James-Younger gang

The James-Younger Gang was a gang of American outlaws, that included (but was not limited to), the Younger Brothers (Cole Younger, Jim Younger, John Younger and Bob Younger), the James Brothers (Jesse James and Frank James), the Miller Brothers (Clell Miller and Ed Miller), Charlie Pitts, John Jarrette (the Younger's brother-in-law), and later, the Ford Brothers (Robert Ford (outlaw) and Charlie Ford) and The Hite Brothers (Wood Hite and Clarence Hite).

Many people are said to have ridden with either James' or Younger's gang, but often times there is no proof, debatable proof, or the person only rode with the gang for a short time.

Contents

1 Robberies

2 Miscellaneous

3 See also

4 James-Younger Gang in Movies

5 External links

6 Sources

Robberies

The James-Younger Gang started out robbing banks because most of them were Confederate guerilla fighters during the American Civil War and could not surrender because they might be shot. Jesse and Frank James, Cole and Jim Younger, John Jarrette and Clell Miller were all former guerillas.

Their first robbery was committed on February 13, 1866 at 2:00 PM in Liberty, Missouri. Frank James, Cole Younger, John Jarrette (who was married to Cole's sister Josie), Oliver Shepard, Bud and Donny Pence, Frank Greg, Bill and James Wilkerson, Joab Perry, Ben Cooper, Red Mankus and Allen Parmer (who was married to Jesse's sister Susan), robbed the Clay County Savings Association of $60,000. George Wymore, a student on his way to school was killed by the robbers outside.

They next robbed Alexander Mitchell and Company Bank in Lexington, Missouri on Ocotber 30, 1866. Frank and Jesse James, Cole Younger and John Jarrette were the robbers and the take was $2011.50.

The gang waited a year and a half before the next robbery on March 20, 1868. Frank and Jesse James, Cole Younger, Oliver and George Shepard and John Jarrette robbed the Nimrod Long Banking Company in Russellville, Kentucky, killing Bank President Nimrod Long and taking $14,000 in the process. George Shepard was caught by a posse after this robbery.

On December 7, 1868, Frank and Jesse James robbed the Davies County Savings Bank in Gallatin, Missouri for $700. Jesse killed bank clerk John Sheets when he pulled gun on Frank.

The gang took a couple of years off at this time. John Jarrette and his wife, Josie, were killed in a house fire in 1868, so he was no longer part of the gang. They would now form the nucleus of the gang which made them infamous.

On June 3, 1871, Frank and Jesse James, Cole Younger and Clell Miller robbed the Bank of Corydon in Corydon, Iowa for either $6000 or $45,000. Stories vary as to what the actual take was.

On April 29, 1872, the same group robbed the Bank of Columbia in Columbia, Kentucky for $600.

On May 23, 1872, Frank and Jesse James, Cole and John Younger and Bill Chadwell robbed the Savings Association Bank in St. Genevieve, Missouri of $4000.

The next one is an uncofirmed robbery. Frank and Jesse James reportedly robbed the Kansas City Fair on September 26, 1872 of $978.

The next confirmed robbery was on July 21, 1873 near Casey, Nebraska, when the gang decided to try robbing a train. They picked the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. Jesse James, Cole, Jim, John and Bob Younger (the only time all four Younger's robbed together), Clell Miller, Charlie Pitts and Bill Chadwell robbed the train of $3000. Train Engineer John Rafferty was killed when he was crushed by the train when the robbers derailed the tracks so that they could stop the train. They had expected $100,000 in gold but it was not there.

Another unconfirmed robbery occurred on January 15, 1874. Frank and Jesse James, Cole and Jim Younger and Clell Miller reportedly robbed the Concord Stagecoach near Malvern, Arkansas for $4000.

The gang decided to try another train robbery on January 31, 1874. Frank and Jesse James, Cole, John and Bob Younger, Clell and Ed Miller, Jim Reed and Jim Cummins robbed the Iron Mountain Railroad near Gad's Hill, Missouri for $22,000.

On March 15, 1874, Pinkerton agents Louis Lull and James Wright (lawman), rode with Osceola, Missouri Deputy Sheriff Edwin Daniels in search fo the Youngers. They encountered John and Bob Younger in the road. John saw them and told them to stop. Wright took off and Jim shot his hat off as he kept on riding away. Lull and Daniels tried to pass themselves off as cattle buyers, but the Youngers knew better. John lowered a shotgun at Daniels and Lull shot John in the neck, which triggered his shotgun to shoot Lull. Lull took off and John rode after him and shot him again then fell out of his saddle, dead. Jim killed Daniels and took John home to bury him. Lull died several weeks later.

The gang robbed another train, the Kansas Pacific Railroad near Muncie, Kansas on December 8, 1874. Frank and Jesse James, Cole and Bob Younger, Clell and Ed Miller, Jim Cummins and Bud McDaniels robbed the train for $30,000. McDaniels was caught by a posse after the robbery.

On January 26, 1875, the Pinkertons surrounded the James farm. They demanded that Frank and Jesse surrender. Neither of them were there but a Pinkerton threw a bomb into the house which exploded and mangled their mother Zerelda's right arm and killed their 9-year old half brother, Archie Samuel.

On May 13, 1875, Frank and Jesse James, Cole and Bob Younger robbed a store in Clinton, Missouri for $300.

