The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-02
Yeggs Have Made Big Haul
Since First of Year.
Bankers Meet Here Today To
Take Some Action.
WANT FEWER PARDONS ISSUED
Town Arsenals May Be Estab-
lished for Protection.
George w. Hanna Urges Short
Shotgun Squads.

Desperate in their failure to block
organized bank robberies in Kansas
members of the executive committee
of the Kansas State Bankers, .asso-
citation are in session this afternoon.
to discuss plans for meeting the sit
uation. Several members of the COM
mittee openly approve a free and un-
restrained gun campaign. Proposals
may be made for organization of town
arsenals to meet an emergency. Reso-
lutions are also being prepared urging
Governor Allen to suspend practices
of paroling men sent to prison for
bank robbery.
Kansas bankers admit they are anx-
i ious for a solution of the present
bank robbery problem. At the session
| this afternoon in the office of Walter
E. Wilson, state bank commissioner.
statement was made that nearly thir-
ty banks in this state have been looted
| since the first of the year total
of S25S,000 in cash and liberty bonds
have been stolen.
Bankers More Cautious.
That bankers in this state will be-
come more alert in safeguarding
against robberies is clearly apparent.
That every precaution will be taken
| to protect funds was indicated by the
statements of members OF the COM
mittee. Recently rewards were Of
fered. The reward plan has failed
utterly. No arrests have been made
which tended to slow down the loot of
banks. Now the bankers will try a
more drastic plan.
TT is clearly up TO the bankers to
use a brand of medicine which will
provide cure for the present free
handed practice of robbing banks.'
said George w. Hanna of Clay Center,
president of the association. zone OF
the big troubles in Kansas IS the fact
that most banks are practically with
out real protection" -----s-
Members of the committee are dis
posed TO laugh at the burglar alarms
which are used by a number of banks.
Usually the alarm doesn't work when
1t is needed. Often a clever bank rob-
Der puts the alarm system out of
business before he starts to collect the
community's deposits
Form Shotgun Squads.
I'm my judgment short barrel
shotgun organization is the only
methood of curing the bank robbing
practice" said Tom Sweeney, Law
renee banker and former president of
the association. I'VE offered rewards.
But we neither sent men to prison nor
stopped the robberies. 1t seems to be
about the easiest thing in the world
just now to rob bank and get away"
J. d. Joseph. of whitewater, former
state senator from Butler county said
he would propose a remedy this after
noon. But Joseph wants the bankers
to keep their own counsel
IF we are going to catch bank rob-
bers," said Joseph, 1T isn't a good
plan to publish our plans before we
begin work. Most of the bank rob
bers are careful newspaper readers"
II is probable that a fund OF sew
eral thousand dollars will be raised to
direct a fight on the apparently well
organized gangs of bank robbers.
When the state broke up the Wymore
and Callahan gangs several years ago,
several robbers were killed and the
state spent $25,O00 in conducting a
man hunt.
Propose Town Arsenals.
} One proposal today was for town
arsenals. Following a recent Kansas
bank robbery, a posse in a uetghbor-
ing town sought to trail the robbers
in motor cars. But a hasty canvass
! of the three local hardware stores
showed there was not a gun to be
had in any store. The fact that
nearly all of the recent robberies have
been in daylight. has made useless
vaults and strong boxes of the banks
Robbers merely threw money in open
vaults and on counters in a sack.
tpushed bank employees in the vault
closed the door and were miles away
before the robbery was discovered
Governor Allen may be called upon
to aid in the drive to break up bank
robbing popularity. The governor.
. tho, is expected to be able to provide
! but small sum Of money. Such
funds as are raised must seemingly
! come directly from the bankers. Sew
: eral members of the committee stated
today that a legislative appropriation
! would be an excellent thing. Most Of
I