Henderson history: Clay bank robbery in 1947 included kidnapping, car chase, and death

Clay, Kentucky, was a sleepy little town with only one policeman that was largely unprepared for robbers who descended on Farmers Bank April 28, 1947, and made off with about $10,000.

But kidnapping, a dramatic car chase ending in Downtown Evansville, and a dead man were only the beginning of the saga. The robbery subsequently revealed a sizeable amount of bank fraud.

But before all that happened a traveling salesman named Thomas W. Bradshaw from Louisville was forced off the road near Clay by men shooting into his car. “Bradshaw said the men beat and robbed him of his (watch and) money, bound him to a tree and drove off in his new blue sedan,” according to The Gleaner of April 29. “Later, Bradshaw said he got loose, went to a farm home, and called the sheriff’s office.”

Henderson news: Henderson's Tri-Fest is back after 2 years of COVID cancelations. Here's what to know

Bradshaw’s call came in right after a three-state alarm had been issued about the bank robbery. The initial story said Bradford’s new Pontiac had been recovered near Dixon. It had two bullet holes in it.

“One shot knocked out the rearview window. The other hole was in the trunk cover.”

Both shots were fired by Assistant Cashier George E. Price, who had the closest encounter with the bank robbers. Also in the bank at the time of the robbery were bank president Daron Quirey, his brother, assistant cashier E.J. Quirey, and bookkeeper Mary Vaughn.

Price gave the following account to The Gleaner: “The two men came into the bank about 2:45 and waited until a depositor completed his business.” When that man left the handguns came out. One robber demanded cash from Price while the second man covered other bank personnel.

“I fooled around,” Price said, “killing time and thinking I might have a chance to get my pistol which was under the counter. After about 10 minutes of killing time I gave him the money.”

The robber stuffed it in his shirt and the two backed out of the bank and got into the stolen Pontiac.

“By that time I had my pistol, ran to the outside of the bank and fired two shots as the car sped away. I know I hit the car and maybe one of the men.”

The robbers ditched the stolen Pontiac near Dixon and transferred to a 1941 Dodge with Missouri license plates, according to the April 30 Gleaner. That car was found near the east entrance of Camp Breckenridge. It contained “a number of bank checks and clothing which indicated the bandits changed clothes.”

The main news in the April 30 story, however, reported four men had been arrested for robbery and kidnapping and were being held in the Daviess County Jail. A woman, Clara Harper, 27, of Indianapolis, was also being held as a material witness.

The men included Rudy Rowland Carrier, 32, a Henderson taxicab driver, and Glenn Ellis Messamore, 40, also of Henderson. The other two -- Robert Neal Allen, 30, and William Charles McCormick, 20 – were both from St. Louis, Missouri. The latter two pleaded guilty at their arraignment in U.S. District Court at Owensboro the day after the robbery. Messamore followed with his own guilty plea on May 5 after all four were indicted. Carrier, however, kept his mouth shut.

Henderson news: Henderson couple looks to restore and preserve legacy of one of the city's oldest homes

Their capture involved a high-speed car chase in Carrier’s taxi that ended in downtown Evansville.

Vanderburgh County sheriff’s deputies spotted the speeding taxicab as it turned onto Waterworks Road. “They said they sped at the 80-mile-an-hour clip along the road and in Evansville before the cab upset on the street between the courthouse and the Coliseum…. Evansville authorities at first believed foul play had come to the cab driver, but later it was learned Carrier was the cab firm’s driver.”

Subsequent press coverage showed $10,250 had been taken from the bank, but Evansville authorities reported recovering only $9,950 in a satchel from the taxi. Also, Carrier was not at the scene of the robbery. His participation involved picking up the others in Waverly and driving them to Evansville.

So, it was entirely plausible for him to plead innocent May 5 when the other three entered guilty pleas after their indictments. U.S. District Judge Mac Swinford delayed sentencing them until after Carrier’s trial, according to the May 6 Gleaner.

