A special thank you to all those who have participated in our “I Remember Rippey” series. Your remembrances have allowed readers to share in our town’s history, activities, sports, school, church, and daily life covering 150 years.
We will continue posting online here, using “I Remember Rippey” remembrances received prior to April 30, 2020. If you would like to read more Rippey history, you may also click on the History tab of the Rippey Library website: https://www.rippey.lib.ia.us .
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The Case Of The Inept Bank Robbers–1967
by Myron Rinker and Nancy Bardole Hanaman with information written by Clark Bardole
In 1967, Clark Bardole wrote “We arrived for work and discovered that someone had entered the bank with the intention of entering the vault and safe.” The would-be robbers had knocked off the knob that controlled the combination on the heavy safe door. The robbers were unable to enter the safe and nothing was stolen.
Before entering the bank, Myron Rinker recalled that the robbers cut the wires into the bank. They had entered the building from the basement area under the bank where there had been a barbershop at one time, Bette Wilcox’ beauty salon, and a location for a group of card players, including Max Riley. The place of entry would indicate that the inept robbers knew the layout of the building and broke into the door at ground level and then the locked door at the top of the stairs into the bank. Clark Bardole wrote “Evidently the would-be thieves were amateurs.”
The FBI was called since at the time this bank was chartered by the Federal government and an agent came from Des Moines. Larry Burkett, town marshal, was contacted and probably the county sheriff also. The locksmith came from Des Moines and worked half a day before the safe could be opened and repaired.
As the safe could not be opened at the beginning of regular banking hours, this presented a problem since there was no cash available. Clark also wrote “In order to get money to operate on that day, we got some from our friendly competitor, the Rippey Savings Bank.” A wonderful example of small town care and cooperation.
Hold Up At People’s Bank In Rippey, Oct. 2009 by Nancy Bardole Hanaman interviewing Myron Rinker
(Additional information from Jefferson newspapers)
A pleasant Saturday morning, October 17, 2009, at People’s Bank in Rippey developed into a harrowing experience for Myron Rinker, Ashley Brelsford and Mel Jennings. Around 10 a.m., Myron saw a man walk across the street to the bank. As the man entered, he pulled out a gun and ordered Myron, Ashley and Mel to lie on the floor. He demanded money from the employees who had been behind the counter and then entered the offices to ransack the women’s purses and grab a set of car keys. He escaped in one of the employee’s cars and traveled to the Rippey Cemetery where he had left another car. As soon as the robber exited, they locked the doors to the bank and called the Greene County Sheriff.
The harrowing experience continued at a later time when Myron and the bank employees were accompanied by the sheriff to the Federal Courthouse in Des Moines and testified at the trial of Jason Lee Bowles. Also in the Jefferson Herald was information that Bowles had committed robberies in Slater and St. Charles prior to the event in Rippey on October 17. Early the next week, he continued his crime spree at the First Trust and Savings Bank in Oxford. Following the Federal court case, he was convicted of the robberies in 2010.
Myron and the bank employees will always remember fearing for their lives at the scene of the robbery and their experiences following that day. Myron also recalled the helpful response of the county sheriff and others following the robbery at People’s Bank in 2009.