Jim Younger
Encyclopedia
James Hardin "Jim" Younger (January 15, 1848 - October 19, 1902) was a notable American outlaw
and member of the James-Younger gang
. He was the brother of Cole
, John
and Bob Younger
on January 15, 1848. He was the ninth of fourteen children born to Henry Washington Younger
and Bersheba Leighton Fristoe
. Jim Younger joined the Confederate Army during the American Civil War
with his brother Cole
, eventually joining Quantrill's Raiders
in 1864. Jim was later captured by Union troops in the same ambush that resulted in William Quantrill
's death. Jim was imprisoned until the end of the war.
After the war Jim tried his hand at various activities, including starting a horse ranch. In 1873 he joined the James-Younger gang
, a gang founded by his brother Cole
along with Frank
and Jesse James
.
It's uncertain how much time he spent with the gang, but he was present when his brother John
was killed by Pinkertons
in Roscoe, Missouri
in 1874. He left the gang and spent the next two years working a ranch in San Luis Obispo, California.
. Part of his jaw was shot off and he was captured and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was paroled in 1901 with his brother Cole
. After his release he became engaged to Alix Mueller, who had met him in prison 20 years after the Northfield robbery. Due to the terms of his parole however Jim couldn't marry, so he committed suicide on October 19, 1902. His body was returned to Lee's Summit, Missouri
for burial.
played Younger in an episode of Jim Davis
's syndicated
western
television series, Stories of the Century
.
In the 1972 filmThe Great Northfield Minnesota Raid
he was portrayed by Luke Askew
.
In the 1980 film The Long Riders
, he was portrayed by Keith Carradine
.
In the 2001 film American Outlaws
he was portrayed by Gregory Smith.
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
and member of the James-Younger gang
James-Younger gang
The James-Younger Gang was a notable 19th-century gang of American outlaws that included Jesse James.The gang was centered in the state of Missouri. Membership fluctuated from robbery to robbery, as the outlaws' raids were usually separated by many months...
. He was the brother of Cole
Cole Younger
Thomas Coleman "Cole" Younger was an American Confederate guerrilla during the American Civil War and later an outlaw with the James-Younger gang...
, John
John Younger
John Harrison Younger was an American outlaw, the brother of Cole, Jim and Bob.-Biography:He was the 11th child of Henry Washington Younger and Bersheba Leighton Fristoe's 14 children and their 5th son, the fourth to survive into adulthood.In July, 1862, his father was shot and killed while on a...
and Bob Younger
Bob Younger
Robert Ewing "Bob" Younger 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:...
Life
Born in MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
on January 15, 1848. He was the ninth of fourteen children born to Henry Washington Younger
Henry Washington Younger
Henry Washington Younger was a businessman and father to the Younger outlaws Cole, Jim, John and Bob. He was the father of fourteen children...
and Bersheba Leighton Fristoe
Bersheba Leighton Fristoe
Bersheba Fristoe Younger, born Bersheba Leighton Fristoe was an American woman who was the mother of the famed Younger Outlaws Cole, Jim, John and Bob. She was born in McMinnville, Tennessee the daughter of judge Richard Marshall Fristoe and Mary L. Fristoe...
. Jim Younger joined the Confederate Army during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
with his brother Cole
Cole Younger
Thomas Coleman "Cole" Younger was an American Confederate guerrilla during the American Civil War and later an outlaw with the James-Younger gang...
, eventually joining Quantrill's Raiders
Quantrill's Raiders
Quantrill's Raiders were a loosely organized force of pro-Confederate Partisan rangers, "bushwhackers", who fought in the American Civil War under the leadership of William Clarke Quantrill...
in 1864. Jim was later captured by Union troops in the same ambush that resulted in William Quantrill
William Quantrill
William Clarke Quantrill was a Confederate guerrilla leader during the American Civil War. After leading a Confederate bushwhacker unit along the Missouri-Kansas border in the early 1860s, which included the infamous raid and sacking of Lawrence, Kansas in 1863, Quantrill eventually ended up in...
's death. Jim was imprisoned until the end of the war.
After the war Jim tried his hand at various activities, including starting a horse ranch. In 1873 he joined the James-Younger gang
James-Younger gang
The James-Younger Gang was a notable 19th-century gang of American outlaws that included Jesse James.The gang was centered in the state of Missouri. Membership fluctuated from robbery to robbery, as the outlaws' raids were usually separated by many months...
