Also reported in the Dec. 13, 1934, Gentry Journal-Advance was the sentencing of a man who pled guilty to robbing the First National Bank of Gravette two years prior. The report, originally from the Record and Democrat, is reprinted below:
Gravette Bank Robber Sentenced by Judge Combs
Standing before Judge John S. Combs, in an adjourned session of Circuit Court Saturday, John E. Bass, 33-year old Oklahoma bandit, pled guilty of being one of the robbers who broke into the First National Bank of Gravette two years ago and trucked away a big six-ton safe. The other men who were connected with this bold robbery are already serving penitentiary sentences. One of them is serving a double murder sentence in the Oklahoma state penitentiary in McAlester, Okla.
The robbery of the Gravette bank safe was one of the boldest of its kind ever attempted here. Three hours were required by the thieves to remove the heavy safe from the bank building on to the truck. The night watch was bound and gagged to prevent an alarm being given. The bandits made a successful getaway and, at a point near Sapulpa, unloaded the safe and blew it open. The loot amounted to from $4,000 to $6,000. Bass admitted to getting $1,000 as his share of the loot.
The court fixed his punishment at two years in the penitentiary for burglary and one year for grand larceny, sentences to run concurrently. Owing to pleading guilty and waiving grand jury indictment and trial by jury, he was given a lighter sentence. Bass is said to have been a member of the Underhill-Brady gang of outlaws.
General News on 04/05/2017