On the morning of September 21, 1876, sixteen days after the Northfield bank robbery, the Younger brothers and Charley Pitts stopped at the Sorbel farm home on the north shore of Linden Lake in Brown County. They asked for food and received it, but were recognized by 16-year-old Oscar Sorbel, who fled on his horse to Madelia and spread the alarm. A posse was quickly formed to join in the search. The robbers managed to escape on foot but were surrounded by 40 men in the Watonwan River bottom just east of the site. Captain William Wallace Murphy called for volunteers, and six men stepped forward: Sheriff Glispin, Colonel T.L. Vought, B.M. Rice, G.A. Bradford, C.A. Pomeroy, and S.J. Severson. Forming a line twelve feet apart, they charged and started firing. Pitts was killed and the Younger brothers were captured, taken to Madelia, placed in the Flanders Hotel under guard until they were transferred to Faribault in Rice County. They were tried and sentenced to prison for life. Bob Younger died in prison, and Cole and Jim were paroled after about twenty years.