" Ariane Olson SCOPE 98 December 16, 1998 The James-Younger Gang

For fifteen years they robbed midwest banks, trains, stagecoaches, and even a ticket stand. A lot of the time this gang got away with thousands of dollars. They were the James-Younger Gang.

The main members included Jesse James, Frank James, Cole Younger, Jim Younger, Bob Younger, John Younger (Younger). Of course, others participated as short-term members of the Gang. In choosing a bank, the James-Younger Gang scouted out the town to get to know it's personality. Often they had family or friends nearby to take them in after a robbery was completed. They knew several escape routes and could easily go from one 'plan to another if any complications arose. The robberies were planned with much precision like their Civil War battles (Morris).

The James-Younger Gang's first robbery was in Liberty, Missouri on 13 February 1866. Twelve men rode into the town from all different directions and congregated in fro~t of the Clay County Savings Association Bank. Two men entered the bank. The bank employees inside were Greenup Bird, the head cashier, and William Bird, his son, the assistant. William approached the counter. The two men drew their guns and demanded money, fast (Younger). The gang got away with $60,000 in greenbacks, national currency, government bonds, and gold and silver coins belonging to the bank (William 33).

The next job the James-Younger Gang was involved in was the robbery at Lexin~on, Missouri, on 30 October 1866. Of the five riders, two of them entered the Alexander Mitchell and Company Bank. The cashier, J.L. Thomas was the only one in the b~ at the time (Younger). Then two other robbers came into the bank with guns pointed at Thomas' heart. They demanded $100,000 but only got away with approximately $~,OOO . "'~~-)' (Brant 53). ~ t!~>o! The next robbery the James-Younger Gang perpetrated was at Savannah, Missouri, on 2 Marcp 1867. Judge John McClain, refused the demands of six robbers to give up the key to the vault of his private banking house, The Judge John McClain Banking House. . The robbers shot him, not fatally though, and fled without any money (William 34).

The fourth robbery the James-Younger Gang did was at Richmond, Missouri. - The Hughes and Wasson Bank was robbed on 22 May 1867. Twelve men rode into Richmond from all different routes and congregated in front of the bank. Four men dismounted their horses and entered the bank. Mayor John B. Shaw was shot fatally in the chest. Frank S. Griffin was shot in the head and died. His son got shot in the head and died too. The Gang got away with $4,000 (Younger).

The next robbery the James-Younger Gang participated in was the robbery at Russelville, Kentucky on 20 March 1868. At this time five men were part of the Gang. The robbers went into the Nimrod Long and Co. Bank. They asked Nimrod Long to cash a bond. <' Then they drew their guns and jumped over the bank counter. Mr. Long was shot but was only nicked by the bullet. $14,000 total was stolen from that bank (Younger).

On 7 December 1879, at Gallatin, Missouri the James-Younger Gang robbed Daviess County Savings Bank. Two men entered the bank and asked Captain John W. She~ts to cash a $100 bill. When he turned to the safe two other men came in and shot Sheets twice. The first time he was shot in the head; the second time he was shot in the~hest. He was killed. Theq the robbers turned to William A. McDowell, the bank clerk, and fired twice at him too. But the bullets only caught him in the fleshy part of his, arm (William 40).

The next robbery the James-Younger Gang did was at Corydon, Iowa on 3 June-1871. The four robbers went into Ocobock Brother's Bank and found the cashier alone. They tied him up and stole $6,000 (William 43).

, The eighth robbery the James-Younger Gang was a part of was the robbery at Columbia, Kentucky. The Gang robbed the Bank of Columbia on 29 April 1872. Four men rode into the town and two entered the bank. The cashier R.A.C. Martin yelled, ''Bank robbers!" The Gang shot him dead and escaped with $600 (Brant 82).

At the Kansas City Exposition Fairgrounds on 26 September 1872 three mounted men rode into Kansas City, Missouri. The Gang-robbed Ben Wallace of his cash box. Following the robbery a small girl was shot but just injured. It is believed that in all the excitement Ben Wallace mistakenly shot the girl, not-the robbers. The -Gang got 1;lway with $10,000 (Younger).

Saint Genevieve Savings Bank was robbed on 27 May 1873. Four men rode inte-Saint Genevieve and entered the bank. The cashier, O.D. Harris was held at gunpoint and was told to hand over any money he had. The money the Gang escaped with totaled $4,000 (Brant 87).

The first train robbery in history as well as the first the James-Younger Gan~ did occurred on 21 July 1873. Five to Seven men robbed the Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad near Adair, Iowa. The Gang loosened the rail and pulled it out of line ~ - The train overturned and engineer, John Rafferty was killed as the train crushed him. Other passengers were bruised but survived. $6,000 was taken from the train's safe andifom passengers valuables (Younger).

Then, for the first time the James-Younger Gang robbed a stagecoach. The Hot Springs, Arkansas coach was carrying fourteen people on 15 January 1874. The Gang ordered the driver to stop. The passengers were told to get out of the coach and line up-on the side of the road. They were told to put all of their money and valuables in a sack. The amount stolen totaled $3,000. Eight years later when Jesse James was killed by Bob-ford at his home on 3 April 1882, a gold pocket watch was found as one of the things taken at Hot Springs, Arkansas (Younger).

