Santa Claus Bank Robbery
santa claus bank robbery occurred december central texas town cisco marshall ratliff dressed santa claus along henry helm robert hill excons louis davis relative helm held first national bank cisco robbery one texas infamous crime invoked largest manhunt ever seen state boyce house editor ranger time newspaper county time wrote spectacular crime history southwest surpassing billy kid james boy ever figured marshall ratliff excon lived cisco tracked imprisoned bank robbery valera texas though ratliff given year prison sentence two year governor miriam ferguson pardoned one pardon ferguson granted—under lingering suspicion concession bought ratliff immediately began plan rob hometown bank initially planned enlist brother lee lee arrested ratliff pulled helm hill knew huntsville fourth man good safe planned crime wichita fall safecracker came flu trio pulled davis relative helm family man need promising large return participation period texas average four bank robbed every day response texas banker association announced anyone killed bank robber would awarded valued today currency made heist particularly dangerous undertaking four men ratliff knew would immediately recognized returned cisco since heist planned late december planned conceal identity disguising santa claus borrowed santa beard costume made josephine herron ran boarding house staying wichita fall ac greene book robbery changed name midge tellet fictional name appeared account since stealing car wichita fall headed cisco arrived morning december group entered cisco ratliff donned santa claus beard suit instructed gang drop block bank get car position plan park car wide alley beside bank met avenue main street gang would follow ratliff bank take money exit side alleyway door waiting car one day christmas eve one thought odd santa came walking street around noon child saw ratliff dressed santa claus surrounded answered question tried appear friendly nudged crowd toward bank able disperse child entering bank inside ratliff saw four men two bank employee alex spear mr jewell poe two customer marion olson oscar cliett received pleasant greeting hello santa respond distracted two fourthgrade girl entering lobby bookkeeping room emma mae robinson laverne comer bank patron mr b p blasengame entered bank pulled along sixyearold daughter france wanted see santa ratliffs accomplice entered bank pointing pistol shouting hand santa ordered teller open safe began stuffing money bond sack hidden beneath costume others covered customer employee ratliff grabbed money teller forced one open vault mr blasengame escaped daughter bookkeeping office alleyway door shouting robbing bank ran one block police department alerting chief police bedford cisco citizenry robbery according boyce house police chief ge bit bedford giant man veteran peace officer seizing riot gun started scene instructed officer rt rio redies george carmichael join chief posted front alley two officer took position back alley bandit realized bank surrounded gathered hostage entered back room alleyway door found two bookkeeper vance littleton freda stroebel bandit unable enter alley without drawing withering fire officer growing crowd armed citizen eight hostage including fourthgrade girl bandit used shield enter alleyway despite human shield fusillade gunfire began wounding four bandit hostage well robber gang made car drove town two little girl melee police chief bit bedford one deputy george carmichael lay alley mortal wound bedford died several hour later carmichael died two week later sunday january six civilian wounded four robber began getaway traveling south avenue hostage tossed roofing nail effort puncture tire posse machine tactic proved useful briefly soon realized almost gas tank punctured bullet simply forgotten fill tank long ride wichita fall cisco neared edge town pursued mob decided commandeer passing oldsmobile driven yearold woodrow wilson harris allowed drive family town lastminute christmas shopping father sat beside mother grandmother back seat gunpoint family relinquished car midst gunfire pursuer robber transferred loot hostage severelyinjured louis davis oldsmobile finally transferred new getaway car realize could start car harris cleverly taken key ignition ordered stop davis unconscious left car moved back first car two hostage later determined gang stolen cash nonnegotiable security would made largest texas bank heist date accidentally left behind confusion lawman citizen found bag loot abandoned harris car badly wounded louis davis three remaining bandit two little hostage raced south avenue swung east onto dirt road turned pasture dashing cactus mesquite scrub oak growth became heavy progress impossible robber abandoned bulletriddled car two hostage several mile town continued foot sheriff john hart deputy eastland county seat called long distance given news bank robbery piled automobile sped spot bandit abandoned car reporter including boyce house followed action another vehicle house account officer citizen poured section state manhunt western texas never seen soon progress many member posse horseback foot beat way clump tree searched high grass bottom ravine peered around boulder canyon one search party discovered overcoat bloodstained glove later citizen found suitcase pile bloodstained rag suitcase cotton gauze showing bandit entered enterprise knowledge might shedding blood unable find bandit evening set day robbery pursuit continued next day saturday december davis lastminute replacement group crime lifetime christmas day died gunshot wound received gunbattle bank evening christmas day three remaining bandit successfully commandeered vehicle driven carl wylie young driller forcing hostage drive seizure mr wylie father fired shotgun fleeing car shot struck son hiding night nothing eat orange offer injured young hostage helm hill ratliff stole another car released wylie vehicle wylie later reported authority bandit poorly due injury lack food icy sleeting condition next morning tried cross brazos river little town south bend young county officer spotted singleseated machine three occupant approaching bandit began backing rapidly road member posse scurried automobile car whirled rushed away car chase followed shootout oil field three tried escape running toward well involved firefight deputy sheriff cy bradford later served texas ranger bradford car rolled stop old betsy doublebarreled shotgun extra pair shell one hand bradford fired one fugitive fell bradford reloaded firing want caught empty gun turned made stand explained afterward bandit ran firing back shoulder bradford shot man went arose staggered officer shoved shell gun shot third desperado slumped knee got reeled disappearing among derrick ratliff hit fell ground helm hill although wounded escaped wood brazos river offered ideal concealment ratliff reportedly walking arsenal bearing fewer six gunshot wound six pistol captured including one took bank santa caught intense manhunt helm hill directed ranger captain tom hickman ranger sergeant lt lone wolf gonzallaus men posse including nearly officer pressed allow wounded men opportunity rest despite airplane assistance search team could spot fleeing men process two men wounded accidental discharge weapon bringing total number wounded eight excluding three surviving robber however trail eventually