Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-04-20
IT LOOKED LIKE WAR.
Louisville Pest.


Kentucky.
Not upon. me individually, but
upon the Bank of Columbia, of which
Twas President"
WAS itever known definitely who
was in The party at that timer"
Eyes; we learned shortly afterward
the names Of all concerned. The gang
consisted of Frank and jesse James,
two of the Youngers and Jarette."
when did that transaction take
placer
1T was on Monday, April %, 1872.
| was not in Columbia at that time,
ana therefore did not witness the
high. handed act, but | will never for.
get the affair. After killing Mr.. Mar
tin, the cashier, because he would not
deliver everything over to them, they
took what they could find and de-
parted. Their tactics were about the
same as those made use OF on other
occasions, that is, some went in the
bank while the rest frightened the
citizens by firing up and down the
street"
How much did they get?"
"They only got $1,000, which, |
reckon, was about the smallest sum of
money they ever rsided a bank for.
You see, they did not come up into
that region to rob the Columbia bank.
They had selected the bank at Somer-
set, twenty FIVE or thirty miles east Of
Columbia, as their objective point on
that raid, but were prevented from
making the attack by "a very peculiar
circumstance. They entered Som
ersst on the Friday previous to the
attack at Columbia, and after recon
noitering the situation were Just get
ting ready to begin operations when
the incident referred TO occurred,
frustrating their design, and causing
them to abandon the undertaking.
Zone ofthe party entered the bank
to have the usual talk with the
cashier; another was posted on the
corner close by to observe the move
ments Of citizens, while the other
three went after the horses. Two of
them mounted. and started in the d.
rection of the bank, and the other fol-
lowed, leading the horses Of the two
who were planning for the attack and
robbery. The arrival of the first two
on horseback wasnO doubt understood
to be the signal for the man on the
corner to join his c0mrade in the
bank, when the work was to begin In
there; the two mounted men we're to
keep the citizens from approaching By
indiscriminate firing. The man lead
ing the two riderleSs horses was to
have them ready by the time the work
was accomplished, so that the two men
in the bank could run cut, mount
and all retreat out Of town together.
But fortunately for that bank and
unfortunately for Mr.. Martin and the
Bank OF Columbia, when the financial
member Of the gang entered be saw
something that caused him to alter
his plans. Two men, one a stock raiser
Of that county and the other a mule
trader from the South, between whom
several Transactions IN their line OF
business bad taken place, had sp-
pointed that day and that bank as the
time and place TO make tie settlement,
and when they came 10 compare se-
counts they could not agree. Both
were hot headed and impetuous, and
instead Of trying 10 reconcile their
differences they got mad; bot words
passed, and they came near having .
fatal encounter The quSrrei was
raging funonsly when the bsndit-it
was Jesse-entersd the tank. Both
had their pistols drawn, and the cash
ier was between them begging them
10 5esisi. and preventing them from
shooting ean other. When JESSE
educated eye saw what was going on
be either knew Il vas 10 good time 70
in1ngurete 3 robbery. CT be thought
ihe gang was being watched. and that
the row between the traders was only
3 russ resgrtsd 70 10 order 70 throw
them Of their guard until they could
be surrounded.
He took bat one glance at the
enrzgsd traders, and turing on b.
hesl be Ealked out the door. signsled
70 bis followers that the jig was up
and when the horses we're led up the
tEo men mounted, and al five oftheu
/ rode out Of town. They went in the
direction Of Monticello, and stopped
for the night at country store. where
a political meeting had been held dur
I ing the afternoon The candidates
we're still there, and the bandit gam
represented themselves as stock trad
eTs, entered into the discussions tha
we're going on, and had a good tim,
generally. The ReKt day they rod,
over the hills Of that regior
and spent the night On thl
, Cumberland river, and on Sundal
. they turned their horses heads towar'
! Columbia, and stopped for the nigh
at a farmhouse a few miles from In
town. The next day one OF them en-
D tered Columbia, purchased a feI
4 articles from the stores, examined h
location Of the bank and, after satisfy
ing himself that all was quiet, be re
e turned to his compeers, and about
O'Clock they dashed into town and al
n their work Of murder and robbery
= As soon as the citizens recovered iroI
r the helpless condition into which the
B were thrown by the sudden dash (
g the murderers and robbers, a pursuiu
e party was organized, and folloWe
IS them several miles, but they did n,
II come up on them. They found Il
q place, on a creek a few miles fro
N town, where the band halted az
N divided the spoils. They took fro
Of the bank package Of papers belon