Carmel Clay Historical SocietySecond Quarter 2014 Established 1975 Our 39th Year

Museum Guides Share Depot’s History Last year, volunteer guides donated 279 hours to staff the Monon Depot Museum so more than 475 people could enjoy our changing exhibits and learn about local history. Saving the Monon Depot was the first major “cause” of the organization in 1976. And while the CCHS’s scope and mission has grown since then, preservation is still a hallmark of what we do. After literally decades of service to the CCHS, Ginny and Herb Luzader have stepped down as coordinators of the museum guide program. They both have dedicated hundreds of hours delivering keys, filling in for sick guides, leading school children, and thanking volunteers. Our most sincere thanks is extended to them for all they have done. CCHS Volunteer Coordinator Nancy Childs is now in charge of the museum guides. Our deep appreciation is extended to the following individuals who volunteered as guides last year: Millie Adams, Ellen Barmore, Jim Blessing, Eleanor Carter, Nancy Childs, John Clark, Nick Davis, Lester Fleener, Debbie Gangstad, Jim Garretson, Carol Hinkley, Donna Jones, Sherri Judd, Ginny and Herb Luzader, Kitty McGinity, Ethel O’Connor, Janet Randall, Cathie Reamer, Phyllis and Myron Rockhill, Joyce Rogers, Ev Simpson, Fred Swift, Ginny Terpening, Herb VanKeruren, and Rosemary Waters. 1

Tamara Hemmerlein and Jeannette Rooney of the IHS install the Faces of the Civil War Exhibit, on display through June 2.

In the first two weekends when the Monon Depot Museum was open, we had 145 visitors! If you are interested in being a guide in the museum, contact Nancy Childs at (317) 846-0865 or nancychilds43@yahoo.com. Museum hours are Fridays 5:30-7:30 p.m. (we have A LOT of people in the evening!), Saturdays 1-4 p.m. and Sundays 2-4 p.m.

McShane Update Katherine Dill got a sneak peek inside the McShane House, being renovated by Emily and Paul Ehrgott for their family of four. The concrete front porch is gone and a small porch, much like the original, has been put in its place. The front section of the house is stable. Concrete blocks on the kitchen addition have been replaced with siding, and wooden floors are repaired and restored. A modern kitchen will soon be installed. The house retains its historic flair, with antique doors, staircase spindles, and knobs all found in salvage stores. The family plans to move in this summer. Follow the progress of this historic restoration on the Ehrgott’s blog: http://mcshanehouse.blogspot.com

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Donations to the Annual Campaign Roy & Mary CageChristine Owens Nick DavisHarry McLaughlinNancy Piercy Joan SalzRussell Ennis, in memory of Margaret EnnisTrudy WeaverThanks to Alan Potasnik and Shock the Web! for donating space on their server to host the CCHS website.

If you have any of the following items, consider donating them to the CCHS as a tax-deductible gift: Blankets (any kind, used is fine)Plastic sheets/tarps (large, like those used in painting)Handheld steam iron (not flat)

Thanks to the following people who volunteered their time since the first of the year:Betty EstridgeSusan BockJim BurrellZach BurtonDonna BussellNancy ChildsRuthann Carson CrodaRyan CurryPhyllis L. DelpValery De LongLee, Marg & Douglas DolenRon and Veronica FritzJC HeedJennifer HershbergerJan RandallChris TerpeningGinny TerpeningJoan WischmeyerAndy Wright

New to the CollectionDebbi Byerly, Photographs of Carmel, grade cards, 1916 CHS yearbookBob Fearrin, Photograph of Elmer Fearrin as a sophomore at Carmel High School 1924-25Sherri and Bill Craig, Boxes of newspapers and clippings about Central IndianaFred and Alice Hecker, Metal roller skates for use in the Education CollectionArnold Savage, My Indiana 101 Places to See, featuring the Monon Depot MuseumJames Beard, Textile item sold by the Jewitt Clothing Store, tag intact.

Other CollectionsJane Reiman, Scrapbooks pertaining to Jane Reiman’s eight years in office as Carmel

Mayor will be donated to Indiana State Archives. The CCHS facilitated this donation, which is a valuable chronicle of Carmel's growth under the Reiman administration.

Upcoming datesJune 8 Sweet Success: A Carmel Icon Turns 54,

2 p.m. CCPLJune 14 Garden TourJuly 24 Historical Pub Crawl in CarmelAug. 7 The Nancy Chronicles, 7 p.m.

The Gazebo Aug. 27 What Killed Your Ancestors?

