in the latter part of 1870, jesse and frank james visited kentucky, where they had a large number of[pg 53] friends and relatives, who admired their bravery and condoned their crimes. they remained here until in the early part of the spring of 1874, when they and the younger boys conceived a plan for robbing the bank at columbia, kentucky. on the 29th of april of that year, the three youngers and the two james boys entered columbia about the same hour from five different roads, so that there was not the least apprehension excited. just before three o'clock in the afternoon the five desperadoes rode up to the bank together, while frank james and cole younger leisurely dismounted and entered the bank, where they found the cashier, mr. martin, the president, mr. dalrymple, and another gentleman engaged in a conversation. without losing any time or creating any suspicion from the citizens of the place, the two bandits drew their pistols and going behind the bank counter, leveled them at the heads of the cashier and president, and demanded the keys to the safe. seeing, at a glance, however, that the safe was secured by a combination lock, they commanded the cashier to open it under penalty of immediate death if he refused. martin was a brave man, and instead of being intimidated, tried to raise an alarm; but at the first outcry frank james thrust a heavy navy revolver into his face and fired, killing him instantly; at the same moment cole younger fired at the president but, luckily, that gentleman struck up the pistol, and running into the back office, escaped with his[pg 54] life. the two robbers hastily gathered the money that was in sight, (about $200,) and gaining their horses the five rode out of the town at a rapid pace.
fifteen men, headed by the sheriff, went in pursuit of the desperadoes, and chased them hard into the eastern part of tennessee, where the trail was lost in the cumberland range. again the bandits doubled on their tracks, after the pursuit was abandoned, and went into the western part of texas, where they mingled with the lawless elements of the border.
every attempt at their capture had proven fruitless, and for the time being, the provincial banks were kept well armed in anticipation of a raid. the james boys were too crafty to appear again in the counties where their terrible deeds had excited the people to desperation. they waited until the memory of their crimes had been partially forgotten, and then planned new schemes of pillage.
