Charles D. Waggoner, president of the Bank of Telluride, cleverly "robbed" several major New York banks of $500,000 to rescue his tiny institution from insolvency on the eve of the Great Depression.
Without firing a shot, Waggoner also saved his customers from economic ruin - and earned the moniker "Colorado Robin Hood."
In a series of complex transactions Waggoner - through his understanding of the intricacies of inter-bank transfers - made it impossible for the New York banks to recall money once it was released it through legal channels.
The money fleeing New York allowed Bank of Telluride to pay its debts though Waggoner wound up serving time in federal prison for masterminding the scheme.
Waggoner - standing to the left in the photo - didn't spend a dime of the money on himself.
[Photo: Denver Public Library]
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