Five men rode into Columbia, Kentucky, shortly
after 2 p.m. on April 29, 1872. Three hitched their horses in an alley near
Major Winfrey’s residence and walked into the Deposit Bank. The other two
positioned themselves at opposite ends of the courthouse on the public square,
where they had a view of the entire city.
Inside the bank, R. A. C. Martin worked at the
cashier’s desk. Four men sat around a large wooden table near the front door.
They included Judge James Garnett, president of the bank, Major T. C. Winfrey,
James T. Page, and William H. Hudson.
The bandits didn’t waste any time. One said,
“Good evening, gentlemen,” then pulled a pistol out of his saddle-riders,
pointed it at cashier R. A. C. Martin’s head, and fired. Martin fell forward
onto the floor. The robber then pointed his pistol at James Garnett’s head.
Garnett pushed the weapon aside, receiving a powder burn on his hand when it
went off. Another shot was fired at William Hudson, grazing his wrist. Garnett,
Hudson, and James Page ran out the door in the ensuing confusion, leaving cashier
R. A. C. Martin alone with the robbers.
As the three men ran out of the bank screaming,
the two robbers outside began firing into the air, ordering everyone to stay
inside. Whenever a head popped out a door or window, a bullet encouraged the
owner to pull it in.
The robbery took roughly twenty minutes from
start to finish. The two men on the square kept up a rapid-fire screaming and
hollering at the citizens to stay back. When the three men inside the bank came
out, they raced down Burnsville Road.
When a group of townspeople entered the bank,
they found cashier R. A. C. Martin crouched against the inner door of the
vault, dead. A bullet had entered his torso just below the left arm, moving
downward through his body to the right side.
Many accounts say Martin “steadfastly refused”
the robber’s demands to open the safe or give up the combination, so the
robbers shot him dead, scooping up all the money outside the safe. That may be
what happened, but no one was there to verify it except the bandits, who
weren’t talking.
W. W. Morris was inside Page’s Drug Store, next
to the bank. He heard “loud voices, cursing and demanding and threatening, and
another voice refusing.” He thought that might have been the robbers torturing
Martin, trying to get him to open the safe. When they couldn’t, they left him
to die. However, with all the shooting outside, Morris wasn’t sure he heard the
shot that killed Martin.
Morris watched a sandy-haired man run out of
the bank and jump on his horse. A moment later, he was screaming at the two men
left in the bank. “For God’s sake, to be in a hurry to come along and leave the
thing.”
And then they were gone.
Within a half-hour of the robbery, Captain
Hindman set off in pursuit with a posse. Another posse set off later that
afternoon. They caught sight of the robbers several
times, but that was as close as they got.
Afterward, it came out that the bandits had spent several days in and about the city, posing as livestock buyers. They had stayed at the Russell Springs on Saturday and at Mr. Green B. Acre’s place, eight miles out of town, on Sunday.
The papers reported that the bandit’s leader
was the same man involved in the Russellville bank robbery. However, Jesse
James was not mentioned.
Most Western enthusiasts, say, Jesse James, Frank James, and Cole Younger entered the bank while John Younger and Clell Miller waited outside. Others identify Bob Younger as the fifth robber, not Clell Miller. But as with any of the James-Younger Gang’s robberies, no one can say for certain who took part. The robbers weren’t talking.
Before you go ...
If you’ve ever caught yourself saying, “I remember that,” you’re in the right place.
I dig up stories about Old West lawmen, outlaws, gunfighters, robberies, murders, forgotten towns, and all the strange, fascinating pieces of history that somehow slipped through the cracks. No clickbait. No fluff. Just authentic stories and actual history.
If you enjoy what you read and would like to help keep the lights on, consider buying me a Big Gulp.
Every little bit helps pay for books, newspaper archives, research trips, and the countless hours spent tracking down stories most people forgot decades ago.
Buy Me a Big Gulp / NickVulich.com
If the Old West is your thing, you may enjoy these books...
No comments:
Post a Comment