At 8:30 in the morning, before the 10:00 AM opening of the First National Bank, two robbers named Willie and Patterson encounter the bank manager, J. T. Barnes, as he is stepping out for some breakfast. They tell him to go back into the bank and call everyone out to the lobby. They announce that this is a robbery and tell everyone to line up against the wall. Willie tells the manager to tie up the employee’s hands, as Patterson goes into the vault to get the cash. About that time, the bank guard steps out of the manager's office and begins to pull his gun, but Willie shoots and kills him. The robbers run out the front door and down the street as the bank's alarm rings. A short time later, Mr. District Attorney and the police appear and start questioning Mr. Barnes. He says "they must have known all about how a bank operates. They had everything down just right".