6:30 p.m. CCPLSept. 21 Annual Meeting and Picnic, 2 p.m.

CCHS grounds Oct. 10 Flapper and Dapper: A Speakeasy,

7 p.m. Bridgewater ClubOct. 19 Law & Order: Carmel Style Program,

2 p.m. CCPLDec. 5-6 Holiday Home Tour

Welcome to New MembersLeppert Mortuary, our newest corporate member at the Meridian LevelM.L. BorkBrian and Stephanie BorlikValery De LongBernard and Kimberly EnglishRon and Veronica FritzLance & Kidist HartingDonald JefferiesJess & Haley LawheadJeff & Janet LeftonBrent MartyBuddy McCartMarilyn MelangtonJanelle MorrisonTerry and Donna PratherJames ReillyJoan RobertsDiann RyanCarol SullivanJanet and Dale Waller

A special thanks is extended to the following Carmel City Council members who maintain their own individual memberships at the CCHS: Sue Finkham, Carol Schleif, Rick Seidensticker, and Rick Sharp.

Our Condolences Condolences are extended to the families of the following people:Peg Durrer, whose husband John died March 14Maurine Beach, who passed February 17Doug Callahan, whose brother Stan died April 27

Donations were made in memory of Dr. John Durrer by the following people:Joan, John and Karl Salz and Families, and Bear Ginny and Herb LuzaderKatherine Dill

How Does the CCHS Use Your Donations? You may wonder as you write your annual fund checks where the money goes that you donate to the CCHS. For every dollar you gave in 2013: • 18 cents was spent on our programs,

activities and services. These activities are the core of our outreach and what we do: offering school tours, creating exhibits, digitization of our more than 3,000 photographs, transcribing oral histories, offering field trips and tours, storing our collection properly and offering public programs.

• 14 cents supported the operations of the Monon Depot Museum. This includes maintenance, repair, cleaning, and operations.

• 21 cents was directed toward the CCHS’s capital campaign, for which consultants produced a feasibility study and continue with organization strengthening in preparation for a capital campaign.

• The largest portion of each dollar—47 cents—paid for general operations like salary, insurance, and utilities.

CCHS Receives Grants A $28,350 grant recently awarded to the CCHS by the 4CDC will be used to help support our Holiday Home Tour and allow us to hire Consultant Peggy Monson for the remainder of the year. Monson has been working with the CCHS for the past 3 months, continuing the work begun by Maureen Mercho, who moved to North Carolina. Monson is working from Mercho’s completed Feasibility Study to strengthen some areas before we begin on a campaign to build a new archives. In the coming months, Peggy will be working on a number of items, including: 1. Redefine our Mission Statement. (It’s

quite a mouthful right now!)

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Why Did the City of Carmel Refer Our Grant to the 4CDC for consideration? In a recent meeting with Mayor Jim Brainard, CCHS President Nick Davis and Executive Director Katherine Dill discussed the Society’s request for funds from the Carmel Arts Grant. The Mayor explained he redirected the CCHS grant to the 4CDC for funding because less money was available to fund the arts than in past years, and he felt our organization would likely get funding from the 4CDC. This move in no way indicates that the City felt we are not worthy of receiving a grant. Our balanced budget attests to our fiscal stability. We maintain a balanced budget by making cuts to our expenditures. The 4CDC unanimously voted to award the CCHS the entire amount requested.

CCHS Receives Grants...con't 2. Refine our Strategic Plan and create an

Executive Summary. The summary is a key piece that succinctly shows potential funders how we spend our efforts, time and money.

3. Create a Case for Support. This is a piece that will explain to others – potential members, sponsors and donors – why we are important.

4. Create a 2-3 year Fiscal Model 5. Update our donor list and create a strategy

for broadening our donor base The Conner’s Trail Chapter of Questers awarded the CCHS a $350 grant. The funds will be used to pay a textile specialist to inventory our collection of clothing and properly store them. They are currently in acid-free boxes, which is excellent. The specialist will interleaf acid-free tissue between the collection and assess the condition of the items and any damage present. The Questers have been long-time supporters of the preservation work undertaken by the CCHS. The Mattsville Pike Questers donated $100, which supported the purchase of specific acid-free boxes. Those containers have been used to safely house a top hat, ladies' hats, ladies gloves and handbags, and bonnets.

