Jim Younger was given a violin by a relative during Jim's stay at the Minnesota State Prison in Stillwater, Minnesota. He was allowed to keep the violin and play it in his cell during the long, lonely hours of confinement.
In 1898, Cora Lee McNeill, author of the Younger book Mizzoura, and her eight-year-old daughter Edwinne, known as "Dee", went to visit Jim, who had been Cora's sweetheart previous to the Northfield robbery. It was Christmas time, and they took gifts to Jim, and he in turn gave his most prized possession, his violin, to little Dee as a Christmas present. It was the only gift he had to give.
In 1967, Edwinne shipped the violin to me from California as a gift as she wanted someone to treasure it like she had for so many years. Both the violin and bow had badly deteriorated and were in need of restoration. They had laid silent in their old wooden case for 99 years.
During a conversation at the James - Younger Gang meeting in Northfield, Minnesota, in 1996, Frank Younger asked if he might restore and play the violin that his ascestor once enjoyed. One of Frank's passtimes is to make and play violins. I took the violin to my winter quarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Frank came there with his tools. During the week of March 9th, 1997, he restored both the violin and bow. It looked great!
Then came the big moment. Frank Younger gently picked up Jim's old violin and played a tune on it. It was the first time in 99 years that a Younger had played it, and it sounded beautiful. I shut my eyes and envisioned Jim Younger playing his prize possession in his cell a century ago. I'm sure Jim is pleased to know that his old violin is once more bringing pleasure to others.
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