THE SANTA CLAUS BANK ROBBERY

PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE FULL ISSUE PREV FULL ISSUE

V27 2024 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 27, Number 8, February 25, 2024, Article 30

Switching from four good guys to four bad guys, here's a story of the famous 1927 Santa Claus Bank Robbery of the First National Bank in Cisco, Texas. Found via News & Notes from the Society of Paper Money Collectors (Volume IX, Number 33, January 30, 2024). -Editor

It all began on December 23, 1927, around noon when Marshall Ratliff, Henry Helms, Robert Hill, all ex-cons, and Louis Davis, a relative of Helms, held up the First National Bank in Cisco.

As the group neared the bank, Ratliff donned a Santa Claus suit he had borrowed from Mrs. Midge Tellet, who ran the boarding house where they had been staying in Wichita Falls. They let Ratliff out several blocks from the bank. Followed by children attracted to "Santa," Ratliff joined the other three in an alley and led the way into the bank. He did not respond to the greetings directed at Santa, and the other three drew their guns, indicating that it was a holdup. While the others covered the customers and employees, Ratliff grabbed money from the tellers and forced one to open the vault.

To read the complete article, see:
Santa Claus Bank Robbery (https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/santa-claus-bank-robbery)

"The Santa Claus bank robbery occurred on Dec. 23 1927 in the central Texas town of Cisco. Marshall Ratliff, Henry Helms, and Robert Hill, and Lewis Davis, held up the First National Bank in Cisco. It evoked one of the biggest man-hunts ever seen in the state of Texas. An eye witness was quoted The most spectacular crime in the history of the Southwest, surpassing any crime Billy the Kid of the James boys had ever figured.Basically, Ratliff was the ringleader and donned a Santa suit and masqueraded as Santa two days before Christmas when everyone was in the spirit. Ratliff entered the First National Bank where he was greeted by the tellers with a cheerful Hello, Santa. Ratliff and his gang pulled guns and held up the bank. A customer ran out and sounded the alarm to police chief G.E. Bit Bedford. He and his officers rushed to the bank. Gunfire ensued with a full blown gunfight. The robbers took hostages and used two little girls as shields to make their getaway. Chief Bedford and Deputy George Carmichael were mortally wounded. Bedford was shot five times trying to block the escape."

Speaking of bank bags, two interesting ones were illustrated in the February Mint Master from the Utah Numismatic Society. Republished here with permission. Thanks to Editor Doug Nyholm! -Editor