Grounds update The Hamilton County Master Gardeners who maintain and improve our beautiful gardens are hard at work creating a butterfly garden at the north end of the property. The gardeners will center the garden around the concrete traffic signal base that once stood outside local inventor Leslie Haines’s production office and eventually apply for it to be designated as a registered monarch weigh station. Milk weeds and other plants and flowers that attract and sustain butterflies must first be well established for this designation to occur. Signs explaining the four stages of butterfly metamorphosis will complete the garden. Also new to our grounds are three interpretive signs that explain the significance of our outdoor artifacts. These include the concrete base to Leslie Haines’ traffic signal model. It stood outside his shop on 1st Avenue NW. The replica luggage cart and the two railroad wagons/carts also have signage. The Monon Depot Museum garden will be on the CCHS’s 2nd annual Garden and Front Porch tour this year on June 14. You can also stop by the garden to check on its progress any time; our grounds are open to the public.

When the Bandits Rolled into Town By Andrew Wright 

In the early twentieth century, law enforcement in Carmel was the job of Town Marshal Edward Evans. In the late 1920s, Carmel was policed by a  deputized  street  commissioner  and  a  night watchman.  It was not until  the  late 1960s  that Carmel established a metropolitan police force. With  only  one  arresting  officer  and  being  ten miles from the sheriff in Noblesville, Carmel was a ready target for bank robbers.  

The  first bank opened on  July 1, 1901, and  the first  robbery  attempt  followed  about  two months  later. At 1 a.m. on September 7,  three men  tried  to  blast  open  the  time  lock  on  the vault  in  Citizens  Bank with  nitroglycerin  and  a hammer. The door was damaged, but remained sealed. The criminals  lingered around  town  for a  couple  of  hours  before  escaping  to Indianapolis  by  way  of  a  handcar,  which  was found near  the  fairgrounds  the next day. They were never caught.   The  bank moved  to  a  new  building  on  the  SE corner  of Main  Street  and  Rangeline  Road  in 1905.  A  state  charter  was  granted  two  years later. On May 5, 1916, assistant cashier Chester Bailey was alone with two customers in Citizens State Bank. At 1:45 p.m.,  the  female  customer left,  and  a  well‐dressed,  nineteen‐year‐old George Francis Doyle walked up to the counter. 

He pulled a revolver and demanded that Bailey open the safe. Thinking quickly, Bailey told him that only  the  cashier who was out  for  the day had  the  combination. Doyle  took  Bailey  at  his word,  leaving  thousands  in  the  unlocked  safe. After  locking Bailey  in the vault and raiding the cashier's  cage,  Doyle  calmly  walked  west  on Main  Street  to  Fred  Strattan's  garage. He  told Strattan  he  had  important  business  in Indianapolis  that  could  not wait  for  the  train. Strattan drove him for $20. Along the way they met cashier Bailey Hawkins, who was on his way back  to Carmel. Hawkins would  later  learn  the stranger  in  Strattan's  car  had  just  robbed  his bank.   Chester  Bailey  was  in  the  vault  for  fifteen minutes  before  a  customer  released  him.  He immediately  alerted  authorities,  but  Doyle escaped  with  $1,299.  He  traveled  to  Buffalo, NY, where he was the victim of theft,  losing all but $98 after setting down the moneybag. 

  Doyle  left Buffalo and spent time at home  in St Louis  before  making  his  way  to  the  First National Bank  in  Fortville,  IN, on  June  6th. He approached  the  counter  unmasked,  pulled  a revolver and said, "I'm broke, and you've got to give  me  some  money."  The  cashier  ducked behind  the  counter,  and  assistant  cashier  Earl Roudebush challenged Doyle with a revolver of his own. Doyle fled, firing as he ran. Roudebush was  struck  in  the arm but gave chase. Hearing the  alarm,  residents  joined  the  pursuit.  Doyle slipped  in wet grass and  fell  into some bushes. Surrounded,  he  put  up  no  fight;  "If  I  hadn't 

Town marshal/ night watchman, Tom Evans 

Town marshal Edwards Evans 

Citizen’s State Bank on SE Corner. 

