A Good Primer on a True Texas Bank Robbery – My Book Review

A Good Primer on a True Texas Bank Robbery – My Book Review

“Around 9:30 p.m. a new, and much stronger, rope arrived. As Ratliff was hoisted into the air, his final words, “Forgive me, boys.””

Right off, I want to acknowledge that I admire author, Tui Snider for her research on her latest book, Santa Claus Bank Robbery, a True Crime Sage in Texas. I know how hard and challenging it is to research old newspaper files, courthouse records, and online sources to find long-forgotten history. I think it is accurate to say that Tui loves historical research as much as I do – it is often like a cookie crumb trail that continually leads to another research venue to find multiple sources of information on one subject.

Now, let’s get to this story about this bank robbery. I had never heard about this famed Santa Claus Bank Robbery that occurred in Cisco, Texas in 1927. While you think it would be a rather straight forward recounting of just a bank robbery this little primer as I’m calling it provides readers with a lot of intriguing historical follow-up details on the robbers, the townspeople, to the trials. The most fascinating historical retelling is the last mob hanging or lynching in Texas.

What starts off in the robbers’ minds as a simple bank robbery in a small town turns out to be a mishap of a bank robbery that only Hollywood minds can make up. What makes this little book shine is the wit and verve in the telling of this story.

Filled with photos, the reproductions of the newspaper stories and the headlines add a spot-on historical character to the story. Back then I do not know why clue was spelled clew but it was by many reporters. Two things I would suggest. One thing I would suggest to add in a follow-up edition is a map of where Cisco is in relation to Dallas. This would make the book more readable nationwide. Heck, many Texans probably do not know where Cisco is located. Adding a Cast of Characters list at the beginning.

If you’re a reader of true crime this book is an excellent little primer on a bank robbery gone sorely wrong on many levels.

Tui Snider is an award-winning writer, speaker, photographer, and musician specializing in offbeat sites, overlooked history, cemetery symbolism, and haunted lore. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction, but then I moved to Texas!”

Tui lectures frequently at universities, libraries, conferences, and bookstores.This fall, she will speak about the Great Airship Mystery of 1897 at this year’s UFO Congress and teach a course on Understanding Cemetery Symbols at Texas Christian University. She also shares weekly info-videos based on her research at her YouTube channel.

Snider’s writing and photography have been featured in a variety of media outlets, including WFAA TV, Coast to Coast AM, LifeHack, Langdon Review, the City of Plano, Wild Woman Waking, Shades of Angels and many more. She has several more books in progress.