From the Bethany Watchman
Reprinted in the June 15th, 1871 Grant City Star.
A very bold and daring robbery was committed on Corydon, Wayne County (IA) on last Saturday, as we learn from parties who were in pursuit of the robbers.
About two o’clock on Saturday, June 3rd, whilst the larger portion of the citizens of Corydon were attending a railroad meeting, four men on horseback rode up to the Corydon Bank, and while three of them dismounted, the fourth held the horses. The three then passed into the building, and there being but one man in, the cashier of the bank, they presented their revolvers and commanded the cashier to open the safe and keep quiet, which he did. One of the robbers held his revolver cocked and within a few inches of the cashier’s head, while the other two assisted themselves to whatever money they could get, estimated at between $6,000 and $7,000. They then immediately passed out of the bank, mounted their horses, and started south, yelling like savages and shouting, “Here goes the Corydon Bank!”
As soon as the news began to radiate, a number of the citizens started in pursuit of the robbers, who came through Bethany about two o’clock Sunday night, the pursuers being less than an hour behind them.
About twelve o’clock Sunday night, Sheriff Baker and Deputy Sheriff Gresham of Harrison County started in pursuit of the robbers and followed them about ten miles and then lost trail, owing to the fact, as has since been ascertained, of the fugitives going into the brush to camp. Deputy Sheriff Gresham followed on after them, on Monday, with quite a number of others, and traced them to Pattonsburg. Some six or seven miles south of Pattonsburg, six of the pursuers cam on to the robbers and had a little engagement with them, the robbers taking shelter in an old stable. Several rounds were fired by both parties, resulting in mortally wounding one of the robbers and killing Mr. Cooper’s horse. Our fellow townsman, Noah Case, was in the fight and was said to have done good work. Some ten miles beyond the place where the skirmish occurred, the pursuing party found the wounded man in the brush, alive but speechless. He died shortly afterwards.
The other robbers are still making strenuous efforts to escape, but are hotly pursued and it is to be hoped that they will all be taken, dead or alive.
From the description of the pursuers, it is believed that two of the robbers were the James boys who robbed the Gallatin bank about a year ago.
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