When the Bandits Rolled into Town—By Andrew Wright

Six weeks after the Carmel robbery,  Watson  and Landry  attempted  to  rob the Fountain Square State Bank  but  were  met  with great  resistance.  As  the sixty‐five‐year‐old  bank president wrestled Landry for  his  shotgun,  two tellers  pulled  revolvers, wounding  Watson  in  the shoulder  as  he  escaped and  shooting  Landry  four 

times in the head. Landry gave a full confession before he died in the hospital.   Neither  Landry’s  death  nor  word  of  his confession  slowed  Watson's  pace.  Just  four days after Landry was fatally wounded, Watson stole  $8,700  from  the  East  Side  State  Bank  in Indianapolis.  In  response  the  regional  bankers association  called  meetings  to  coordinate security efforts with  local  law enforcement and recommended  member  banks  make  use  of armed vigilante guards.    In  the  summer  of  1930,  Watson  bought  260 acres in Texas County, MO, upon which he built a  ten‐room,  $25,000  home.  The  gangster hideout  included a  lookout post disguised as a water tower. His undoing came on July 9, 1930, when he robbed a bank holding postal funds  in Troy Grove,  IL. Federal  investigators were now on  the  case.  Postal  inspectors  watched  mail sent to Watson's family in Iowa and determined Watson  was  using  the  post  office  in Raymondville, MO. They arrested him there on September 8, 1930.  Watson was sentenced to 10 years for the Troy Grove robbery. He confessed to 15 robberies, a fraction of the dozens he committed  in at  least six states. He died in prison in Leavenworth, KS, on December 24, 1933.   Citizens State Bank  closed around 1930. Union State Bank opened  in  the building  in 1940 and was  robbed  in  1955  by  a  dangerous  criminal 

who  had  spent  nearly  half  of  his  32  years  in prison.   On  the  night  of  September  24,  1955,  cashier Thyrza  Peters  was  readying  for  bed  in  the Whitestown home  she  shared with her elderly mother  and  younger  sister when  Roy  Rudolph Drake and his accomplice, Robert Fowler, broke into the house wearing silk stocking masks and holding revolvers. "We don't want  to hurt you; all we want is money," Drake told them.   For six hours the terrified women lay face down on  a  bed. At  4  a.m. Drake  drove  them  to  the bank  in Thryza’s car.   He  locked his captives  in the  bank's  basement  along with  three  female employees who entered as Drake waited for the 

Harry Lee Watson 

Union State Bank

Thryza and Mary Peters after the robbery. 6 7

When the Bandits Rolled into Town—con'tWhen the Bandits Rolled into Town—con't

smoked so many cigarettes you'd never caught me. I ain't got any wind left and you fellows are some sprinters."  Doyle was  sentenced  to  two  to  fourteen years in the State Reformatory. He was paroled in the spring  of  1919.  Though  he  confessed  to  the Carmel  robbery,  charges  were  dropped  for unknown reasons.  Citizens State Bank was reorganized in the early 1920s and moved to a new location on the NW corner in 1923. 

 At 9:20 a.m. on  the morning of April 11, 1929, Harry  Lee  Watson  walked  into  the  bank  and asked  Chester  Bailey  for  $80  in  traveler’s checks. As Bailey walked to the vault, Watson’s accomplice,  Jack  Landry,  entered  the  bank, pulled  a  revolver  and  followed  him.  Watson, brandishing  a  sawed‐off  shot  gun,  led  Bailey Hawkins, bookkeepers Minnie Doane and Doris Hinshaw,  and  four  customers  into  Hawkins’ office while he and Landry cleared  the vault of $5,700.  The  bank  employees  and  customers were  then  forced  into  the unlocked  vault with the exception of Chester Bailey, who was taken hostage  to  deter  anyone  from  firing  at  the getaway car.  Watson and Landry drove a half mile south on SR 31  (Rangeline Road) before releasing Bailey. After he  looked at the  license plate, one of the bandits warned Bailey, “I’ve got a good notion to bump you off  right now.  If you  tell anybody what  the  license  number  is,  I’ll  come  and  get 

you.”  As  Bailey  trekked  back  to  Carmel, authorities  were  alerted  and  roadblocks  were employed,  but  the  bandits  escaped.  The Indianapolis News  dubbed  them  the  “Bearded Bandits”  for  the  long  beards  they  wore  as disguises.  Carmel joined dozens of banks in the dangerous narrative  of  Harry  Lee  Watson’s  criminal network. Watson  had  only  been  out  of  prison for a year when he robbed Citizens State Bank. He was released in 1928 after serving a ten‐year sentence  for  larceny  and  mail  fraud,  first  in Huntsville,  TX,  from  which  he  escaped  twice, and then in Leavenworth, KS. By all accounts, he was a mild‐mannered and trustworthy prisoner. Watson kept a scrap book filled with numerous letters  of  recommendation  and  praise  from prison officials,  federal agents and  judges.  In a letter  addressed  to  a  judge,  a  U.S.  Marshal vouched  for Watson, “I am convinced  that  this man  is going  to make good.” A prison chaplain wrote  about  “the  purity  and  sincerity  of  his religious life.”   Watson claimed  the  intention of going  straight upon his release, but he quickly found reason to call  upon  his  criminal  associates  from  the federal prison in Leavenworth after learning his family in Iowa had fallen on hard times. Watson masterminded  a  crime  spree  and  amassed  a fortune.  In  one  Indianapolis  robbery  alone,  he made off with $21,000.    

