State Exchange Bank of December 29, 1920  

the bank on Dec. 29, 1921… note bullet holes in the windows

At 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 29, 1920, robbers staged a bank hold-up.

One of the men shot Jacob Saine, Culver resident who later died of the wounds. Jerome Zechiel was also wounded. Carl Adams twin brother, Earl, another defender on the scene, was not injured.

Three robbers escaped on foot through the basement of the bank.

One bandit who had crossed the street to the Ewald meat market and locked several customers of that store in the ice box after having spraye the bullets that killed Mr. Saine got in the car with the driver of the get-a-way car and the two drov away from the scene. Later the three hold-up men who escaped through the basement were caught.

The driver, named Byer, was apprehended in Knox, Indiana while he was walking into his home.

The bandit who shot Mr. Saine was not caught.

the getaway car, complete with bullet holes.

On January, 1, 1921, the bandits were moved from the Marshall County jail to the Michigan City detention center as a precautionary move as the citizens of the county were very irate at the intrusion of their world.

The bandits were arraigned on January 8 in Marshall County and were indicted by the Grand Jury on Manslaughter charges.

1921 - May 6 - Months, have, elapsed since five bandits made. a desperate attempt at robbing a bank, at Culver, where Lake, Maxinkuckee is located. In the effort by the arouged citizenship of Culver to capture these bandits a highly respect merchant named Russell Saine was bandits mortally wounded. One, of the five bandits escaped, the the other four were held for safekeeping in the state prison at Michigan City, then returned to the Marshall county jail at Plymouth, and now confined in the Kosciusko county jail at Warsaw. By change of venue the trial of these miscreants was to begin at Warsaw May 2. Evidently these outlaws have friends of some sort who command sufficient means to employ the most successful criminal lawyer in the Northwest. Among these is the famous Chicago Socialist, Clarence C. Darrow. Other engagements hindered Darrow from embarking in the defense May 2, so a postponement of trial until May 10 was obtained. If the bank robbery and mudrder had occurred in Canada these outlaws would have been tried and convicted long ago. In all probability they would have been hanged or electrocuted before this. It is this abominable delay in bringing criminals to justice that is largely responsible for the appalling criminality in our country. Doubtless Mr. Darrow will do his utmost to set these bandits free on some technicality that they may again enter upon the "business" of killing people while rallying forces in defense of life and property.-- Indianapolis Star

1921 - May 11 - Trail Begins

1921 - May 12 - DARROW IS DEFENDING CULVER BANK ROBBERS

TRIAL OF ALLEGED MURDERERS STARTS AT WARSAW.

SEEK EXTREME PENALTY

State Demands Jurors Who Will Not Have Scruples at Imposition of Death Sentence if Guilt is Fixed. The Tribune's Special Service. WARSAW, Ind., May 12-The second day of the trial of the alleged Culver, Ind., bank robbers, who are under indictment for the murder of Jacob Russel Saine, Culver hardware dealer, ended Wednesday evening with the jury still incomplete.

More than 45 veniremen have been examined by the attorneys for the state and defense and at adjournment Wenesday only 11 remained in the Jury box as tentatively accepted.

Fifteen members of the special venire of 50 drawn for jury service in the murder trial will be available for call when court resumes Thursday morning.

Preparations are being made for drawing a second mpecial venire if it is found necessary. So far only six peremptory challenges have been made.

Attorney Clarence Darrow, of Chicgo, famous because of him defense of much noted criminals as "Big Bill Haywood and the McNamara brothers, arrived late Wednesday afternoon and in taking active part in the examination of the prospective jurors for the defense. Associated with him are Attorney Jame F. Fardy, of Chicago; William Reed, of Knox, Ind., and L. R. Stookey, of Warsaw.

Attorneys for the state today demanded of all jurors that they have no scruples against infliction of the death penalty and that they are not opposed to the Indiana laws providing for capital punishment for first degree murder. Quite a number of veniremen were excused for cause because they declared they could not conscientiously return a verdict of death.

The four defendants, Joseph Byers, of Knox: Peter Fox, Art Nilbert and John K. Burns, of Chicago, are guarded in the court room by four special deputy sheriffs.

Three special bailiffs are on duty in the coust room to maintain order because of the great crowd which is constantly clamoring for admittance.

Hundreds Culver citizens and many relatives and friends of the alleged bandits are attending the trial. -- South Bend Tribune

On May 18, Clarence Darrow from Chicago, Il, an attorney made famous by the "Monkey Trials" as the dispute concerning the origin of man became known, was named defense attorney for the three men. Even though the nationally known attorney made an impassioned plea for the defendants’ release, the jury brought in a guilty verdict. (Darwin's origin of Species: Man sprung from the monkey, but in this case of the bank robbers, they didn't spring far enough.)

1921 - May 18 (Wednesday) - CULVER BANDIT CASE TO REACH JURY THURSDAY

May 20, the judge sentenced them all to life imprisonment. (Please note the short time frame, January to May of the year 1921 to bring the bandits to justice.)

Beyer, the driver of the car who left the scene, was later up for parole Will Osborn was asked if he approved of the man being released. W. O. was reported to have suggested since the boy was only sixteen at the time of the robbery and had been in jail for some time he believed Byer should be released. Mr. Osborn became Byer's parole officer. Byer moved to Culver, reported to Osborn, even to bringing his bride-to-be in for Will's approval. The young man obtained a loan from State Exchange Bank and never defaulted a payment.