Santa_Claus_Bank_Robbery

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Santa Claus Bank Robbery









Santa Claus Bank Robbery









Location of Cisco, Texas



Huntsville, and a fourth man who was good with safes. As

they planned the crime in Wichita Falls, the safe-crack-

er came down with the flu, and the trio pulled in Davis,

a relative of Helms and a family man in need, promising

a large return for his participation. During this period in

Texas three or four banks were being robbed every day,

and in response the Texas Bankers Association had of-

fered a $5,000 reward to anyone shooting a bank robber

during the crime. In addition, Ratliff knew that he would

The image that helped launch one of the biggest manhunts in

be immediately recognized if he returned to Cisco. This

Texas history.

made the heist a particularly dangerous undertaking for

the four men, so Ratliff decided to conceal his identity by

The Santa Claus Bank Robbery occurred on December

disguising himself as Santa Claus. Such a disguise would

23, 1927 in the Central Texas town of Cisco. Marshall

also allay any suspicions by people in the bank. Stealing a

Ratliff, dressed as Santa Claus, along with Henry Helms

car in Wichita Falls, they headed for Cisco and arrived on

and Robert Hill, all ex-cons, and Louis Davis, a relative of

the morning of December 23.

Helms, held up the First National Bank in Cisco. The rob-

As the group neared the bank, Ratliff donned a Santa

bery is one of Texas’ most infamous crimes, having in-

Claus suit he had borrowed from Mrs. Midge Tellet, who

voked the largest manhunt ever seen in the state. Eyewit-

ran the boarding house where they had been staying in

ness, Boyce House, wrote that this was "the most spectac-

Wichita Falls. They let Ratliff out several blocks from the

ular crime in the history of the Southwest ... surpassing

bank. Ratliff, dressed as Santa, was smiling as he came

any in which Billy the Kid or the James boys had ever fig-

along Main Street, stopping to chat with eager children,

ured."

answering their questions and patting them on the head.

Marshall Ratliff was an ex-con who had lived in Cisco

The main street of Cisco was crowded with people going

before being tracked down and imprisoned for a bank

about their daily activities. The town had the normal dec-

robbery in Valera, Texas by Cisco Chief of Police, G.E.

orations for the season. Everyone was in the Christmas

"Bit" Bedford. Though Ratliff was given a long prison sen-

spirit, so no one thought it odd when Santa came walking

tence, he had been paroled just before the infamous bank

down the street around noon, one day before Christmas

robbery. He initially planned to rob the Cisco bank with

Eve. Still followed by children attracted to "Santa," Ratliff

his brother, Lee, however Lee had been arrested again.

joined the other three in an alley and led the way to the

Ratliff pulled in Helms and Hill, whom he knew from



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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Santa Claus Bank Robbery





bank. Some of the happy children who had followed San- side, fired a shot through the window, and a shot was re-

ta continued into the bank after him. turned, prompting Hill to fire several more shots into the

Once inside, Ratliff received a pleasant greeting of ceiling to show that they were armed.

"Hello, Santa," from the cashier. He did not respond, but Immediately, Bedford and Carmichael directed cross

walked to a desk in the middle of the lobby, where bank fire at the side door and the two-gunned robber fired

customers wrote out their deposit slips. A few customers back, first at Carmichael and then at Bedford.

were already at the teller’s window making their de- A fusillade of gunfire began, as many citizens who

posits. The cashier again called out, "Hello, Santa." Again, owned guns were now outside the bank, and many more

no response. had rushed to hardware stores for pistols and rifles. The

Right about at this point, Ratliff’s accomplice, Robert Assistant Postmaster and the Postmaster were two of the

Hill, entered the Bank, pointed a pistol at the cashier, and citizens that took up arms against the robbers. They

snarled, "Hands up!!" The second bandit, Henry Helms, opened fire, and a rifle bullet struck one of the fugitives

also entered brandishing a gun, followed by the third in the arm and "spun him around." A bullet also struck

armed man, Davis. a cashier in the jaw, another struck a bank customer in

Ratliff pushed through a swinging door, past the the leg. One customer made a run for it and was able to

cashier’s desk, went into the cashier’s cage, opened a tell Bedford and Carmichael about the hostages. The rob-

drawer under the counter, and removed a pistol from bers forced all of the people in the bank out the door

that location, stuffing it under his red Santa suit. Now and towards their blue sedan. Several of these hostages

there were four armed men, including "Santa Claus". were wounded as they emerged into the alley, including

"Santa" ordered the assistant cashier to open the Alex Spears, the bank president. Most of the customers

safe, and began stuffing money and bonds into a sack he escaped; however the robbers kept as hostages two little

had hidden beneath his costume. While the others cov- girls, Laverne Comer (12) and Emma May Robertson (10).

ered the customers and employees, Ratliff grabbed mon- Using the girls as shields, the four made their way into

ey from the tellers and forced one to open the vault. the alley their getaway car.