Citizens State Bank in 1929 

L to R: Bailey Hawkins, Chester Bailey, Minnie Doane, Dorris Hinshaw after the robbery. 

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vault’s time lock to release. The vault opened at 8:55  a.m.,  and  Drake  emptied  it  of  $16,095. Fowler drove him away  in Thryza's car. Drake’s wife, Pauline, and her friend, Rosie Marie Gray, supplied  a  second  getaway  car  west  of Springmill Road.   

On Drake's next heist, he held  the  president  of Indianapolis’s  Southport State  Bank  and  his  wife captive  on  the  night  of June 11, 1956. He robbed the  bank  of  $66,546  the next  morning,  making  it the  second  largest  bank robbery  in Indiana history at the time.  

 Two days after  the robbery, Pauline Drake was arrested.  Police  found  over  $17,000  from  the Southport robbery  in her car. Fowler and Gray, who married  and divorced  in  the nine months between robberies, were caught two days later. Pauline  Drake  and  Rosie  Marie  Gray  were sentenced to five years. Fowler got fifteen years for his role in taking hostages.  Drake  escaped  to  New  Orleans.  He married  a second woman under the alias Bob Murphy and 

lived  the  highlife  in  the  French  Quarter  for  a little  over  a month.  His  overtly  lavish  lifestyle caught  the  attention  of  local  authorities, who arrested him on July 30, 1956. He confessed to the robberies and was sentenced to sixty years at Alcatraz.   As a  teenager, Drake escaped  from a prison  in Missouri.  He  later  escaped  from  San  Quentin during  a  twelve‐year  sentence,  was  caught  in Jackson, MS, overpowered a guard and escaped again.  Drake  made  an  escape  attempt  from Alcatraz  as  well.  He  somehow  had  court documents bearing the signatures of the federal judge and court clerk in Indianapolis sent to the warden.  The  documents  stated  the  remainder of Drake’s sentence had been set aside, making him  eligible  for  immediate  parole.  Prison officials  caught  the  forgeries  on  January  7, 1963,  just  ten  weeks  before  Alcatraz  closed, making  his  the  last  escape  attempt  from  the famed prison.  These  brazen  crimes  surely  stirred  up  the usually  quiet  Quaker  village  as  news  spread among  residents  and  state  and  federal  agents arrived to investigate, but the people of Carmel kept calm and waited out the  trouble, averting violence in each robbery.  

Roy Rudolph Drake 

When the Bandits Rolled into Town—con't

Can you identify this farm? It is unidentified and we know nothing about it. If you can give us information about the farm, the house or its owner, contact the office at carmelclayhistory@yahoo.com.

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Oral History Transcriber: Listen to oral histories taken over the past two decades and transcribe the discussions. Volunteers can download the files from a shared file online and type out the oral histories at home.*

* These two projects are critical to making the valuable information in our oral histories and newspapers available.

Contact Katherine Dill at 317-846-7117 or carmelclayhistory@yahoo.com with questions or to volunteer.

Volunteers The CCHS invites you to volunteer help fill the following needs. All are flexible with regard to the amount of time required.

Monon Depot Museum Guide: Welcome visitors to the museum, tell them about our local history and invite them to explore our exhibits. Friday evenings, Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Newspaper Indexer: Leaf through Carmel newspapers from 1890 through the 1960s and note events, names, businesses, advertisements and news stories. This work is done at the CCHS archives during the week.*

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Jennifer Hershberger, President Debra May, Vice PresidentCathie Reamer, Recording SecretaryRosemary Waters, Treasurer

Board Members:Eric Bell Nancy Childs

Nick DavisKelly Hindman Melisa Keiser Christine Owens Brian Poindexter Jan RandallFred Swift, ex officio

Carmel Clay Historical Society211 1st Street, S. W.Carmel, IN 46032

nonprofit org.u.s. postage

PaidCarmel, IN

Permit No. 146

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Carmel Clay HistoriCal soCiety317-846-7117 • www.carmelclayhistory.org

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SPECIAL THANKS IS ExTENDED TO OuR CORPORATE MEMBERS:

Kelly Hindman