Banner County once had its sensation of this nature. According to the best information it was
believed that there were three men involved in the plans and it fell to the lot of W. Graham
to pull off the deed.
C. J. Carlisle was in the bank at the time and the man rode up to the back door. Dismounting
he entered and called to Carlisle to throw up his hands at the same time started to draw his gun.
The gun stuck "in the holster sufficiently long for Carlisle to rush out the back door and jump
upon the robber's horse. He rode around the court house square shouting "robbers" until there
were several men headed for the scene. Back of the bank there was a large pile of cedar posts
that Carlisle had taken in from time to time and behind these the robber took refuge.
W. W. Everett, an old soldier, was exchanging shots with the bandit around this post pile
when others began to arrive.
The man made a run for an empty house that was in the south part of town when a bullet
from C. L. Burgess's rifle hit him in the leg. In the excitement of the moment one woman
who saw him trying to again rise screamed, "shoot him again, Mr. Burgess he isn't dead yet."
Graham was tried and convicted but it was generally believed that he was the goat and the
real bandits who planned the affair had gotten away.
Graham escaped and was never again apprehended or sought for. He lived in this community
for many years afterwards and made a quiet and respectable citizen.
Today he is the principal owner of a bank in Wyoming.
