Connect with us

North Dakota

Today in History, 1930: North Dakota marks 8 bank robberies in a year, stealing a total of $13,555

Published

on

Today in History, 1930: North Dakota marks 8 bank robberies in a year, stealing a total of ,555


On this day in 1930, North Dakota bankers reported that nine bank robbers had been sent to prison after a year of holdups and burglaries across the state.

Here is the complete story as it appeared in the paper that day:

Bandits Loot North Dakota Banks of $13,555 in Year

NINE ROBBERS ARE IN TOILS

Advertisement

Six Daylight Holdups, Two Night Jobs In Macfadden Report

The bank bandit business in North Dakota since July 1, 1929, has paid out about $13,555.08 to its tradesmen, but has sent nine of them away for long visits at the state penitentiary in Bismarck.

From July 1, 1929 to June 15, 1930, close of the fiscal year for the North Dakota Bankers association, there were six daylight holdups and two night burglaries in the state, the annual report of W. C. Macfadden, Fargo, secretary, shows. Mr. Macfadden released his report for publication Saturday.

See more history at Newspapers.com

Advertisement

Up to June 15, the holdups had resulted in a total money loss of $12,356.08, but Friday two men held up the Commercial State bank at Sarles and escaped with about $1,200, bringing the grand total to $13,556.08.

The total loss resulting from daylight holdups in 1929 was $5,619.50 exclusive of damage losses. Attempts to obtain money in two night burglary attacks failed. So far in 1930 the loss amounted to $6,735.58, taken from the Citizens National bank at Wahpeton, May 29, plus $1,200 lifted at Sarles Friday.

Everyone Loses At Denhoff

The first bank case in the 1929 fiscal year of the association was at the First State bank of Denhoff Aug. 2, when $800 in currency was burned and the vault damaged beyond repair in a night time attack. Nobody profited by that deal—not even the bandits, for though they escaped, they couldn’t take the charred money with them.

Then came the Gwinner affair when four men broke into the Gwinner State bank under cover of night, cut open the vault, and then were forced to flee down a road ahead of an impromptu, but indignant posse which sprinkled them liberally with shot. All four of the bandits were captured and all of the money recovered. The four men, Thomas Kerwin, John Mitchell, George Smith and John Grant, each of whom won a plentiful aliases were sent away to Bismarck and will be there for some time to come.

Advertisement

Sept. 10, 1929, the First State bank of Alamo lost $4,000 in a daylight holdup. Oct. 2, the Security National bank of Taylor was visited, and robbed of $1,619.50. None of the money has ever been recovered.

Three men held up the bank of Garske Oct. 7, 1929, were chased by townsfolk and ended up in Bismarck. The three convicted were Nicholas Schneider, Jimmy Russell and Louise Vivier.

John Peters was the next man to be sent away on a bank bandit charge. He entered the penitentiary convicted of having held up the Douglas State bank on Nov. 22. The full amount of money was recovered from Peters as it was from the Garske bandit trio.

March 19, 1930, Nicholas Mead shot and killed the cashier of the First National bank of Courtenay and for several days was in possession of illicit funds obtained by the process. Mead, however, was caught, convicted, and sent away for life on a first degree murder charge.

The Citizens National bank of Wahpeton is still loser by $6,735.58, the result of a daring daylight attack May 29 when three young men held up the bank employees, the board of directors and certain patrons, scooped up the money, walked out the door and to their car, escaping across the South Dakota border.

Advertisement

The two recent bank attacks, neither of which is included in Mr. Macfadden’s report because they will fall in next year’s tally, are the Hurdsfield affair and the attack at Sarles Saturday. Ernest Swandlow, youthful bandit, who attempted to hold up the Farmers and Merchants bank at Hurdsfield last week, was caught the same day, has confessed.

Ads featured in The Forum on June 29, 1930. Newspapers.com

Advertisement
Kate Almquist

Kate Almquist is the social media manager for InForum. After working as an intern, she joined The Forum full time starting in January 2022. Readers can reach her at kalmquist@forumcomm.com.





Source link

Advertisement

North Dakota

EPA invests $1.6 million to improve drinking water in South Dakota, five other states

Published

on

EPA invests .6 million to improve drinking water in South Dakota, five other states











EPA invests $1.6 million to improve drinking water in South Dakota, five other states | DRGNews











Advertisement









Advertisement






google-site-verification: google9919194f75dd62c5.html



Source link

Continue Reading

North Dakota

Preparations for President’s North Dakota visit begin

Published

on

Preparations for President’s North Dakota visit begin


BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) — The White House is preparing for President Trump’s visit to North Dakota on Wednesday, July 1.

Your News Leader witnessed two military transport planes arrive at the Bismarck Municipal Airport on Saturday afternoon.

Crews unloaded Marine One off of one of the planes and rolled it to a hangar.

The roar of those large military planes attracted a lot of attention on Facebook and at the airport, as onlookers watched the activity.

Advertisement

This comes before the President’s scheduled visit to Medora on Wednesday as part of a series of America 250 celebrations and a dedication of the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.

Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

North Dakota

Bankruptcies for North Dakota and western Minnesota published June 27, 2026

Published

on

Bankruptcies for North Dakota and western Minnesota published June 27, 2026


Filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court

North Dakota

Sheila Marie Pfeiffer, Jamestown, Chapter 7

Bernard James Overby, Grand Forks, Chapter 7

Advertisement

Emilio James Lamba, Fargo, Chapter 13

John Patrick Bohlin, Fargo, Chapter 7

Consuelo E. May, Fargo, Chapter 7

Jose Alvarado, Dickinson, Chapter 13

James Vincente and Desiree Nicole Moore, Williston, Chapter 7

Advertisement

Laura Lynne Westerholm, formerly known as Laura Johansen, Fargo, Chapter 7

Lacey Mae Puklich, Bismarck, Chapter 7

Jenna Shree Pairian, Bismarck, Chapter 7

James Edward and Pamela Teresa Mercer, Bismarck, Chapter 7

David Henry Yerka, Fergus Falls, Chapter 7

Advertisement

Minnesota

Bankruptcy filings from the following counties: Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Norman, Otter Tail, Polk, Traverse, Wadena and Wilkin.

Dean and Catherine Elizabeth Brown, Detroit Lakes, Chapter 7

Claudette Jean Lewis, Breckenridge, Chapter 7

Justin and Jessica Patelski, Fergus Falls, Chapter 7

Advertisement

Gerald Lloyd Wipper, Alexandria, Chapter 7

Chapter 7 is a petition to liquidate assets and discharge debts.

Chapter 11 is a petition for protection from creditors and to reorganize.

Chapter 12 is a petition for family farmers to reorganize.

Chapter 13 is a petition for wage earners to readjust debts.

Advertisement

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.





Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending