Shot By Mistake (1921)

[genealogynut]

Howard Courant
December 29, 1921

Mayor of Grenola Killed By Nightwatch--Mistaken for Bank Robber

The sensation of the holiday season this year was the terrible tragedy at Grenola, Monday night, in which H. M. Hayes, Cashier of the Grenola State Bank and Mayor of the city of Grenola was shot and killed by the night watchman, who mistook him for a bank robber.

The circumstances are reasonably accurately told in the following account, taken from The Citizen, of this city:

Between 3 o'clock and half past three, Tuesday morning, the night watch saw a car quietly drive into the town and stop at the rear of the bank of which Mr. Hayes was the cashier.  Three or more men were in the car.  One of the parties came around to the front of the bank and was acting as a lookout. Mr. Downs, who was in the lobby of the hotel, which is across the street from the bank, a position where he could see everything along the principal street, telephoned to Mayor Hayes about the suspicious characters being in town and asked him to get Marshal Berry and come down.  Downs remained in the hotel lobby waiting for the arrival of reinforcements, and shortly after he called Mayor Hayes he noticed a suspicious character cross the street and enter the front door that leads to the stairway and go up the stairs.  A doorway also enters the lobby of the hotel from this stairway.  In a moment or two after this man entered and went up to the front stairs, Mr. Downs heard some one coming down the stairs and insert a key in the door that opened into the lobby where he was stationed, and believing it to be the man who went up stairs, and one of the robbers, he shot through the door.  The man on the other side of the door proved to be Mayor Hayes, who had been summoned to help him, and who had entered the hotel from the rear, gone upstairs and come down the front way.  The shot went through the door, entirely through Mr. Hayes' body, entering just below the heart, and on into the wall on the opposite side of the stairway.  The wounded man was given medical attention at once, and as soon as the west bound train arrived, was placed thereon to be taken to Winfield, where he could have hospital treatment.  But, as said above, he died before reaching Burden and the body was brought back to Grenola on the ten o'clock train.

Mayor Hayes lived about three hours after being shot and was concious practically up to the last moment before he died.  He exonorated Nightwatch Downs from all blame, stating that Downs had followed his instructions and that he should have made himself known to the nightwatch before attempting to enter the hotel lobby, where he supposed Downs was.

Mr. Hayes who was also mayor of Grenola, appointed L.H. Downs as night watchman last Saturday night and gave him instructions that if he saw any suspicious characters to shoot and make his inquiries afterwards.  Mayor Hayes repeated this order to the night watch a second time only a few hours before he was shot.  With these instructions and the fact that so many towns were being visited by robbers, the night watch took his orders literally.

Funeral services were held at Grenola Tuesday evening at 8 o'clock, after which the body of Mayor Hayes was placed on the train to be taken to the old home at Glasco, Missouri, for burial.

Howard M. Hayes came to Grenola about two years ago to accept the position of cashier of the Grenola State Bank.  He was a young man of pleasing address, about thirty years old and a live wire citizen.  He at once, became prominent in the circles of Grenola business and social life and was chosen mayor of the city, and gave splendid service to his town.  He was a very likeable young man and made friends of everyone.  Grenola citizens are prostrated over the accident, not only in the death of a favorite citizen, but also over the tragedy that has come to another of her good citizens, Mr. Downs, who is perhaps the greatest sufferer from the affair.  No one has any blame for the night watch, but only ________.(unreadable)

Note:  Nothing more was said about the bank robbers.