Unseen by the four robbers, bank patron Mrs. B. P. More than a hundred shots had already been fired

Blassengame and her six year old daughter, Frances, en- before the shootout in the alley where the robbers re-

tered the bank in hopes of seeing Santa, not knowing a turned to their getaway car. In the alley, Chief Bedford

robbery was in progress. Immediately realizing the dan- and Deputy George Carmichael were mortally wounded;

ger, Mrs. Blassengame charged her way with her daugh- Officer Carmichael found himself reeling from a bullet

ter through the bookkeeping office of the bank, announc- that had been fired from one of the robbers’ guns. Officer

ing "They are robbing the bank," as she reached for the Redies, who had witnessed his partner being shot, went

door to the alley. She quickly unlocked the door, thrust- to him to assist in any way he could. As Redies dodged

ing her daughter out into the alley while yelling at her the robbers’ gunfire, the four made their way to the get-

to run and, despite warnings from the robbers that they away car. At the head of the alley, Police Chief G.E. Bed-

would shoot, escaping herself. She screamed for help as ford stood in their way. In the exchange of fire, Chief Bad-

she ran the one block to city hall and the police depart- ford, who had been a Peace Officer in the area for some

ment, alerting Chief of Police G. E. (Bit) Bedford and most 25 years, was shot five times.

of the Cisco citizenry about the robbery. Bedford died several hours later on Christmas Day,

According to eyewitness Boyce House, "Police Chief and Carmichael died almost a month later on January

G.E. "Bit" Bedford [was] a giant of a man and a veteran 17. Six other citizens were wounded. Davis was severely

peace officer." Seizing a riot gun, he started for the scene wounded in the shootout, while Ratliff suffered from two

and instructed officers R.T. Redies and George wounds, one in the chin and one in the leg.

Carmichael to cover the back door of the bank. The chief Officer Redies ran to the police station and retrieved

posted himself at the alley, which ran alongside the bank a rifle and began to pursue the robbers on foot. He was

and opened at the bank’s front on Main Street, while Offi- soon picked up and continued the pursuit with a citizen.

cer Carmichael took a position near another alley which As the four robbers began their getaway, traveling

ran behind the bank and intersected the first. south on Main with their hostages, they realized that

Meanwhile, inside the bank, one of the men, with an they were almost out of gas, having forgotten to fill the

automatic weapon in each hand, growled at the book- tank beforehand. As they neared the edge of town, pur-

keeper, "Don’t look at me!" By this time, "Santa Claus" sued by the mob, one of their tires was flattened by a shot

had filled his sack and exited the vault. from law enforcement. The robbers lurched out of the

It is uncertain who fired the first shot. Some sources vehicle, brandishing their guns to commandeer a passing

state Ratliff, dressed as Santa, fired first, the bullet strik- Oldsmobile driven by fourteen year old Woodrow Wilson

ing the bank’s plate glass window, possibly to signal un- Harris, who relinquished the car. The robbers transferred

seen accomplices that the robbery had been accom- the loot, hostages and injured comrade to the Oldsmo-

plished. Other sources say that Hill, seeing someone out- bile, in the midst of gunfire. When they had finally trans-



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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Santa Claus Bank Robbery





ferred themselves to the new getaway car, only then did was filled and as jolly Saint Nicholas entered, a little boy

they realize that they could not start the car because Har- called out, with a quaver in his voice: "Santa Claus, why

ris had cleverly taken the keys from the ignition when did you rob that bank?"

ordered to stop. Davis was by then unconscious, so they When the bandits wrecked their car in Putnam, they

left him in the car and moved back to the first car with then successfully commandeered a vehicle driven by Carl

their two hostages. Robert Hill, the one who had followed Wylie, a young driller, forcing him as their hostage to dri-

Ratliff into the bank, was struck by a rifle bullet during ve. During the seizure Mr. Wylie’s father fired his shot-

the aborted transfer to Harris’s car. They did not realize gun after the fleeing car. The bullets struck his son.

until later that they had left the money in the Oldsmobile After hiding out all night with nothing to eat but

with Davis. oranges, which they did not offer to the injured young

The mob found Davis and the money and temporarily hostage, Helms, Hill and Ratliff decided to return to Cisco

gave up the chase. The money was returned to the bank. to hide in plain sight. They released Wylie and his car and

They had stolen $12,400 in cash and $150,000 in nonnego- stole another. The wounded bandits, especially Ratliff,

tiable securities. Estimates were made that there were at were doing very poorly due to their injuries, lack of food,

least 200 bullet holes in the bank, a number which many and the icy, sleeting conditions.

