The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-06-07

GLOW WAS IL ever ioSSlue IOf q half
Jozau men to ride into small town like
X,rtlfeld, Mimi, rob a bank and ride
owav:" asked a reporter of a man in
New York who knew the Younger broth
~ and the James boys.
such n thing" was the reply, could
mt Ne done so easily now as in 1876
Rank robbery requires nerve Of a pecul-
Jar order | never engaged in the bust
ness myself. but at one time in my life l
trew men who did. | was personally ac-
ouairted, for instance, with the Youngers
and the Jameses. Left to themselves.
the James boys would never have been
successful in bank robbery. They were
better at holding up stagecoaches and
railroad trains. But, to answer your ques-
tjou directly, the Mortified bank affair
will illustrate the method.
The gang that rode into Minnesota did
not plan any particular robbery. 1t was
n sort Of bandits outing party They
rode into Minnesota leisurely. The party
was composed of Cole, Jim and Bob
Younger. Frank and Jesse James, Char
lev Pitts, Bill Caldwell and Clell Miller.
Th,v were well mounted.
"The Youngers were the brains Of the
marty. They were always men of good
nrc>cnce Bob was as handsome as
well trained athlete. He always i'm
messed women favorably. Jim was the
nolitician of the trio. He could talk to
men and get their confidence. Cole was
moro reserved, but he could have joined
any church on his first application. His
early training was in a religious direction.
These three visited some of the re-
sorts in Minnesota before the Mortified
affair came off. They learned a good deal
il their visits about towns, about the peo-
ple. for you must remember that they
were away off their compass when they
were in Minnesota. That's why they
touched elbows with the people at the
resorts. When the season was over.
they knew the best place to strike They
knew how to get into Mortified and how
to get out of it.
"Northdeld had about 1000 people, 1t
was q quiet town. They didn't dash into
it. MS some people think. That isn't the
way raids on banks were made in those
DAYS. Bob Younger, Jesse James and
Charley Pitts rode into the town first.
very leisurely. They had no intention of
creating any suspicion by doing anything
else. 1t was a common occurrence for
men to ride into town as they did. They
tied their horses to Il rack near the bank.
TACv stood on the corner, as countrymen
do iu a small town, and talked politics as
You and | would.
AT the same time they were taking
note Of the people. They tarricd on the
corner at the hour of noon and after, for
II. "a -,
like Mortified were at dinner They eat
dinner in such towns at noon. There
We're fewer people astir then than at any
other hour.
while they were talking the other
members of the gang, having undoubted-
ly had some sort of signal, came whoop-
ing and shouting down the main street.
These were Jim and Cole Younger, Bill
Caldwell and Clell Miller Every one
Of them had been with Quantrell and
as they rode they uttered the rebel yell.
1t was new in Minnesota. Naturally, it
startled the few people on the street.
AS soon as Bob Younger and his two
friends saw that the people on the street
We're confused they added to the confu-
sion by running about, shouting, Get off
the street, You know how easy it is
for one man to control a panic stricken
crowd. He can either make it run like
scared animals or he can, if he is cool,
round it up to a standstill.
"Ihe cry of Get off the street, was a
new one in that quiet town. That it was
uttered 10y strangers made no difference.
People in a panic don't reason. If they
did there would be no fatalities. Bob
Younger knew this. He and Cole and
jim planned the whole thing in advance.
Get the people scared and they will run
to their houses.
THE moment Bob Younger saw the
people on the run he and Pitts and James
rushed into the bank. They had. how
ever flushed the game. The scare out
side had penetrated the bank. The cash
Ter, Haywood. had time to fathom the
situation. He slammed the inner door of
the vault shut and locked it. He must
have been an unusually quick man men
tally MS well as physically.
HIS act disconnected even such men as
Bob Younger and Jesse James. The lat
Ter lost his head. He drew knife across
Haywood's throat to scare him and make
nm open the safe. Haywood didn't
scare. There are few men who will not
quall at the touch of cold steel. Jesse
James cursed and raved. Two clerks in
The bank escaped and were shot 1T Bob
Younger knew this was a mistake and
left the bank. Jesse James followed, but
turned, fired and killed Haywood. 1t was
bad business. 1t only infatuated the
town.
here was no necessity for James
shooting after he knew the safe door was
closed Besides, the uproar at the bank
gave the town time to think and the citi-
ZenS went after the bandits, who rode out
OF town on a gallop. Bill Caldwell and
gen Miller were killed on the way out.
ID TINS case the warning to the people to
set oI Inc street was given too soon. If
haywood had not had the warning he
pfohahIy would have given in.
rank James was not in the raid, but
ne was on guard. As the bandits rode
away he joined them. He was taken sick,
Gn' mat is how Jesse James escaped.
lis love for Frank was always like that
woman has for her child He escaped
aul took Frank with him on the pommel
VI w saddle In this way they rode by
5 u'Ebi and secreted themselves by day.
.S'mctlmes Jesse left Frank IN
1"'hri, entered town on bis route and
'o'-hI medicine, returned to the sick
a'',Ne', ministercd to him, and at night
u'y resumed their ride. This was con
r,0'rI until they reached Missouri. and Il
N'NSa> city doctor took charge of Frank
sua HUIscd him back to health right there
~ we town. | knew the doctor well. and
U"l he story from his lips. His ac-
Vo'hl Of that ride was one Of the most eX-