Bank Robbery
June 2009
Bottineau County 125th Anniversary
Click to watch video created & owned by
Gary Wendel of Video-4-You
Click play to watch YouTube video
by Mark Jorgensen
Poem by Gabe Thompson
for the 2005 Outlaws Bank Robbery
During the Antler Centennial Celebration.
It was a toad fryin hot day in mid July
everyone was in town to watch the parade go on by.
From Grandmas and Grandpas and youngins too
cheered and grabbed candy as the parade passed thru
See Antler was havin their Centennial blast
remembering each of the 100 years that had past
Why the town was plum full just like way back when
the old timers said the towns boomin again
It seemed like a carnival everyone talkin and laughin
after the parade people visitin and time was a passin
When sudden like a great BOOM startled the crowd
everyone one looked around wondering what was so loud
And just as the crowd started to settle back down
8 dusty hombres rode into town
That a crowd had gathered they didn’t much care
every glance towards them was met with a steely eyed stare
You could tell by how they rode they were trail worn and tough
hell even the women that rode with em looked mighty rough
When they swung down from their horses we knew it was trouble
they all drew their pistols and one a 10 gauge double
When they pulled up their bandanas we knew what they were here for
There was a sign that said BANK over the square’s front door
As five went in the bank, one gave a backwards glance
the twin barrels of his shot gun said mister don’t take the chance
As the door swung closed three lead the horses away
the only sound you could hear was the children at play
Under the cotton wood in front of the square
but soon they stopped to look what was happening in there
They ran to the window to get a good look inside
It wasn't too long till one of them cried
“They're robbin the bank" yes that’s what they saw
and off they ran to go tell the law
Now the town’s sheriff Frenchy was an easy going sort
his deputy Otis was known to once in a while have a snort
But when they heard the ruckus they came on the run
The kids were all hollerin "Sheriff get your gun”
They ran cross the street in front of the square
with pistols and shotguns they were loaded for bear
The sheriff stood in the open as the sun burned down
all around folks had gathered from all over town
In a voice that sounded like rollin prairie thunder
The sheriff yelled out "Come out with your hands up or
we'll put ya six feet under”
"You'll never take me alive" came a yell from inside
and out came an outlaw shootin and gallantly died
A blast from the sheriff first one barrel then two
he lay dying in the gravel his bank robbin days thru
Then hell bent for leather as fast as the horses could travel
round the square came a buggy kickin up gravel
An outlaw jumped in to make his get away,
the only one to escape from the law on that day
Otis yelled "you bank robbin sons a bitches come out with your hands in the air
or you'll get what your friend got, we don’t much care”
The silence was deafening you could hear the buzz of a fly
it seemed like eternity as the seconds ticked by
Suddenly in the door was the banker, a gun to his head
"you let us all go, or this banker's dead”
The sheriff said "go on and shoot him, no one likes a banker that well,
but a hangman’s noose is waiting to send you to hell”
With that as their choices one came out with his hands held high
pleadin "don't shoot me fellas I don’t want to die”
But his surrender was a ruse, that we soon saw
his compadres came out a blazin shooting it out with the law
The gunfire thundered the lead was a flyin
one outlaw went down, another lay dyin
From up on the roof top two locals shot true
but with a blast from a 10 gauge off one flew
With their guns finally empty they stuck their hands in the air
the smell of gun smoke lingered all round the square
Up pulled a wagon and the undertaker jumped down
Measurin up an outlaw, that lay on the ground
When the outlaw moved the undertaker fired one last shot
"these fellas tried to rob our bank, they deserve what they got
Then up on his mule rides Deputy Matt with the rest
the sun shining brightly off the star on his chest
Yep the lawmen in Antler are a peace lovin sort
but try to rob their bank, and for sure you'll come up short
We came into town to see a parade
and ended up watchin history get made
The last great bank robbery was surely shot down
Antler we salute ya you’re a great little town
Written By Gabe Thompson