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There are many different kinds of bank robbers. Some of them break into banks at night and plunder things like safe deposit boxes. Others work alone and try and do a quick snatch and run while still others work in teams and try and get the bulk of the money in the institution before they leave. On December 3, 1937 the FBI was contacted by the State Bank of Lapel and told that this bank was burglarized by several people who apparently left in a hurry. It was known that they left in a hurry because they left all their tools and got away with only $5.45. This amount of money was paltry even by 1937 standards. The criminals probably lost more than this in the values of the tools they left. What had scared them and why did they run off in such a hurry?

The thieves had loosened a grate over a rear window. They thought that once they got into the building they could get into the vault by burning their way in with an acetylene torch. The police developed leads and the names of Earlywine, Steffler and Hulett came up. Earlywine was a twice paroled felon and and Steffler and Hulett were paroled felons. Two more banks were burglarized during this investigation as was the State Bank of Lapel again. It seems that these guys just didn't know when to quit or at least pull jobs in other states. Here is the kicker. It seems that the second time the State Bank of Lapel was being robbed, a night watchman was making his rounds and noticed that something was going on. The robbers notice him and again fled the bank leaving all their equipment. The watchman was able to identify Fred Steffler as one of the robbers. The FBI was now sure that their first lead was correct and that the robbers were the team of Earlywine, Steffler and Hulett. They obtained warrants and now directed all their efforts to the capture of these three criminals. Because of the way the state and federal laws were written, a Federal warrant was obtained for Steffler and state warrants for both Earlywine and Hulett.

The FBI was working in concert with the local authorities on this one. They managed to locate the hiding place of Earlywine and Hulett, it was a farm in Penfield, Illinois. The FBI waited several days in the hope that Steffler would turn up and then they could capture all three at once, but this never happened. Special Agent Ramsey of the FBI along with another Special Agent and local authorities and state police moved in on the two criminals. Hulett was easily captured as the law men snuck up on him while he was plowing a field. Now they went after Earlywine. He was not so easy however. The law men now entered the house and yelled to Earlywine, advising him of the capture of Hulett and telling him that they wanted him to surrender. Instead Earlywine began to shoot, hitting Special Agent Ramsey who fired back hitting Earlywine in the forehead and killing him instantly. Ramsey was rushed off to the hospital but died the next day. So wild was the shooting by Earlywine that member of his family. who were in the house. were put in danger. His seven year old son was shot in the chest by his father.

The farm house had contained all the same types of tools that had been used in the bank robberies Now the agency set out to find the last cog in the wheel, Fred Steffler. He was found on May 2, 1938, in Danville, Illinois. When they searched his home they found three ounces of nitro and a pistol with the serial number completely filed off. Steffler broke under interrogation and signed a statement outlining all his criminal activities. He admitted to almost all the bank jobs but curiously not to the burglary of the State Bank of Lapel on December 2nd. He told the FBI about other jobs that they had not suspected the team of committing.

In 1938 Steffler received a fifteen year sentence for bank robbery.

With all the robberies that this team committed the take was relatively small. In two years and nine jobs, their total take was $1950.45. Don't forget that this had to be divided up three ways leaving only $650.15 each which itself was for two years of crime. That meant that each criminal netted only $325.08 per year. Who ever said that crime doesn't pay, must have been talking about these guys. Can you imagine risking 15 years or more of your life for a return of only a few dollars?

One thing that I couldn't help but notice is that Special Agent Ramsey looks so young. I have to wonder if this was one of his first cases?