A rare first person account of a 1921 bank robbery in Iuka, Illinois. Obviously a notorious day for the residents…but there isn’t enough printed material to write a screenplay. The drawing provides more color than the press. Here there is enough to write a song! the one substantial article found is enough to confirm that yes, bank employee Miss Kelley did leap into her Essex automobile to give chase! Surely a local hero. The account from The Chicago Banker of February 11, 1922 reports “Ed Hall, 19 years old of Flora was found guilty here of robbery in connection with the holding up of the State Bank of Iuca, December 20, in which over 18,000 was stolen. Hall’s younger brother, Lex, 17 years old, who was indicted with him, was found not guilty. The younger Hall had twenty-one witnesses to prove his alibi that he was in Flora, Ill. at the time of the robbery. Ed hall tried to prove that he was at Kincaid, Ill. at the time of the robbery. Mildred Kelly, 22-year employee at the bank, who gave chase in an automobile after the robbery, identified Ed Hall as one of the participants in the robbery. The Hall Brothers were arrested December 26.” Unfortunately, I find nothing written about “the semi-professional ball player” or Lester.
Original drawing 1921 collection Dull Tool Dim Bulb