thought too low. Besides the two police officers, there The threesome was ambushed the next morning by

had been six townspeople wounded in the shootout, but Sheriff Foster in the little town of South Bend, in Young

no one was sure whether the robbers or the mob was re- County. As they tried to cross the Brazos River, officers

sponsible. For Davis, who was a last minute replacement spotted the single-seated machine with three occupants

for the group, this was the only crime in his lifetime. He approaching. The driver caught sight of a gun in the

was taken to a Ft. Worth hospital after his capture, but ef- hands of one of the officers and began backing rapidly

forts to save his life failed. He died from bullet wounds he down the road. Then, as the members of the posse scur-

received in the gunbattle at the bank. ried into their automobiles, the car whirled and rushed

The trio had raced back out onto Main, two of the away. A car chase followed, with a shootout in an oil field

"desperadoes" firing back at an automobile filled with as the three tried to escape, running toward the wells.

pursuers. The driver swung east onto a dirt road and his Involved in the firefight was Deputy Sheriff Cy Brad-

companions began throwing out roofing nails in an effort ford, famous for bringing law and order into the coal

to puncture the tires of the posse’s machines. He then fields of Strawn and neighboring towns and later as a

turned into a pasture, dashing through cactus, mesquite, Texas ranger during the turbulent oil days. His career

and scrub oak. The growth became so heavy that further was filled with gunfights in which Bradford’s coolhead-

progress was impossible, and the robbers abandoned edness and marksmanship always brought him out the

their bullet-riddled car and the two hostages several victor. Before Bradford’s car had rolled to a stop, he was

miles from town and continued on foot. out with "Old Betsy," his double-barreled shotgun, an ex-

Sheriff John Hart and his deputies of Eastland, the tra pair of shells in one hand. Bradford fired once and one

county seat, had been called by long distance and given of he fugitives fell. Bradford reloaded before firing again.

the news of the bank robbery; they piled into automo- "I did not want to be caught with an empty gun if they

biles and sped to the spot where the bandits had aban- turned and made a stand," he explained afterward. The

doned the car. Reporters, including Boyce House, fol- bandits ran on, firing back over their shoulders. Again

lowed the action in another vehicle. By House’s account, Bradford shot, and a man went down but arose and stag-

"officers and citizens poured in from all that section of gered on. The officer shoved the other shell into the gun

the state and such a manhunt as Western Texas had nev- and shot again and the third desperado slumped to his

er seen before was soon in progress .... Many members knees but got up and reeled on, disappearing among the

of the posse were on horseback or on foot as they beat derricks. Ratliff was hit and fell to the ground while

their way through clumps of trees, searched high grass Helms and Hill, although wounded, escaped into the

in the bottoms of ravines and peered around boulders in woods by the Brazos River, which offered ideal conceal-

canyons." One search party discovered an overcoat and ment. Ratliff was reportedly a "walking arsenal," bearing

bloodstained gloves. Later, citizens found a suitcase and no fewer than six gunshot wounds and six pistols when

a pile of bloodstained rags. In the suitcase were cotton captured, including the one he took from the bank. "San-

and gauze, showing that the bandits had entered their ta" had been caught.

enterprise with the knowledge that there might be shed- The intense manhunt for Helms and Hill, directed by

ding of blood. Despite the search efforts, the bandits were Ranger Captain Tom Hickman, pressed on so as not to al-

able to evade search parties and steal another car the low the wounded men an opportunity for rest. Despite

next morning. The pursuit continued throughout Satur- airplane assistance the search team could not spot the

day and Saturday night. One of the results of the Yule- fleeing men. In the process, two more men were wound-

tide crime was its tragic implications for little children in ed from accidental discharge of their weapons, bringing

Eastland County. On Christmas Eve, a church in Eastland the total number of wounded to eight, excluding the



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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Santa Claus Bank Robbery





three surviving robbers. However, their trail was even- in an office desk, fatally wounding Jones, and violently

tually picked up and it seemed evident that the end of fighting the second jailer in hand-to-hand combat, some-

the chase was not far because the footprints were close- times shooting a few rounds that, fortunately for Kil-

spaced, showing that they were wearing from the long bourn, missed their mark. Most of the town, including

chase and weak from loss of blood. Marks showed that, the fighting jailer’s daughter, watched helplessly

to climb even a small rise, they had been forced to crawl. through the jail windows, unable to break open the steel

They were finally apprehended in Graham, Texas on De- door to help Kilbourn as he pinned Ratliff down, beat him

cember 30, seven days after the bank robbery. They had into unconsciousness, then returned him to his cell.

been attempting to find the location of a rooming house A crowd began to gather the next morning and, by

in Graham, but the man from whom they asked direc- nightfall, had grown to nearly 2,000 all clamoring for

tions noticed their pistols and notified the authorities. Ratliff. Kilbourn refused their demand but was overpow-

