The Santa Claus Bank Robbery

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On December 23, 1927 Santa Claus robbed the First National Bank in Cisco, Texas. Dressed as St. Nick, Marshall Ratliff and three undisguised companions looted the bank and took hostages but were greeted by police and heavily-armed townspeople when they emerged from the building. In the shoot-out that followed, two officers and a bandit were mortally wounded and six civilians were hit by bullets. The remaining robbers made off in the getaway car with two children as hostages but discovered that they had neglected to fill up the vehicle with gasoline. The bullet-ridden car and the hostages were soon abandoned as the bandits tried to make their way to safety on foot. A massive manhunt, the largest in the history of West Texas, with searchers on horseback, in cars, and in planes finally cornered the desperadoes in a field; all three were shot but two managed to escape for a time into the woods. The Santa Claus-clad Ratliff was captured, alive despite six bullet wounds. The two wounded crooks were forced to leave behind the stolen money and were both rounded up within a week.

Put on trial, all were found guilty. The killer of the Cisco sheriff was sentenced to death, the second received  99-year sentence, while Ratliff tried to plead insanity but he two received a death sentence. The erstwhile Santa, unfortunately, killed again in a failed escape attempt; he was eventually taken from his jail cell by an angry mob and lynched. A piece of the rope used in the impromptu hanging is on display in the Callahan County Courthouse in Baird, Texas.

In 1962 another thief dressed as Santa held up a bank in Montreal with equally dismal results. Two policemen were killed as they responded to the call. The killer, 34-year-old Georges Marcotte was arrested and found guilty of two counts of murder. He became one of the last criminals to get a death sentence in Canada but his sentence was commuted to a life term He was granted parole in 1981. Justice works differently in Texas and in Quebec.

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