Mock bank robbery coming to Downtown Lawrence / LJWorld.com

Teller's Restaurant sits at 746 Massachusetts St.

A bank robbery’s pending in downtown Lawrence.

The Eldridge Hotel and Teller’s restaurant are planning an event this month to re-enact the 1932 robbery of the First National Bank. Clyde Barrow of Bonnie-and-Clyde fame led the stickup, and, of course, Teller’s, 746 Mass., occupies the building that used to house First National Bank.

Several accounts say that Barrow and two of his buddies stayed at The Eldridge Hotel, 701 Mass., for three days to stake out the First National Bank building. And The Eldridge and Teller’s are teaming up to retell the story. The Eldridge will host a cocktail party before the event. Then the re-enactment will begin.

Actors with fake guns will walk from The Eldridge to Teller’s, enter the building, give the crowd the what-for, take the fake loot, get into a 1930s vehicle and make their escape. Police will stop traffic in all directions to allow the car to pull out and leave, but the car will obey all traffic laws after that point.

If you haven’t heard much about this heist, apparently it isn’t a well-known part of Lawrence history. Folks who have researched it for The Eldridge say that police were never called to the scene because the bank was embarrassed about the robbery, and it was never mentioned in the media, either. But The Eldridge folks say the robbery is mentioned in a couple of books: “Running with Bonnie and Clyde” by John Neal Phillips and “My Life with Bonnie & Clyde” by Blanche Caldwell Barrow. In today’s terms, about $550,000 was stolen.

City commissioners have to approve a permit for the re-enactment. Commissioners are scheduled to discuss it at their Tuesday meeting. If successful, The Eldridge hopes the reenactment will become an annual event. The event is scheduled for about 6:30 p.m. Sept. 30.

lunacydetector 2 years, 7 months ago

$500,000 in 1932 = about $7,000,000 in today's dollars.....the bank was embarrassed to report the theft, hmmmm....how about the story is not true?

RedOctober 2 years, 7 months ago

More worthless amusement for the Lawrence townie aristocracy

Odeo 2 years, 7 months ago

BTW - as it is told, the bank never called or reported the made up "heist" to the police?? They were embarrassed?? Weird.

Guess BANK has been a four letter word for a long time. Look what is going on know. Sounds like the "Robbed Banker" pocketed the $$ to me. Same as today.

Good luck to all that have Bank Loans.......

Man, as this unfolds about the Eldridge Hotel, am starting to think about more "urban untruths" about the hotel and Lawrence.

Was Abraham Lincoln shot in Liberty Hall? From the identified shooter that was staying at the Eldridge Hotel...

Was the "shot from the grassy knoll" a long range shot from the Eldridge Hotel?..would be a long shot, but easily re- enacted.

Was MLK Jr. shot from the Eldridge Hotel?? He was always stirring up chaos in Lawrence.....

Please, can we re-enact these Lawrence moments, that have been buried for so many years??.....It would be so great for a tourist destination such as Lawrence.

BUNK.

And a re-enactment - of anything? What a Hick Thing..... Where's Bearfoot??

Bea..Love it!!

HollisBrown 2 years, 7 months ago

I'd like to see a re-enactment of that KU professor who claimed he got ambushed by some rednecks in John Deere hats driving a pickup truck out in the country. I want him to be in it. I'm pretty sure it never happened but I'd like to see it happen.

Sigmund 2 years, 7 months ago

Next, i'll be seeking a $20,000 grant from the city of Lawrence to reenact William S. Burroughs shooting his wife in the head while getting drunk in a Mexican Cantina. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Vol...

RETICENT_IRREVERENT 2 years, 7 months ago

Steven, All the morons packing heat? I never see any, do you?

Funny how no exact date of the actual "robbery" is mentioned in the article. But I guess the dollar amount is plausible. $550,000 was worth about 2.5 cents in 1932.

"In today’s terms, about $550,000 was stolen." Oh, please. There wasn't that much money in all of Kansas in 1932! Ever heard of the Great Depression? This would be a good opportunity for someone to rob some real banks though. Just say it's a re-enactment. I hate re-enactments. I bet Ric Averill will be in this one. So this is gonna be on the city commission agenda? What a bunch of hicks. BTW, didn't Boog pass some Zippity Doo Da Day? Whatever happned to that?

"If you haven’t heard much about this heist, apparently it isn’t a well-known part of Lawrence history." Of course not. Because it never happened, just like Quantril's Raid. And John Brown was not a Kansan either. Why can't people get over trying to glorify Lawrence and just appreciate it for the nice place it is, or used to be. Besides, nobody robs banks anymore except for complete idiots and meth heads. It's all done online now, just like friendships and dating. What a waste of time. Some hick thought this up, I'm sure.

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Mock bank robbery coming to Downtown Lawrence

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