Presumably exhausted, the two were taken into custody ered by fifteen to twenty men who rushed in and dragged

without a fight. Hill was captured with three pistols, and Ratliff out. They tied his hands and feet, carrying him to

Helms with four. a vacant lot behind the local Majestic Theater on Mul-

Though Helms, Hill, and Ratliff had several wounds berry Street, where the play "The Noose" was being pre-

apiece and had not eaten for days, all three survived and sented. There, they threw a rope over a guy-wire be-

faced trials. Helms was second to stand trial after Ratliff. tween two telephone poles, on which they intended to

He was identified as the one who had gunned down both hang him. The first attempt failed when the knot came

lawmen and was given the death sentence in late Febru- loose and he fell to the ground. The second time, how-

ary. After an unsuccessful insanity plea, he was execut- ever, they used a stronger rope and were successful. His

ed by electric chair on September 6, 1929 in Huntsville, last words were, "Forgive me, boys," before he was hoist-

Texas. It is said that he had cabbage, sausage, tomatoes, ed 15 feet in the air. He was pronounced dead 20 minutes

coffee, and pie for his last meal. Hill was last to be tried. later, at 9:55 P.M. on November 19. Some Eastland Coun-

He pled guilty to armed robbery and took the stand on tians have erected a marker and picket fence around a

his own behalf, crying for mercy and citing his unhap- utility pole in back of the Majestic Theater on Mulberry

py childhood. In March he was given a sentence of life Street, although this marker may or may not be the actu-

imprisonment—99 years. He escaped from prison three al pole. Jones died that evening, bringing the total num-

times but was recaptured each time. After settling down, ber of dead as a result of the Santa Claus Bank Robbery,

he was paroled in the mid-1940s, changed his name, and including three bank robbers, to six.

became a productive citizen. No one was ever tried in association with the lynch-

Ratliff was convicted of armed robbery on January 27, ing, although a grand jury was formed. Several thousand

1928, and was also sentenced to 99 years in prison. It was persons viewed Ratliff’s body the next day at a furniture

little ten-year-old Emma May Robinson’s testimony that store in Eastland before Judge Garrett ordered the corpse

identified Ratliff as the man disguised as Santa Claus who locked up. Ratliff’s family took possession of the body

had robbed the bank and kidnapped her. On the way to and arranged for a funeral in Fort Worth, with burial at

his cell, Ratliff muttered, "That’s no hill for a high-step- Olivet Cemetery. Many people in Cisco over the years

per like me." Months later, on March 30 he was sentenced have claimed to have been present at the robbery or re-

to execution for his role in the deaths of Bedford and lated to someone who was, and it is now a part of local

Carmichael, although no one could testify to having seen folklore. The greatest manhunt in the history of Western

Ratliff, dressed as Santa, fire a gun from the bank. Ratliff Texas had ended. And the most celebrated of all the trials

appealed his case and, when that failed, began behaving ever held in Eastland District Court’s old courthouse, was

oddly in hopes of an insanity plea. He began acting in- also the last. At the end of this trial, the building was de-

sane the day of Helms’s execution, much to the convic- molished. The First National Bank still stands in Cisco, al-

tion of his jailers. His mother, Rilla Carter, filed for a lu- though it is in a new building. It features a painting of the

nacy hearing in Huntsville. robbery, as well as a collection of newspaper clippings

The citizens of Eastland County grew infuriated to and pictures of those involved. In 1967 the Texas State

learn Ratliff had not already been executed for his deeds, Historical Survey Committee (now the Texas Historical

and were further aggravated by this new development. Commission) placed a medallion on the bank commemo-

Judge Davenport ordered Ratliff be extradited to Eastland rating the robbery.

County jail, writing a bench warrant for armed robbery of

the Harris’ Oldsmobile. On November 18, while awaiting

execution there, Ratliff feigned paralysis, convincing his

Sources

jailers, Pack Kilbourn and Tom A. "Uncle Tom" Jones, ne- • http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/

cessitating the two to feed and bathe him, and take him articles/SS/jbs2.html

to the toilet. Having duped the two jailers, the man who • http://www.texasescapes.com/MaggieVanOstrand/

had played Santa managed to get hold of a six shooter The-Night-the-Posse-Chased-Santa.htm



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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Santa Claus Bank Robbery





• http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/1999/ • http://www.ciscotx.com/ciscopd/santaclaus.html

greene.htm • http://www.our-town.com/~brit/cisco.htm

• http://web2.unt.edu/untpress/catalog/

detail.cfm?ID=123









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Categories: 1927 crimes, 1927 in the United States, Bank robberies, Santa Claus





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