On September 1, 1875, the gang ventured way out of their local area. They robbed the Huntington Bank in Huntington, West Virginia. Frank James, Cole Younger, Thompson McDaniels and Tom Webb robbed the bank for $10,000 but paid heavy costs. McDaniels was killed by a posse and Webb was caught.

On July 7, 1876, Frank and Jesse James, Cole, Jim and Bob Younger, Charlie Pitts, Bill Chadwell and Hobbs Kerry robbed the Missouri Pacific Railroad near Otterville, Missouri for $15,000. Kerry was arrested after spending some of his take and he readily identified his accomplices.

The gang next planned another far away robbery, the infamous Northfield, Minnesota Raid. They planned to rob the First National Bank of Northfield. The bank supposedly held $200,000 at any given time. Frank and Jesse James, Cole, Jim and Bob Younger, Charlie Pitts, Clell Miller and Bill Chadwell attempted the robbery on September 7, 1876 at 2:00 PM. Jesse, Bob and Pitts entered the bank. Cole and Miller stayed out front. Frank, Jim and Chadwell were guarding them down the street. The townspeople were suspicious. A hardware dealer named J.A. Allen walked up to Miller and asked him what was going on and was told by Miller to get away. Allen alerted the town who armed themselves. In the bank, bank teller Joseph Heywood refused to open the safe, claiming it was on a time lock. Cole stuck his head in the door to warn them about the armed townspeople who were arriving outside and they grabbed some money on the counter, $26.70, and left. Pitts shot Heywood and killed him on his way out.

Outside, the townspeople opened fire on the robbers which started a huge shootout as the robbers tried to escape. Jesse was just missed by a bullet that went through his open vest. Miller was shot in the face, Pitts was shot in the ankle and shoulder, Frank was shot in the leg. Jesse rode up and grabbed Frank's arm to lead him out of town. The Youngers and Pitts, all wounded, followed. Miller and Chadwell lay dead in the street.

The gang gathered to decide what to do next. There is a legend that Jesse wanted to shoot one of the Younger's due to his wounds and that Cole stood him down but Cole said it never happened in interviews later on. The James' went one way and made it back to Missouri. The Youngers and Pitts travelled 80 miles to Madelia, Minnesota, where a posse surrounded them and killed Pitts. The Youngers surrendered and were given 25-year sentences in prison. The James boys got away and hid out in Kentucky for awhile under assumed names.

Bob Younger died in prison of tuberculosis at age 36 in 1889. Cole and Jim were both released in 1901 but Jim could not cope and shot himself the next year. He was 54. Cole lived until 1916, when he died at age 72. The Youngers never gave up the James boys when they were in prison. They were too loyal for that. They ended up being model prisoners and even helped keep other prisoners from escaping during a fire at the prison one time.

Frank and Jesse soon decided to form a new gang to commit more robberies. They recruited their cousins, the Hite brothers, Wood and Clarence, Dick Liddell and Ed Miller, Clell's brother.

On October 8, 1879, they robbed the Chicago and Alton Railroad near Blue Cut, Missouri. Frank and Jesse, Wood Hite, Dick Liddell, Ed Miller, Billy Ryan and Tucker Basham robbed the train for either $6000 or $35,000. The take is up for dispute. Basham was captured by a posse. He got 10 years and informed on Bill Ryan, but did not give up the James boys.

On September 3, 1880, Jesse James and Bill Ryan robbed a stagecoach near Mammoth Cave, Kentucky for $5000.

On March 11, 1881, Frank and Jesse James, Dick Liddell and Bill Ryan robbed a canal project near Muscle Shoals, Alabama for $5000.

Another unconfirmed robbery occurred on July 10, 1881, Frank and Jesse James, Wood Hite, Dick Liddell and Charlie Ford reportedly robbed Davis and Sexton Bank in Riverton, Iowa for $5000.

On July 15, 1881, Frank and Jesse James, Dick Liddell, Wood and Clarence Hite robbed the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad near Winston, Missouri for $900. Train engineer William Westfall was killed when he would not cooperate with the outlaws.

On September 7, 1881, Frank and Jesse James, Wood and Clarence Hite, Dick Liddell and Charlie Ford robbed the Chicago and Alton Railroad for $1200 near Glendale, Missouri. This was the gang's last robbery.

Creed Chapman and John Bugler were arrested for participating in the robbery (they were members though never convicted).

In December 1881, Wood Hite was killed by Dick Liddell in an argument over Martha Bolton, the Ford's sister. His brother Clarence, was given 25 years in 1882 for his part but died of tuberculosis in prison.

Missouri's governor, Thomas Crittenden, gave Charlie and Bob Ford immunity if they would kill or capture Jesse James.

On April 13, 1882, Jesse had the Ford brothers over to his house. He took off his gunbelt and turned his back to straighten a picture, and Bob pulled his gun and shot him behind the ear, killing him instantly. After hearing about this, Frank turned himself in.

On October 4, 1882, Frank James was acquitted of all of his crimes. His jury of peers consisted mostly of old Confederates.

Frank died in 1915 at age 72.

Miscellaneous

Jesse James frequently wrote denials of his crimes that were published in newspapers.

The James' and Younger's were only distant cousins by marriage. The Hite's were 1st cousins of the James'.

The Younger's were blood-related distant cousins of the Dalton brothers of the infamous Dalton Gang that were killed in the attempted robbery in Coffeyville, Kansas in 1892.

It is said that the gang would not rob former Confederate soldiers if they were identified as so during a robbery.