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THE GREAT DENVER MINT ROBBERY

I apologize in advance. My story this week is not about numismatists or numismatics. It is basedon a book I got through interlibrary loan that is not numismatic literature. The book is RobbingBanks Was My Business by J. Evetts Halley. It tells the story of J. Harvey Bailey. What interestedme most was chapter iv on The Great Denver Mint Robbery.

The Mint did not lose a coin that day. What was taken was $200,000 in newly printed $5 billsstored in the Mint vaults for distribution through the Federal Reserve Bank.

On Monday morning, December 18, 1922, a Federal Reserve Bank delivery truck backed up tothe front door of the Mint. Guards went inside and soon came out carrying bundles of papermoney.

A black Buick touring car pulled up alongside the truck and three armed men jumped outannouncing it as a robbery. Guard Wilbert Havenor crawled under the truck. Cashier Joseph E.Olsen dropped to the ground. Federal Reserve guard Charles T. Linton drew his revolver and washit by a shotgun blast. He died in a hospital the following day.

Guards inside the Mint grabbed weapons and rushed to the windows. Robbers fired theirshotguns at the mint leaving marks that may still be in the granite wall a hundred years later. Onereport stated that there were 106 loaded rifles and revolvers available, but only sixteen shotswere taken at the robbers. At least one of the robbers was hit and he slumped into the waiting car.

The robbers broke into the delivery truck, transferred bundles of cash into their car and drove off,along the way sideswiping a truck that took out a fire hydrant that shot water into the air. TheBuick disappeared around a corner.

Let's switch the story to mention Prohibition. The 18th amendment to the constitution prohibitedthe production, transportation, distribution or sale of alcoholic beverages. An industry quicklydeveloped for the illegal production, transportation, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages.There was money to be made and criminal organizations flourished. Gangsters like HarveyBailey became pop culture heroes.

Harvey Bailey got his start before Prohibition transporting whiskey across the Missouri Riverfrom St. Joseph into Omaha. After Prohibition he carried whiskey from Canada to a garage inMinot, North Dakota, paying border guards to let him through.

In 1920 he drove two experienced safecrackers to a job where they broke into a bank at night andblew open the safe. After a few nighttime jobs, he decided it would be easier to rob a bank duringthe day. Bailey earned the title, Dean of American Bank Robbers, gathering a million dollarsfrom thirty banks between 1920 and 1934.

Harvey put together a crew to rob a bank in Denver. As they were planning the job, Bailey wascalled away to see his ailing brother. Left in charge was a man known by several names but wewill call him Nick Trainor. He was standing on Colfax Avenue one day when he noticed activityat the Mint where money was being loaded into a truck. It occurred to him that this was an easiertarget than the bank.

The gang may have gotten inside information or may just have noticed that money pickups wereat the same time each week. Nick Trainer was shot in the face, hand and chest during therobbery. A month after the robbery, his frozen body was found in the Buick hidden in a Denvergarage.

The Meyer Undertaking Company donated a casket for the funeral and the Riverside Cemeterydonated a plot. Gangsters were pop culture heroes and Trainor's funeral had a higher attendancethan that of Federal Reserve guard Charles T. Linton.

Another of the robbers, James Clark took the money to meet up with Bailey in Chicago. Theyheaded off to Minneapolis to get rid of the loot. At that time, St. Paul was known as a haven forgangsters. Corrupt officials gave them sanctuary as long as they didn't commit crimes in town.

Dapper Danny Hogan was an Irish crime boss who offered money laundering services.Cincinnati banker Hamilton came to town trying to recover from losses earlier at his bank. ANorth Dakota Banker was created who was looking to buy securities at a discount to coverlosses in his operation. A transaction was negotiated through an intermediary and securities fromthe Cincinnati bank and cash from the Denver mint were sold back. Banker Hamilton talked toomuch and word got back to Hogan. That source dried up.

Danny Hogan went to start his car in his garage on December 4, 1928. The car blew up, killinghim. That case was never solved.

Denver Chief of Detectives Albert T. Clark announced December 1, 1934, that the Denver Mintcrime had been solved. Perpetrators Harvey Bailey and James Clark were currently serving lifesentences for other crimes. Five others involved included three men and two women. Clarkreported they were all dead but was short on details. No one was ever prosecuted for the DenverRobbery.

Charles Urschel was kidnapped on July 11, 1933, and held for $200,000 ransom. It is generallybelieved that George Machine Gun Kelly was responsible. He and his wife Katherine weresentenced to life in prison for the crime.

A property where Urschel was held was raided by FBI agents. They found Harvey Baileysleeping on a cot outside and in possession of money from the ransom. The capture of Baileywas a media sensation. He had at various times been suspected with involvement in the 1929Chicago St. Valentines Day Massacre, the $2 million robbery of the Lincoln National Bank andTrust Company in 1930, the March 1, 1932, Lindberg Kidnaping, and the June 17, 1933,massacre at the Union Station in Kansas City.

The defense presented witnesses claiming that Bailey was not involved in the Urschelkidnapping but it made no difference. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. He washeld in maximum security at Alcatraz from 1934 to 1946. His remaining time was served atLeavenworth.

The story Bailey told in the book is different from that presented by the authorities. One reportclaimed Bailey was the one who shot officer Linton. Denver detective Clark claimed Bailey drove the Buick in Denver. Bailey also claimed he was not involved in the Urschel kidnappingthat put him in prison for 32 years.

Bailey was released on parole in 1964, the book was published in 1973 and he died in 1979. It ispossible that he lied to hide his involvement in the most significant crimes. It is also possible thathe was never charged with the many crimes he did commit and served time only for crimes hedid not commit.

A hundred years have passed since the Great Denver Mint Robbery and we still can't be surewho drove the car and who shot Linton.

To plan a visit, see:
Visiting the Denver Mint(https://www.usmint.gov/about/mint-tours-facilities/denver/visiting-the-denver-mint)