Sesquicentennial Celebration to kick off with events featuring bank robbery

Concordia is celebrating its 150th anniversary of the organization of the city with several events throughout 2021.
Kicking off the Sesquicentennial Celebration will be two programs featuring one of the most dramatic events in the history of the city, the robbery of the Cloud County Bank by members of the Ma Barker gang on July 26, 1932.
The Cloud County Historical Society Museum will host “Prelude to a Bank Robbery” at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Narrated by Susan Sutton, “Prelude to a Bank Robbery” explains the facts that led up to the heist and explores how the community pulled together after the traumatic bank robbery.
Bank robberies were high crime during the Great Depression and the city of Concordia became the target of one famous gang.
The Cloud County Bank was robbed during a daring daylight holdup during which $250,000 was taken.
“Chick” Peck, vice president of the bank, was severely beaten. Ida Cook and Marie Frederickson, employees of the bank, were abducted and later released at the edge of town.
It later became known that it was Alvin Karpis, Public Enemy Number One, and members of the Ma Baker gang who had robbed the bank, leaving Concordia stunned for many years.
Members of the gang involved in the robbery were Fred Barker, Earl Christman, Lawrence Deval, Jess Doyle and Frank Nash.
“Prelude to a Bank Robbery” will include a film that features documentarian Ken Church interviewing Concordians who had behind the scenes knowledge of the robbery.
As a teen, local physician Thayne Coulter worked a summer job at a Fifth Street gas station and observed the robbers' car  up close when he changed the oil on the notable 1930 blue Hudson, a luxury car by Concordia standards.
Bank teller Wilma Spratlin got a good look at the robbers as they exited the bank and bank official Ward Hormel, not present during the action, tells of dealing with the aftermath of the robbery.
The second event featuring the bank heist will be on March 20, at 7 p.m, at the Brown Grand Theatre when the Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee hosts a one-time screening of the fact-based film “The Cloud County Bank Robbery.”
The film is a recording of the play by the same name that was written and directed by Susan Sutton. It was performed by Cloud County Community College faculty and students and community members in November of 2006.
Sutton said that she was always fascinated  by the facts of the robbery and decided to write the play to preserve the history of the momentous event.
“July 26, 1932, became a defining moment for Concordians, especially for those who, by fate or coincidence, became personally involved,” Sutton said.
The play opens with the narrator, Ray Green, managing editor at the Concordia newspaper, telling how the bank robbery was the biggest story his paper had ever covered.  From there the action jumps to the bank where reporter Lillie Cook interviews witnesses, one of whom is bank bookkeeper Ida, Lillie's own sister who was taken hostage by the six robbers.
The play closes with a look at each of the six bandits who more or less got away with the Concordia robbery.  It wasn't long, however, before each came to his end.
Characters in the play include Ray Green played by Cloud County Community College English humanities dean Brenton Phillips, and Lillie Cook by Nancy Zenger-Beneda, former college English instructor.  Marie Fredrickson is played by community theater veteran Mikki Nelson. Ida Cook is portrayed by Holly Andrews, former Cloud County Community College coordinator of outreach instruction, and Vesta Weaver by Wonda Phillips, retired Cloud County Community College Career Center office manager.
The college cast members include Darcy Funk as Nelda Appleby, Danee Payne as Mrs. Ed Anderson and Matt Rodriquez as Harrison Austin.
The Sesquicentennial Celebration committee has a series of events scheduled throughout the year.
The centerpiece of the 150th celebration will be Celebration Day on August 14 at City Park.
On Celebration Day, the time capsule that was buried at the base of the hero statue in the park during the 100th anniversary in 1971 will be unearthed. Another capsule will be buried in its place.