, a gang founded by his brother Cole
Cole Younger
Thomas Coleman "Cole" Younger was an American Confederate guerrilla during the American Civil War and later an outlaw with the James-Younger gang...
along with Frank
Frank James
Alexander Franklin "Frank" James was a famous American outlaw. He was the older brother of outlaw Jesse James.-Childhood:...
and Jesse James
Jesse James
Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...
.
It's uncertain how much time he spent with the gang, but he was present when his brother John
John Younger
John Harrison Younger was an American outlaw, the brother of Cole, Jim and Bob.-Biography:He was the 11th child of Henry Washington Younger and Bersheba Leighton Fristoe's 14 children and their 5th son, the fourth to survive into adulthood.In July, 1862, his father was shot and killed while on a...
was killed by Pinkertons
Pinkerton National Detective Agency
The Pinkerton National Detective Agency, usually shortened to the Pinkertons, is a private U.S. security guard and detective agency established by Allan Pinkerton in 1850. Pinkerton became famous when he claimed to have foiled a plot to assassinate president-elect Abraham Lincoln, who later hired...
in Roscoe, Missouri
Roscoe, Missouri
Roscoe is a village in St. Clair County, Missouri in the United States of America. The population was 112 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Roscoe is located at ....
in 1874. He left the gang and spent the next two years working a ranch in San Luis Obispo, California.
Return to James-Younger Gang and Death
Jim returned to the gang in time to join the ill-fated 1876 bank job in Northfield, MinnesotaNorthfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,147 people, 4,909 households, and 3,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,452.2 people per square mile . There were 5,119 housing units at an average density of 732.1 per square mile...
. Part of his jaw was shot off and he was captured and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was paroled in 1901 with his brother Cole
Cole Younger
Thomas Coleman "Cole" Younger was an American Confederate guerrilla during the American Civil War and later an outlaw with the James-Younger gang...
. After his release he became engaged to Alix Mueller, who had met him in prison 20 years after the Northfield robbery. Due to the terms of his parole however Jim couldn't marry, so he committed suicide on October 19, 1902. His body was returned to Lee's Summit, Missouri
Lee's Summit, Missouri
Lee's Summit is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Cass. As of the 2010 census found the population at 91,364 making it the sixth-largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area and the sixth-largest city in Missouri...
for burial.
Film and Television Depiction
In 1954, the actor Sheb WooleySheb Wooley
Shelby F. "Sheb" Wooley was a character actor and singer, best known for his 1958 novelty song "Purple People Eater"...
played Younger in an episode of Jim Davis
Jim Davis (actor)
Jim Davis was an American actor, best known for his role as Jock Ewing in the CBS prime-time soap Dallas, a role which he held up until his death in April 1981.-Biography:...
's syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
television series, Stories of the Century
Stories of the Century
Stories of the Century is a Western television series that ran in syndication through Republic Pictures between January 23, 1954, and March 11, 1955.-Synopsis:...
.
In the 1972 filmThe Great Northfield Minnesota Raid
The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid
The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid is a 1972 Technicolor Western film about the James-Younger Gang distributed by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Philip Kaufman in a cinéma vérité style and starred Cliff Robertson as Cole Younger, Robert Duvall as Jesse James, Luke Askew as Jim Younger, R....
he was portrayed by Luke Askew
Luke Askew
Luke Askew is an American actor best known for his role in the 1969 film Easy Rider.Askew was born in Macon, Georgia. He made his film debut in Otto Preminger's Hurry Sundown , but was first noticed as an actor for his role in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke...
.
In the 1980 film The Long Riders
The Long Riders
The Long Riders is a 1980 western film directed by Walter Hill. It was produced by James Keach, Stacy Keach and Tim Zinnemann and featured an original soundtrack by Ry Cooder. Cooder won the Best Music award in 1980 from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards for this soundtrack...
, he was portrayed by Keith Carradine
Keith Carradine
Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
.
In the 2001 film American Outlaws
American Outlaws
American Outlaws is a 2001 Western film directed by Les Mayfield and starring Colin Farrell, Scott Caan, and Ali Larter.-Plot:The southern army is trying to track down the Yankee army during the civil war...
he was portrayed by Gregory Smith.