The May 6 Gleaner also opened the lid on a whole new chapter to the story: “Investigation was under way into circumstances leading to the suicide of George E. Price, assistant cashier of the bank.” Webster County Coroner J.M. Blue said Price had shot and killed himself May 2 – five days after the robbery.

“Bank officials disclosed a shortage in the bank’s books but said it was covered by insurance. Price was described as having been worried and despondent since the robbery.”

Farmers Bank had a blanket bond issued by Ohio Casualty Insurance Co. to protect itself against unscrupulous acts by bank employees and the insurance company wound up suing the bank, according to a case decided Dec. 12, 1949, by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

On Oct. 9, 1947, Farmers Mill, a Clay grain elevator, had made a claim against the bank for $10,128 and the bank maintained the insurance company had to pay off. Price had been both assistant bank cashier and an agent for the grain elevator and handled many transactions between the two.

The bank won the first legal round but the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals sent the suit back down to U.S. District Court to be tried again – and the insurance company was allowed to make a claim against Price’s estate for reimbursement.

But before all that occurred The Gleaner of June 21, 1947, reported a hung jury in the case against Carrier after the jury was out an hour and 20 minutes. He was returned to the jail in Bowling Green.

The judge sentenced the other three men after the Carrier jury was dismissed. Messamore and Allen received 30 years in prison while McCormick got 10 years.

All four men vowed Clara Harper had not been involved – despite being in the taxi when it overturned -- and she was released.

The Gleaner of Nov. 25, 1947, reported the retrial of Carrier was to begin the next day in Owensboro. The other three men had been brought to Owensboro to testify.

The Nov. 29 edition reported the jury was out 40 minutes before finding Carrier guilty of “aiding and assisting in the robbery.” He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

“Both Allen and McCormick testified that Carrier arranged for them to contact Messamore, the alleged leader of the gang,” and also testified that he helped plan that leg of the escape route from Waverly to Evansville.

100 YEARS AGO

The Henderson City Commission took a tentative step toward creating what is now Audubon Mill Park, according to The Gleaner of April 23, 1922, by naming a beautification committee of William H. Stites, W.G. Turpin and Virginia Lockett.

“Just how this site will be made to commemorate the name of Audubon has not yet been agreed upon. But in some way this place, which is now a yard for rubbish, will be made one of the beauty spots of the city….”

In May 1924 the city of Henderson was getting ready to regain complete control over what is now the park, after it had been leased to a tobacco factory and portions had houses on it. Citizens agreed the area should be a park, and Gleaner publisher Leigh Harris suggested the name Audubon Mill Park.

50 YEARS AGO

Benton Funeral Home was getting ready to move from its longtime home at 19 S. Main St. to its current location of 629 S. Green St., according to The Gleaner of April 23, 1972.

“We’ve got the architects working there already and we should have some more definite plans for the construction later,” said Maynard Glunt, president of the enterprise now known as Benton-Glunt Funeral Home.

The new location formerly had been the offices of Iley Browning Oil Co. but originally was the Interstate Glass House Restaurant when it opened March 8, 1940. It remained one of the community’s more high-toned restaurants until 1951 and was one of the first local establishments to provide air conditioning.

The building at 19 S. Main St. is also noteworthy. “The business has been known as Benton Funeral Home since 1926 when when the Bentons took it over from the Klee-Morton-Tapp partnership. The history of the site dates back to Civil War times when Schaeffer Undertakers was located there. The present building was erected by William Klee in 1870.”

25 YEARS AGO

Henderson Fiscal Court buried a longstanding policy of helping maintain Corydon’s cemetery, according to The Gleaner of April 29, 1997.

County government can maintain a road only if it is part of the county road system, County Attorney Charlie McCollom said during a fiscal court meeting attended by Corydon City Council members.

“I’ve been told they’ve traditionally been doing it for years,” said council member Carolyn Kalnins.

“Then traditionally they’ve been breaking the law for years,” replied County Clerk Wilma Martin.

Readers of The Gleaner can reach Frank Boyett at YesNews42@yahoo.com or on Twitter at @BoyettFrank.

This article originally appeared on Henderson Gleaner: Clay KY bank robbery in 1947 included kidnapping, car chase, & death