Thomas Coleman Younger

American criminal

Also known as: Cole Younger

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July 15, 2026

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Thomas Coleman Younger, known as "Cole," was one of four Midwestern outlaws, the Younger Brothers, who were active in the post-Civil War era and often allied with Jesse James. Born in 1844, Younger's early life was marked by the violence of the Kansas-Missouri border skirmishes and the Civil War. He joined Confederate guerrillas and later, after the war, partnered with the James brothers in a gang that robbed banks and trains across several states.12

The gang's criminal career ended in 1876 during a failed bank robbery in Northfield, Minnesota, where Cole and his brothers, Jim and Bob, were captured. They were sentenced to life imprisonment, though Cole and Jim were later pardoned in 1901. Cole Younger died in 1916.1

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- Younger Brothers
  …of the post-Civil War era—Thomas Coleman (“Cole”; 1844–1916), John (1846–74); James (“Jim”; 1850–1902), and Robert (“Bob”; 1853–89)—who were often allied with Jesse James.
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  …of the post-Civil War era—Thomas Coleman (“Cole”; 1844–1916), John (1846–74); James (“Jim”; 1850–1902), and Robert (“Bob”; 1853–89)—who were often allied with Jesse James.
  Read More