Missouri guerrilla, Confederate officer, bank robber, notorious outlaw, Wild West showman&mdash;Cole Younger&rsquo;s life was the stuff of myth and legend.&nbsp;<br />Known for intelligence and coolness under pressure, he published his autobiography, &quot;The Story of Cole Younger,&quot; in 1903, telling his story in his own words after his parole from prison at the age of 59 and reflecting on the colourful and sometimes violent experiences of &quot;<i>the gentleman, the soldier, the outlaw, and the convict.</i>&quot;<br /><br />Born in Missouri, Thomas Coleman (&quot;Cole&quot;) Younger rode with William Clarke Quantrill&#39;s Confederate raiders during the Civil War, participating in many daring and bloody exploits, including the infamous Lawrence, Kansas, massacre of 1863. Following the war, Younger continued his celebrated career as a desperado, robbing banks and trains with Jesse James and other members of the James-Younger gang. A fateful attempt in 1876 on the Northfield, Minnesota, bank sent Cole to the state prison in Stillwater, Minnesota for decades. There he became a model resident, helping both to protect women convicts during a fire and found the <i>Prison Mirror</i>, a newspaper intended to shed &quot;<i>a ray of light upon the lives of those behind the bars</i>.&quot; Paroled in 1901, Younger successfully sought a pardon, operated a Wild West show with his old comrade Frank James, and lectured on &quot;<i>What My Life Has Taught Me</i>.&quot;