The Great Clarkdale Bank Heist of 1928
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Updated: 21 hours ago
On the morning of June 21, 1928, the carefully planned streets of Clarkdale became the scene of a crime that sounds almost too cinematic to be true.
Two armed men entered the Clarkdale branch of the Bank of Arizona and escaped with approximately $50,000, a small fortune at the time. Within minutes, gunfire rang out along Main Street, their getaway car crashed near the high school, one robber was dead and the other was fleeing through town on foot.
There were guns, bystanders, an improvised plan to throw off bloodhounds and even a pocket watch that reportedly stopped a bullet.
Nearly a century later, the Great Clarkdale Bank Heist remains one of the most colorful stories in the town’s history.
A Fortune Waiting in a Small-Town Bank
Clarkdale was founded in 1912 as a company town serving the United Verde Copper Company and its smelting operations. Designed by Senator William Andrews Clark, the community was considered remarkably modern for its time, with paved streets, underground utilities, schools, businesses and carefully planned neighborhoods.
The prosperous copper operation also meant that large sums of money regularly passed through town.
According to the Clarkdale Historical Society and Museum, two men named Willard Forrester and Earl Nelson learned that approximately $50,000 would be available at the Bank of Arizona to cover the United Verde Copper Company payroll scheduled for the following day.
Left to right, FORRESTER - Mugshot Nebraska State Prison Ca. Mid 1920's, NELSON - Mugshot Arizona State Prison Ca. 1928
The men reportedly watched the bank before making their move, apparently believing they had found the perfect target.
At approximately 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 21, they pulled up in front of the bank and put their plan into action. Town records and museum materials confirm that the Clarkdale branch of the Bank of Arizona was robbed in broad daylight that morning.
Roofing Nails, Cayenne Pepper and a Getaway Car
The robbers did not arrive unprepared.
Their getaway vehicle was reportedly stocked with several firearms, a canvas bag for the stolen money and roughly 40 kegs filled with roofing nails. The nails were intended to puncture the tires of anyone who attempted to follow them.
They also carried ginger, mint and cayenne pepper, apparently planning to scatter the spices behind them to confuse any bloodhounds used in the search.
It was an imaginative escape plan, but it would not get them very far.
Photo Ca. 1928 Probable Bank Robbery Car - 1927 Chrysler "Model 60" Credit: Clarkdale Museum
That fateful morning they drove up in front of the Clarkdale bank branch and parked their automobile. After carefully observing that no police were around they both entered the bank and lined up the employees and customers at gun point. Forrester then proceeded behind the bank grill and demanded that Dave Saunders, bank manager to tell them where the money was. Forrester then put the money in the bag, approximately $35,000 in the gunny sack and gave it to Nelson. They then led all the people into the bank vault and proceeded to lock the grill door. They quickly left the bank and jumped into their getaway car and sped down the street.
Gunfire on Main Street
Jim Roberts, a 70-year-old special officer for the United Verde Copper Company, was nearby when the robbery unfolded. Roberts had worked as a lawman in the region and later became Clarkdale’s constable. Local history remembers him as a calm and capable officer who was involved in the dramatic confrontation that followed.
Deputy Sheriff, Jim Roberts, UVCC Special Officer, Photos Ca. 1910's
As the robbers turned the corner at what was known as Miller's Store they were observed by Roberts. Roberts stepped from the curb, drew his Colt six-shooter and started firing toward the fleeing car.
At least 20 shots were reportedly fired during the exchange. Some bullets struck nearby buildings, including the town hall colonnade and the school shop building that later became the Clarkdale post office.
The danger was not limited to the robbers and the men firing at them. Clarkdale residents and workers were caught in the middle of the action.
One of those bystanders was railroad employee Lee Snider.
The Pocket Watch That Stopped a Bullet
Snider was standing across the street from the bank when a bullet suddenly struck the pocket watch he was carrying.
The impact smashed the watch, but it reportedly left Snider with no more than a bruise.
Stories about belt buckles, coins and watches stopping bullets are often the stuff of Western legends. In this case, the damaged watch became a physical reminder of just how close the gunfire came to taking another life.
The watch has been preserved by the Clarkdale Historical Society and Museum, offering visitors a tangible connection to that chaotic morning.
A Getaway Cut Short
As the robbers sped away from the bank Officer Roberts continued firing at the moving vehicle.
Forrester was shot dead at the driver's wheel while in motion. The vehicle then swerved and came to a stop near the curb at Clarkdale High School. Nelson jumped out of vehicle shooting wildly until he ran out of ammunition, fleeing at the same time, but was caught by two school maintenance workers. Officer Roberts shot from street corner of Main St. and 9th St. and then ran across street to handcuff Nelson.
According to newspaper articles Nelson was fleeing but it is unclear where the apprehension took place; either in front of school building, at the side door or inside the school.
The carefully prepared getaway involving firearms, roofing nails, spices and a waiting automobile had come to an end only a few blocks from the bank.
Historical materials from the Clarkdale Historical Society note that Forrester and Nelson never made it far in their escape.
What Happened to the Money?
Court documents reproduced on Clarkdale’s historic marker describe approximately $35,000 being placed in a gunny sack and given to Nelson during the robbery.
The precise amount reported varies within the surviving accounts and displays, with the broader story commonly referring to approximately $50,000 connected to the United Verde payroll.
Nelson was charged in Yavapai County Superior Court. The historic documents indicate that he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve a lengthy term in the Arizona State Prison in Florence.
Forrester’s death certificate recorded his occupation simply as “bank robber,” a blunt and unusual final notation following the failed crime.
Follow the Story Through Historic Clarkdale
Today, the Great Clarkdale Bank Heist is remembered on one of the town’s historical markers, located near the streets where the events unfolded. Through photographs, documents and firsthand details, the display allows visitors to retrace the robbery, the shootout and the getaway that ended near Clarkdale High School.
It is only one of many historical markers found throughout Clarkdale. Together, these kiosks share the legends, landmarks and lesser-known stories that shaped the community, from the United Verde Copper Company and the construction of the smelter to Clarkdale’s architecture, churches, schools, early residents and local lore.
Visitors can make their way through the historic townsite, stopping at markers along Main Street and throughout Clarkdale to discover a different piece of the town’s past at each location.
For an even deeper look, visit the Clarkdale Historical Society and Museum, where photographs, artifacts and exhibits preserve the stories of the people who lived and worked here. You may even see Lee Snider’s damaged pocket watch, the remarkable keepsake said to have stopped a bullet during the robbery.
Discover the Legends and Lore of Clarkdale
The Great Clarkdale Bank Heist is only one chapter in the history of this remarkable Arizona community.
From its beginnings as a master-planned copper town to its historic neighborhoods, museums, railroad and enduring Main Street, Clarkdale is filled with stories waiting to be uncovered.
The next time you visit, slow down and take a closer look. Follow the historical markers, explore the museum and walk the same streets where one of Arizona’s most dramatic bank robberies unfolded. Behind Clarkdale’s quiet streets and historic buildings are stories of ambition, ingenuity, courage and, occasionally, a getaway car loaded with cayenne pepper and roofing nails.
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