Bank Robbers, 1922

I was pleased to find this, as it provides a little follow-up to a previous post. However, given the date, I’m surprised now that the Herald didn’t provide this information in their article.

 

The Miami District Daily News, Miami, OK

December 19, 1922

Farmer Shared in Caddo Bank Theft

 

Durant, Okla. Dec. 19- L. P. Roy, a farmer, today admitted that his home was headquarters for the five bandits who last Friday held up and robbed the Caddo National Bank at Caddo of $20,000 in liberty bonds and $8,000 in cash, local authorities announced. Roy, according to his alleged confession, said he received $400 as his share of the loot form the bank.

Officers were directed to where Roy hid the $400 and returned with the money. Clarence Ward, arrested yesterday, was one of the bandits, Roy told authorities. He had not seen the other four men since they left his home Saturday, he said. Charges probably will be filed against him.

The Caddo Herald

December 22, 1922

Hold-Up Men Rob Caddo Bank Friday

Three men, one with smut on his face, held up the Caddo National Bank last Friday morning, secured the cash and bonds, and made their get-away in a Buick car, going east. One stayed outside, another at the back, making five in all.

The sheriff was immediately notified, and quickly there were numerous armed posses in pursuit. Friday evening a car was discovered in the forks of Boggy and one man brought in. The car was identified as the one seen in Caddo and along the road. The man is in jail at Durant.

The first intimation the bank official s had of any robbery was the order to “hold up your hands”. Three men had come in at the front, and issued the order. The hands all went up, though the order had to be repeated several times before the robbers could make the officials believe they meant business. Two men kept the seven employees and five customers covered while the third took all the money in sight, and compelled Cashier Maytubby to open the safe, where other money and Liberty Bonds were kept. After securing the money the robbers shut all twelve people in the vault, and made their way out the back way, where the car was waiting, engine running.

A telephone inside the vault enabled those in it to phone for help; but by this time the robbers were swiftly going east. Parties whom they passed on the road say the car was going seventy miles an hour and hesitating about nothing.

Those in the bank were: F. P. Semple, J. D. Maytubby, R. H. Carraway, Rex. Whitt, L. M. Wood, Mrs. L. M. Wood, Francis Schwartz, all connected with the bank and J. L. Sargent, J. H. Cossart, Antone Havernick, Other Hale, and W. W. Fort, customers. Mr. Fort, who lives at Ardmore, was in the telephone booth at the time and they had to wait ‘til he came out before they could complete the holdup.

The three men who were in the bank are described as follows: One about 22 or 23 years of age, weight about 135 pounds, blue eyes, about 5 feet 9 inches high, sandy hair, smooth face, slouch gray hat.  One was about 30 years old, weight about 160 pounds, wore overalls, cap, round face, rather red, and prominent nose. One was about 35 years old, smut on face, wore blue glasses, large black hat, black shoes, sand hair, rather sharp face, wore gloves. All there looked to have two day growth of beard on their faces, all looked as though they might have worked on farms.

The men were closely studied by several of those held up who readily would recognize them if seen.

The bank carried sufficient insurance to pay losses. The money loss was about $8,000; while about $25,000 of Liberty Bonds belonging to customers were taken. $18,000 of those were registered bonds so no loss can occur there to anyone.

While all the money except a few pennies were taken, in less than an hour the bank was doing business as usual with plenty of cash on hand, receiving it from Durant.

The robbers were fairly polite and gentle in their dealings with all concerned; they knew what they wanted and got it and seemed pleased that they got so much.

Jim Sargent had just cashed a check and with his purse on the counter was ordered to hold up his hands and he did; but the robbers did not take his $20, saying it belonged to some farmer who needed it worse than he did. So Jim got his money back. No attempt was made to rob the persons of any money. No notes or warrants or other papers were taken- just money and bonds.

Caddo was in a fever of excitement all that day and the next about the robbery- it being the first ever experienced here. No one was injured but time was required for some to regain their wanted equanimity.