Savings and loan association

PLUNDERING THE SAINT GENEVIEVE BANK the success of the bandits thus far greatly encouraged them in their lawless operations and they were constantly planning new and still more reckless adventures they remained in their secure hiding-place during the winter of eighteen seventy two three retiring upon their laurels and living royally upon their immense gains during this period of jolly hibernation schemes were proposed for wrecking railroad trains and before the appearance of spring frank james and jim younger were sent into nebraska for the purpose of gathering information concerning the express shipment of treasure from the west Not hearing from the robber agents as soon as was expected, Jesse James, Bill Chadwell, Clell Miller, and Bob and Cole Younger decided to pay their respects to another bank before venturing upon their railroad enterprise.

And the Savings Association at St. Genevieve, Missouri, was selected for the strike.

accordingly early in the morning of may twenty seventh eighteen seventy three the five desperate freebooters appeared in the streets of that old-time catholic town and the moment that mr o d harris the cashier accompanied by f a rosier a son of the hon firman a rosier the president entered the bank to begin the business of the day the three daring bandits followed them into the building and presenting six pistols demanded the immediate opening of the bank vault young rosier regardless of the danger made a speedy exit and as he ran down the street crying for help a bullet from one of the outlaw's weapons went whistling through the tail of his coat but he escaped mr harris however was covered by too many pistols to permit of his escape and stern necessity forced him into a compliance with the wishes of the robbers he opened the vault from which the sum of four thousand one hundred dollars was taken a large part of which was specie and shoving it speedily into the sack provided the bandits mounted their horses and decamped as they were riding out of the city the bag containing the treasure was accidentally dropped to recover which it was necessary to return and one of the robbers had to dismount in doing so his horse became frightened and broke away at this juncture a german came riding by and the robbers compelled him to ride after and catch the fleeing animal which was returned to the riderless bandit only after such delay as permitted a hastily organized posse of the citizens to approach within pistol shot of the three highwaymen an exchange of fire caused the posse to check their pace and the distance thus gained by the pursuit was never made up the pursuit was continued for several days but without result The outlaws stopped at Herman, Missouri, two days after the robbery, but as usual, there was no posse there to apprehend them.

Several well-known detectives from St. Louis were sent out, and the sheriff of every county in Missouri notified and requested to keep a sharp lookout for the desperados.