To this day I don't believe that any of the officers of the two banks
have the slightest idea as to how the thing was done. Soon after this
forgery, Johnson left Geneva and located at St. Louis, where he still
resides. Emboldened by the success of this first venture, Eugene
Pearson, who was really the master-spirit in these later efforts, boldly
proposed to rob the bank in which he was engaged, but this was something
too audacious to be considered for a moment. At length, by dint of
repeated suggestions, Johnson and myself began to give some
consideration to the matter, and upon Pearson's assuring us of the
perfect ease with which the robbery might be accomplished, we at last
began to discuss various plans by which the bank might be robbed.
Several ideas and propositions were discussed, but either through fear
or some other consideration, they all fell through.
"At last we decided upon the plan which was finally carried out. Johnson
and myself were to come to Geneva disguised as much as possible, and
after the business of the day was over, and the other officers had gone
home, Pearson was to give us the signal that the coast was clear. We
were then to enter the bank, the doors of which would be left open, and
after securing the young lady and Pearson, we were to rob the vault and
place them within it.
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