Bullion? What Bullion?

Jesse James missed out on a big score because of semantics.

- MARK BOARDMAN

The James-Younger Gang was moving up in the world on July 21, 1873. For the first time, they were going to rob a train— one with a very rich load, just outside Adair, Iowa.

The outlaws took their cues from another train stickup in 1865 near Cincinnati. They dislodged one of the rails before the train went into a sharp curve. The locomotive pitched over, killing the engineer. Other cars either turned over or derailed. The gang— wearing masks—easily took over their target.