The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-01
KANSAS PUTS A
PRICE ON BANK
ROBBER HEADS!
Will Pay for Their Capture,
Living or Dead.
Corps of Real Detectives VIII
BE Employed.
BANKS CONTRIBUTE FUNDS
Wilson Wants a Premium for
"Dead Yeggs."
Attorney General, However,
Objects to Discrimination.

Kansas today placed price on bank
robbers-dead or alive. Walter E.
Wilson, state bank commissioner,
wanted to pay more for dead ones
than those live. But the attorney
generals office wouldn't approve the
plan. Now the state will pay for them
in box or in shackles.
Arrangements are to be made i'm
mediately to employ a corps of de-
tectives-not correspondence college
sleuths-but real by gosh criminal
hunters. Burglary insurance com
panies which are facing ruin as a re-
result of the free and unrestrained
raids on mid-western banks will con-
tribute to the state fund. So will the
Kansas Bankers association
BY use of a combination fund re-
ward of 5000 will be paid for arrest
and conviction of any gang which robs
or attempts to rob bank in Kansas.
And every yeggman killed in a man
hunt or hold-up fight counts as a con-
viction. The state will pay $500 Of the
$500 reward.
Bankers VIII Boost Price.
The Kansas Bankers association
will appropriate an equal amount.
The National Surety company of New
York and the Ocean Accident and
Guaranty company of Chicago will
each give 500 toward the clean up of
each gang of bank robbers. If an en-
tire gang is not captured or killed,
payment will be made on the basis OF
the number of men participating in
| the hold-up.
That there Is grave fear of a gen.
eral raid on scores of Kansas banks
this fall, was clearly indicated at a
| conference today in Commissioner Will
sons offices in the state house. I'M
mediate action is to be taken to safe :
guard against the apparent plan of
wholesale bank robberies
Millions of dollars will be deposited
in banks of this state in the next few
weeks Deposits are expected to go
skyward with the sale of the Kansas
wheat In view of the temptation to
burglars and hold-up men, the state
Will take steps to cause robbers to stop
and ponder before coming to Kansas.
| Nineteen Kansas banks have been
robbed since January 1. Losses of one
bank exceeded the entire capitalization
and surplus and caused the institution
to reorganize.
What Wilson Wanted.
81 wanted to pay S20O for every
person arrested and convicted of par
ticipation in 4 bank robbery in Kan
| sas," said Wilson. Il also wanted to
! offer $500 for every dead robber. But
the attorney generals office thought
Sucn plan WOuIQ constitute an ell
! couragement for killing people and
vetoed my idea. 1 still believe the
policy is right. The average yeggman
neither gives nor expects quarter. And
it is a whole lot cheaper to give the
extra 500 and avoid the expense OF
prosecution and feeding the robber
after he gets to the penitentiary."
]. ]. Talbot, Kansas agent for the
| National Surety company of New
York, approved Wilson's plan. In
fact. he gave assurance that his com
pany would pay its share of expense
on a schedule of 5000 for live bank
robbers and $500 for dead ones. Tai
bott attended today's conference. W.
| w. Bowman, secretary of the Kansas
Bankers asso sociation, was also present
They agreed that the most drastic
methods available would be adopted
in making the Kansas climate un-
healthy for bank burglars
State officials. well as a number
Of detectives and bankers. believe
yeggmen operating in Kansas will
establish a rendezvous in Wichita
Their fence" in this state would be
similar. it is believed. to the famous
callahan dump" which was cleaned
up several years ago. Kansas City and
Joplin bad men are believed to have
been responsible for most of the rob-