On 31 January 1874, the Gang robbed the Iron Mountain Railroad at Gad' s-Hill, Missouri. Five men walked into the depot before the train was about to pass through. The thieves boarded the train and robbed the passengers oftheir money and jewelry. The James Gang collected $2,000 to $22,000 (William 49).

In April 1874 the James-Younger Gang robbed several stagecoaches between San Antonio and Austin, Texas. Five-members of-the-Gang took part inthese-rohb,eries. They got away with $3,000 (Younger).

On 30August 1874, there were two-stagecoach robberies thatoccurredtwenty-five-I11iles apart on the same day. One was in Waverly and one was in Lexington, Missouri. It's not known how much money the Gang escaped with (Younger).

On 7 December 1874, four men robbed the Tishmingo Savings Bank in Cornith, Mississippi. The men slashed the cashier with a knife in the forehead -and made their way to the money. They got away with $5,000 (William 75).

One day after the robbery at €ornith, Mississippi the James-Younger Gang ro~bed Kansas Pacific Railroad in Munice Kansas. On 8 December 1874 five men tied the workers up in a shed then stopped the train and-the Gang escaped with $30-,000 (ijrant 108).

The next robbery the James-Y oungerGang perpetrated was in Huntington, West·Virginia on 5 September 1875. Four men rode into the town and two dismounted and went into the local bank. R.T. Oney, the-cashier, and a friend were the only people in the-~ank. The Gang got away with $10,000. Thomas J. Webb was a part of the Gang at that time. He was arrested a short time after the robbery at Huntington. He returned-to~West Virginia and was tried and sentenced to twelve years in prison (Younger).

On 7 July 1876, the Missouri-Pacific Railroad train was robbed between BIue - C~ and Otterville, Missouri. The robbery was well planned and the Gang got away with $15,000. Noone was hurt in the robbery (Younger).

Probably the most well known robbery of the James-Younger Gang is the robbery at Northfield, Minnesota. The First National Bank was robbed on 7 September 1876. Joseph Lee Haywood, a cashier, A.E. Bunker, the bookkeeper, and Frank J. Willcox, a clerk were inside the bank. Haywood refused to open the safe and was shot and killed by Frank James. Bunker was shot in the shoulder, not fatally though. Nicholas Gustavson, a Swede that didn't speak or understand English was shot on the streets and died four days later. Clell Miller, Charlie Pitts, and Bill Chadwell were the gang members killed in the street. The Younger brothers were captured and taken to Stillwater prison. They served time there for twenty-five years. The James brothers escaped back to Missouri (Younger).

After Northfield the Gang really started to collapse. Jesse James started referring t9 the times before the Northfield raid as '1:he old days". Men would come and ride with the James Gang just to say they rode with the Gang. All the strategy and perfection of the James Gang fell apart and Frank James was never the same mentally after Northfield\ (Morris). - On 8 October 1879, fifteen to thirty thieves robbed the Chicago and Alton Railroad at Glendale, Missouri. The telegraph wire was disabled and the agent ordered to stop the train. The Express car agent was roughed up a little but wasn't shot. The amount stolen varies from $30,000 to $50,000 (Younger).

On 3 September 1880, the James-Younger Gang robbed Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. Four men stopped a stagecoach that was carrying passengers between Mammoth Cave and a railroad station in Cave City, Kentucky. Seven passengers were forced to ge~ out and empty their purses into a wheat sack. They also demanded their jewelry. The Gang got away with $1,800 (Younger).

The next listed robbery was at Muscle Shoals, Alabama on 11 ·March 1881 . U. S ~ Army Engineer Paymaster, Alexander G. Smith was traveling back to his camp when he was approached by three men. The men drew their guns and got Smith's saddle bags, watch, and $221 from his purse. The saddle bags contained $500 in gold, $4,500 in $50 bills, $20 bills and smaller currency. The Gang tied Smith up and forced him to ride with,them until midnight. At that time they returned his watch, overcoat, and $21 in cash and released him (Younger).

On 15 July 1881 in Winston, Missouri; the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroaq was robbed. The conductor, William Westfall was shot twice and killed as well as Frank McMillin Jr., a stone mason who was caught in the crossfire. The Gang got away with $2,000 (Younger).

The last robbery done ·by the· James-Younger Gang was apart of was at Glendale, Missouri, on 7 September 1881 . The Gang robbed Chicago and Alton Railroad again and got away with $15,000 (Younger).

In the Gang's career they robbed twelve banks, nine trains, four stagecoaches, and-even the Kansas City Fair cash box. The Gang also killed eleven and wounded six. Total the James-Younger Gang got away with $221,600. It is amazing that in all that they k~ lled and stole they are, by some people, still a hero like gang.

Many of the places where the robberies took place at are now historical sites or museums.

You can also visit the James brothers house in Kearney, Missouri. Even though the I James Gang no longer exists their stories live on. Works Cited Page

Brant, Marley. Outlaws: The Illustrated History of the James-Younger Gang. Alabama: Elliot & Clark Publishing, 1997.

Morris, Ron. Personal interview. 3 December 1998.

William A. Settle, Jr. Jesse James Was His Name; Nebraska: University ofNebraska Press, 1996.

Younger, Tom. The James-Younger Gang. February 1996 On line.· Internet. 23 November 1998.