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Bob Younger

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Bob Younger
Injured Bob Younger after his capture in 1876
Born
Robert Ewing Younger

(1853-10-29)October 29, 1853
DiedSeptember 16, 1889(1889-09-16) (aged 35)
NationalityAmerican
Known forBanditry
Parent(s)Henry Washington Younger, Bersheba Leighton Fristoe
RelativesJim Younger (brother)
John Younger (brother)
Cole Younger (brother)
Bob Younger

Robert Ewing 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 citizens included many Union army veterans who fought back effectively, and in the ensuing shootout all three of the Younger brothers were wounded and 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 pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison. He died of tuberculosis in prison at Stillwater, Minnesota on September 16, 1889, at the age of 35. His body was shipped to Lee's Summit, Missouri where a funeral was held. He was buried in the Lee's Summit Cemetery.

Film and television portrayal