The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1901-1901, 1901-07-11
WERE A BAD LOT.
Release of the Youngers Recalls Their
Daring and Bloody Deeds.

I'll yC0CCAu0y AA 0PPIONAHS -
governors parole of the notorious
Younger brothers, recalls their ex-
ploits.
Cole, Jim and Bob Younger were the
most desperate and notorious gueril-
las, bandits, trainrobbers and bank
robbers ever produced by the wes,.
Bob died in Saltwater prison in 1889.
The brothers were Missouri born,
Thomas Coleman Younger in 1874;
Jim in 1850, John, who was hanged IN
Texas, in 1916; Bob in 1853.
Their father was Henry w. Younger,
county Judge and member of the legis-
lature. Judge Younger's property was
destroyed at the beginning of the civil
was in a raid by the Kansas Jayhawk-
ers. Cole, then II, joined Quantrells
guerillas, becoming lieutenant and
terror to Union soldiers. When
Quantrell was killed, Cole Younger
joined Gen. E. Kirby Smith and COM
manded a force of guerillas in Louis
lana. He was raising regiment III
California for the confederate govern
ment when Lee surrendered. He re-
turned to Missouri to learn that his
father and two sisters had been killed
and not dollar left of the family
wealth.
The Younger brothers , the two
James boys and other desperate char
acters who could not be tanned to civil
order became bandits. Their first raid
was on the Clay County Savings as
sociation at Liberty, Mo. They ro'bed
it of $4,000 and escaped with sher-
ifs posse in vain pursuit.
In January 1866, Cole sent mis- bro
Their John, then IA, to get a pistol re-
paired at Independence. John was
recognized as one of the Younger
brothers by a union soldier. There
was a fight in which the boy shot the
soldier dead. John was arrested, but
released, when it was learned that
the soldier had been armed.
Five of the Younger gang rode into
Lexington, Mo-, on October 80, 1866,
and handed a $50 bill to the cashier of
the banking house of Alexander Nit
chell to be cashed. AS the cashier
opened his drawer the desperadoes
drew their pistols and forced him to
give up it's contents-$2,OOO.
The same gang rode into Savannah,
Mo-, on March 2, 1867, and tried to rob
Judge McLain's bank at the point of
the pistol The Judge resisted, and he
was shot down.
Fourteen of the bandits then de-
| scended on Richmond, Mo-, on May %
| 1867, terrorized the citizens and stole
$4,000 from the bank of Hughes & Ma
son. They killed the mayor, the jailel
and his son in an attempt to liberate
members of the gang who were incar
cerated there.
After hot fight at Russellville, KY.
on March 20, 1868, the gang looted the
town of $4,000 cash and escaped.
| Cole Younger entered a horse in {
race at Bartrap, La, soon afterwards
The stakes were $1,000 side. COLI
claimed foul, but the money wal
awarded to his opponent, planter
Cole shot the stakeholder. two judges
five others and escaped to Missouri.
In December, 1869, the Youngers
with the James boys and their follow
ers, raided Gallatin, Mo-, robbed tn
bank and killed the cashier, Captain
John w. Sheets. They were pursue
: by a posse, but got away. The poss
captured the house of the brothers an
tortured John in an effort to learn tn
hiding place of the others. John file
to Dallas, Tex, where in 1871 he mu
dered the sheriff of the county, Cal
tain S. w. Nichols, and went back
Missouri to join his brothers.
The gang plundered the bank ;
Corydon, Iowa, June 3, 1871. The
took $4,000, called a meeting of cit
zens and harrangued them on politi,
It at the points of their pistols. The
they rode away yelling and laughin
- The Youngers and James boys ne
robbed the bank at Columbia, K.
killed the cashier. but got only $40
y They descended on the Kansas CT
:. fair and robbed the association of OF
- days receipts. 100000. in the presen
of 1000 people.
On May 1, 1873. the gang looted Il
Savings association of St. Genevive
~ $4,1O0.
Their train-robbing exploits beg
=, in July. 1873. when they wrecked
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific {
=. press in Iowa, killed the engineer Al
80 IL passengers and stole $4,000. A 81
les of stage coach and train robberi
followed on the Missouri Pacific, IT.
"a Mountain, Kansas Pacific and 9th
in lines.
John was caught and hanged in Tt