First National Bank
Cisco, Eastland County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Scene of daring Santa Claus Bank Robbery, Dec. 23, 1927. During Christmas festivities, costumed Santa and three fellow bandits looted bank of $12,200 cash, $150,000 in securities. They escaped through gun battle with two little girls as hostages. A three-day manhunt followed. The children and money were recovered; the robbers captured. Six persons were killed, eight injured. Later a mob lynched "Santa" when he broke out of jail. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1967
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Two days before Christmas in 1927, a man dressed as Santa Claus and three accomplices robbed this bank of cash and securities, then fled amid a gun battle, dragging two little girls along as hostages. A three-day manhunt followed the notorious "Santa Claus Bank Robbery": the children and money were recovered and the robbers caught, but six people died and eight were wounded. "Santa" himself was later lynched by a mob after breaking out of jail.
Why it matters
One of the most infamous crimes in Texas history, the robbery and its bloody aftermath became legend and helped mark the violent last chapter of frontier-style outlawry in the automobile age.
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Related events
- · Santa Claus Bank Robbery, 1927
Themes & tags
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