life

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 1876 the gang attempted to rob the First National Bank in Northfield, Minnesota. 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. Two Northfield citizens were killed in the botched raid.

Imprisonment and death

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

Film and television portrayal

External links