picked end chase evidently far footprint close spaced showing wearing long chase weak loss blood mark showed climb even small rise forced crawl finally apprehended graham texas december seven day bank robbery attempting find location rooming house graham man asked direction noticed pistol notified authority presumably exhausted two taken custody without fight hill captured three pistol helm four controversy surrounded dead bank robber reward start publicly legendary ranger frank hamer called banker murder machine attorney ratliff helm used mixed public opinion defense claiming forced bandit take desperate measure save ratliff first go trial armed robbery resulted life sentence helm pastor son stood trial ratliff given death sentence lawyer appealed hill pled guilty sentencing trial courtappointed attorney take stand describe boyhood orphan growing foster child gatesville state school boy reformatory criminally convicted minor also served foster care child jury gave life sentence instead death penalty ratliff faced another trial eastland county time contribution death two lawman lawyer asked change venue trial death george bit bedford transferred abilene trial death george carmichael transferred small town anson abilene jury gave death sentence anson jury gave second life sentence death row waiting death sentence appeal heard ratliffs mother gave windup phonograph stack gospel record condemned men passed cell way electric chair would play roll called yonder seven men heard impromptu death march didnt play henry helm passed cell way death chamber september henry helm attempted avoid electric chair feigning insanity followed lead harry leahy former lawyer condemned brutal torture killing physician unsuccessfully attempted ploy july took ten minute deliberation eastland county jury determine sane enough executed electric chair executed scheduled september family claim body leaving state bury prison cemetery convict derisively called peckerwood hill ratliff began acting insane day helmss execution mother rilla carter filed lunacy hearing huntsville citizen eastland county already infuriated ratliffs execution delayed long aggravated new development judge ordered ratliff extradited eastland county jail writing bench warrant armed robbery harris oldsmobile insanity ploy convincing attempt leahy helm led jailer pack kilborn tom jones let guard november ratliff escaped unlocked cell managed get hold sixshooter prison office fatally wounded jones violently fought kilborn jailer beat ratliff unconsciousness returned cell crowd began gather next morning nightfall grown nearly clear clamoring ratliff handed men broke jail dragged ratliff threw rope guywire two telephone pole intended hang first attempt failed rope broke fell ground second time however used stronger rope successful ending life man robbed cisco bank dressed santa almost two year earlier several thousand person viewed ratliffs body next day furniture store eastland judge ordered corpse hidden view grand jury formed investigate illegal lynching one ever tried ratliffs mother took possession body arranged funeral fort worth body transferred hearse transport burial olivet cemetery santa claus leading christmas parade happened pas promote store holiday sale reporter associated press covering robert hill trial referred jean valjean santa claus robbery eastland county jury sympathetic lawyer portrayal boy never stood chance orphaned eight raised gatesville state school boy served foster home boy well reformatory boy sentenced crime aging foster system teenager arrested petty theft pled guilty given twoyear sentence huntsville met marshall ratliff participant cisco bank robbery jury gave year sentence promised judge jury would make good prisoner first keep promise prison break common time—over three hundred men involved breakout alone robert hill joined three escape attempt captured time first brief break freedom work detail clearing field second escape two others followed bob silver popular vocal performer recently death sentence commuted life behind bar kidnapped male female student sam houston state teacher college forced drive houston convict kept car released student unharmed third break came joined dozen men sixtytoeightyfoot tunnel began kitchen work farm exited beyond fence lam eighteen month last escape captured el paso attempting cross mexico eastland county tried second time cisco bank robbery time murder two police officer trial resulted hung jury returned prison system complete life sentence attempt escape governor coke stephenson granted conditional pardon fifteen year life sentence first newspaper reference release came story commemorating twentieth anniversary santa claus robbery presley bryant reporter fort worth startelegram reported since november hill conditional pardon granted governor stevenson given two oneyear extension reprieve paroled rusk county parole board supervision board chairman mg wright henderson employed warehouseman construction firm smith county married three year stepfather acquired home joined church board pardon parole record advised governor pardon hill fifteen year life sentence last man novel santa claus bank robbery thomas goodman speculated decision result hill personal reform society need laborer factory farm many american men overseas second world war whatever motivated board recommend parole hill made best governor john connally replaced conditional pardon full pardon time hill died married model citizen fifty year report speculate changed name december presley bryant article already referenced included fact employer known identity since went work many people eastland county claimed relative present robbery lynching part local folklore texas state historical survey committee texas historical commission placed medallion site bank robbery cisco granite marker across eastland county jail mark spot marshall ratliff lynched first national bank prosperity bank feature painting cisco history includes depiction robbery boyce house first gather fact single published piece startling detective adventure magazine published article march jw sitton released first book robbery titled santa claus bank robbery fort worth startelegram called accurate narrative available abilene journalist ac greene published book mixed fact fiction called santa claus bank robbery screenwriter director john lee hancock starting film business wrote screenplay bank robbery lynching picked studio playwright billy smith wrote directed musical called great santa claus bank robbery performed cisco texas dinner theater julie williams coley included chapter crime independently published book die murder northern texas although several date align newspaper record coleys book helpful resource looking family relation bandit lindsay baker included chapter santa claus robbery book gangster tour texas researcher appreciate baker careful documentation photo map location key moment story tui snider released page book amazon called santa claus bank robbery true crime saga texas report following billy smith dinner theater play snider suggested robbery included blonde woman accomplice thomas goodman released last man novel santa claus bank robbery taking known detail robert hill speculating led reform house boyce santa claus bank robbery startling detective adventure march pp ff casefile podcast dec santa claus bank robbery podcast