The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-06-19
THIRTY-ONE YEARS AGO.
The James Boys Robbed the Cor.
ydon Bank.

1ulTty.Uuc years d6o Ioudy Guc uotoI'
GUS James gang were unexpected, unin-
vited and unwelcome guests in Corydon.
Their stay was short, but when they
left they were the richer by several
thousand dollars and Cookbook Bros,
the bankers, corresponding amount
poorer. There are still some residents
of Corydon who remember the clrcum.
stances, but for the information of |
those who have become citizens since
then, we republish the following account
OF one of the boldest robberies commit
ted by that lawless and desperate gang.
1t was from correspondent in the OF
tumwa Courier, and was written by one
who was resident here at the time and
saw the robbers.
The robbery took place about 2 O'Clock
on the afternoon OF June 8, 1871. For
two days crowd Of men had been seen
camping at a creek mile south of town
but as the country was open and "mov
ers'' were numerous in those days, no
particular attention was paid to this out
L..
this camp was the absence of wagons, but
all had fine horses. On the day above
me ntoned the town was filled with PEG.
pie, large number being at the Metho-
eist church, where Hon. H. Clay Dean,
a noted Missouri orator, was addressing
: a mass meeting in the interest of the
Missouri, Iowa & Nebraska Railroad
now the Keokuk & Western-a road
the citizens of this place place had long
: been striving to secure. This gang rode
: straight from the creek where they had
: been camping, to the bank, which was
located in one story frame building on
!: the north side, now occupied by West
= as a feed store, and some distance from
the business center. The only person
in or near the bank at time was Geo.
book. Suddenly the door of the cash.
- ier's Office was opened and Ocobock
= looked into the barrels of four heavy
y Colts in the hands two masked men Yhc
;. ordered him to throw up his hands. He
- did not stop to argue the matter but
: showed both hands up as high as ht
70 could get them. They tied him and pu
= him in back room. The two bandit
~ then went to the open safe, took all thu
- bills and coin in sight, placed it in
- bag and walked out of the bank.
y In front OF the building was anothe
= robber on horseback. The bag contain
Eo hop Iol Il;
- the other two went to the horserack
: where the rest of the gang had bee
=. standing guard, mounted their horse
- kand rode out of town. They went ives
past the church where the railroa
10 meeting was being held, and as they a
- rived opposite to it they commence
shooting, at the same time yelling thu
le they had robbed the bank. The NEE
80 ing was broken up in terror, but in
~ snort time posse was got together an
~ started in pursuit. They were followe
.of all that afternoon and the next day, bl
ed were never able to get within shootir
nd distance. The farther down in Nilsson
,na the desperadoes got the more familis
Or. they became with the country and tt
he less it was known to the pursuers, so
cir last the trail was lost.
The amount secured was 5000, but
circumstance which must have made tt
gang feel bad if they ever found it on
NJ was that $4,000 in cash was then on Il
,ps way here and was received at the bar
about two hours after the hold up 9
. Cured.
Along about that time this town hi
some bad men among whom were il
and Milt Richardson. These two we
4 long under suspicion as having know
4 something about this robbery, b
I nothing could ever be proven. Th
/ were both killed on the same day
/ Seymour, few years after, by Marsh
Mccoy. Charlie Pitts, of the James ga.
l had cousin living here at the time
l the bank robbery, and it has be-
claimed that Clel Miller used to ma
frequent visits here before the hold-u
Saloons we're wide open then, and the
| we're very few men who did not 90 W
heeled.
Il Clel Miller was arrested at Kearne
Mo-, in March 1872, for having be
1 mixed up in this robbery, and "
/ brought here for trial. The case "
| continued from the March to the
term of court. Miller could not 81
the SIS 600 bond required. and as
Jail here was not a strong one, he "
taken to Ottumwa for safe keeping.
waslacquitted, however, at the fall tel
having proved an alibi., He was defer
ed by Capt. j. N. McClanahan and
II. Tedford, then struggling lawy
but until recently judge of the Third
dicial district of Iowa. Miller was hea
of number of times afterward in &C
\