Cole Younger the three Youngers (Cole, Bob, and Jim) did not. They and another gang member, Charlie Pitts, waged a gun battle with a local posse in a wooded ravine along the Watonwan River west of Madelia, Minnesota. Pitts was killed, and Cole, Jim, and Bob Younger were badly wounded and captured. Cole, asked about the robbery, responded, "We tried a desperate game and lost. But we are rough men used to rough ways, and we will abide by the consequences." Cole, Jim and Bob pleaded guilty to their crimes to avoid being hanged. They were sentenced to life in prison at
Bob Cole (composer) Bob Cole (composer) Robert Allen Cole (July 1, 1868 – August 2, 1911) was an African American composer, actor, playwright, and stage producer and director. In collaboration with Billy Johnson, he wrote and produced "A Trip to Coontown" (1898), the first musical entirely created and owned by black showmen. The popular song "La Hoola Boola" (1898) was also a result of their collaboration. Cole later partnered with brothers J. Rosamond Johnson, pianist and singer, and James Weldon Johnson, pianist, guitarist and lawyer, which resulted in over 200 songs. Their vaudeville act featured classical piano pieces and their musicals featured sophisticated