in the spring of 1871 jesse and frank james secretly returned to their haunts in jackson county, missouri, where they remained for some time arranging for an expedition into iowa. their plans being perfected, they, with five other bandits, started north, riding by night, until they reached corydon, the bank in which place they had previously decided to rob. at ten o'clock in the morning the seven desperadoes made a furious charge into the center of the town and commenced a fusilade of firing, threatening to kill every person found on the streets within five minutes afterward. none of the citizens thought of offering any resistance, and dashing up to the bank, three of the robbers dismounted and rushed in with cocked pistols, and demanded of the[pg 52] cashier every cent the bank contained. finding himself powerless, and realizing that death would be his certain portion if he refused to comply with the immediate demands of the desperate outlaws, the cashier opened the safe and permitted them to appropriate nearly $40,000. the money was placed in a sack, which they invariably carried with them for the purpose, and then the seven desperadoes rode rapidly out of the city, firing their pistols indiscriminately as they swept through the streets.

the citizens were, of course, intensely excited, and after the disappearance of the robbers a hundred persons volunteered their services to the sheriff to assist in the apprehension of the bold plunderers. efforts at capture were made by a large body of men, but like all similar attempts, the result was nothing. they were followed into missouri and telegrams sent to every town in the state, but, like imps of darkness, the seven dare-devils disappeared and were not again seen for several months; but it is now known that they were lying quietly in their impregnable haunt in the eastern part of jackson county, waiting for a return of quiet.