Hartselle in Morgan County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
The Great Hartselle Bank Robbery / Three Hours Required to Accomplish Heist
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, February 24, 2023
1. The Great Hartselle Bank Robbery / Three Hours Required to Accomplish Heist side of marker
Inscription.
The Great Hartselle Bank Robbery, also, Three Hours Required to Accomplish Heist. . The Great Hartselle Bank Robbery In the early morning hours of Monday, March 15, 1926, bandits pulled off one of the most brazen bank robberies in the history of Alabama. In a well-planned operation, a band of five to ten men took around $15,000 in cash, coins and gold bars from the Bank of Hartselle. It began around midnight when five men appeared in Hartselle and asked where they could purchase gas. Earnest Mittwede, a cashier from the nearby Farmers and Merchants Bank, led them to night policeman Les Williams. Producing pistols, the men directed Mittwede and Williams to the back room of the Bank of Hartselle. They tied the men up and unloaded tools, rifles and explosives from a nearby car. Meanwhile, bandits proceeded to the L&N depot where they captured station agent J.B. “Brad” Huie and passenger Oscar K. Williams. When the train stopped, conductor J.A. Taylor was puzzled to find no passengers or station agent. He soon discovered that the telephone lines had been cut., Three Hours Required to Accomplish Heist Conductor Taylor used an emergency line unknown to the robbers to contact authorities in Cullman and Birmingham. When the robbers' efforts to access the Bank of Hartselle vault through the wall proved unsuccessful, they placed explosive charges on the vault door. By some accounts it took eight charges to blow the door, wrecking the interior of the bank and sending debris on to the heads of the frightened hostages. Alarmed by the noise, many of Hartselle's citizens emerged from their homes to investigate and were met by gunfire warning them to keep away. The robbers took other citizens hostage, including Chester Young, Mack McGinnis and Bob Griggsby. Dr. J.D. Johnston, a local dentist, ventured too close and was shot in the thigh. After they had packed up their loot, the robbers got in their cars and vanished into the darkness. The robbery lasted more than three hours. Despite the efforts of local, state, and federal authorities, no arrests were ever made.
The Great Hartselle Bank Robbery In the early morning hours of Monday, March 15, 1926, bandits pulled off one of the most brazen bank robberies in the history of Alabama. In a well-planned operation, a band of five to ten men took around $15,000 in cash, coins and gold bars from the Bank of Hartselle. It began around midnight when five men appeared in Hartselle and asked where they could purchase gas. Earnest Mittwede, a cashier from the nearby Farmers and Merchants Bank, led them to night policeman Les Williams. Producing pistols, the men directed Mittwede and Williams to the back room of the Bank of Hartselle. They tied the men up and unloaded tools, rifles and explosives from a nearby car. Meanwhile, bandits proceeded to the L&N depot where they captured station agent J.B. “Brad” Huie and passenger Oscar K. Williams. When the train stopped, conductor J.A. Taylor was puzzled to find no passengers or station agent. He soon discovered that the telephone lines had been cut.
Three Hours Required to Accomplish Heist Conductor Taylor used an emergency line unknown to the robbers to contact authorities in Cullman and Birmingham. When the robbers' efforts to access the Bank of Hartselle vault through the wall proved unsuccessful, they placed explosive charges on the vault door. By some accounts it took eight charges to
Click or scan to see this page online
blow the door, wrecking the interior of the bank and sending debris on to the heads of the frightened hostages. Alarmed by the noise, many of Hartselle's citizens emerged from their homes to investigate and were met by gunfire warning them to keep away. The robbers took other citizens hostage, including Chester Young, Mack McGinnis and Bob Griggsby. Dr. J.D. Johnston, a local dentist, ventured too close and was shot in the thigh. After they had packed up their loot, the robbers got in their cars and vanished into the darkness. The robbery lasted more than three hours. Despite the efforts of local, state, and federal authorities, no arrests were ever made.
Erected 2017 by Alabama Tourism Department.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Events. In addition, it is included in the Believe It or Not series list. A significant historical date for this entry is March 15, 1926.
Location. 34° 26.592′ N, 86° 55.983′ W. Marker is in Hartselle, Alabama, in Morgan County. Marker is at the intersection of Railroad Street Southwest and Hickory Street Southeast, on the right when traveling north on Railroad Street Southwest. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 110 Railroad St SW, Hartselle AL 35640, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . 1. Great Hartselle bank robbery is still an unsolved mystery. This episode of Alabama Pioneers' Alabama Grist Mill podcast series focuses on the unsolved robbery. (uploaded Sept. 20, 2019) (Submitted on February 26, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Unsolved mystery: A 'who-didn't-do-it' story. Although six men were investigated in connection with the robbery, who actually committed it has been the talk of Hartselle for nearly a century. (Michele Jackson, Hartselle Enquirer, posted Sept. 1, 2020) (Submitted on February 26, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 10, 2019
3. The Great Hartselle Bank Robbery / Three Hours Required to Accomplish Heist Marker
Behind the marker, to the right, is the Louisville & Nashville depot that was involved in the robbery.
Photographed By Brandy Pagan, October 28, 2023
4. The Great Hartselle Bank Robbery / Three Hours Required to Accomplish Heist Marker
The hole made by the explosives is still there today.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 29, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 26, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 653 times since then and 305 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on February 26, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on October 28, 2023, by Brandy Pagan of Hartselle, Alabama.