Annie Rogers and the Bank Dick

The year is 1901. The place, Nashville, Tennessee. The Fourth National Bank hums with the steady rhythm of commerce, a cornerstone of the city’s burgeoning financial landscape. Within its marbled halls and behind its sturdy teller windows, a seemingly ordinary transaction is about to unfold, one that will entangle a captivating woman, a vigilant bank employee, and the specter of a notorious train robbery. This is the story of Annie Rogers and her fateful encounter with the Bank Dick.

On a bright October afternoon, Spencer McHenry, a teller at the Fourth National Bank, looked up to see a woman approaching his window. Annie Rogers, elegantly dressed in what appeared to be expensive, fashionable attire, possessed a captivating presence. Her smile was fetching as she presented a stack of Bank of Montana notes, totaling $500, across the polished marble counter. She politely requested that he exchange the smaller denominations for larger bills. Little did she know that this simple request would plunge her into a whirlwind of suspicion and legal battles.

Unbeknownst to Annie Rogers, the Fourth National Bank, like many financial institutions of the time, was on high alert. They were actively watching for notes stolen during the audacious Great Northern Train Robbery that had occurred just months prior, in July. Spencer McHenry, a loyal employee with a keen eye for detail, immediately recognized the potential connection. Loyalty to his employer outweighed any potential charm the woman possessed. He promptly reported his observations to J.T. Howell, the head cashier, setting in motion a chain of events that would ripple through the city.

Howell, understanding the gravity of the situation, swiftly alerted Samuel J. Keith, the bank’s president. Together, they made the calculated decision to invite Annie Rogers into a private office. Once inside, they calmly informed her that the bills in her possession were suspected of being stolen. The atmosphere in the room instantly shifted, the air thickening with tension and uncertainty.

The bank officials wasted no time in contacting the authorities. Detectives Jack Dwyer and Austin Dickens arrived at the bank with remarkable speed. They immediately began questioning Annie Rogers, pressing her for answers regarding the origin of the bills. She vehemently denied any knowledge of the robbery, insisting that she had not signed the bills. If they were indeed stolen, she claimed, she was completely unaware.

Under the relentless pressure of the detectives’ interrogation, Annie Rogers eventually offered an explanation, albeit a dubious one. She claimed that a "little blonde man named Charley" had given her the bills in Louisiana. She recounted a journey with Charley, spanning approximately two weeks, from Omaha, Nebraska, to Louisiana. According to her account, Charley had continued on to New Orleans, while she had traveled to Shreveport. She maintained that the $500 was rightfully hers, earned through her own endeavors. Dwyer and Dickens, however, remained unconvinced. They took her into custody, transporting her to police headquarters for further questioning by their superior, Lieutenant Marshall.

At police headquarters, Annie Rogers proved to be a difficult subject. She refused to fully cooperate, withholding crucial information. Instead of providing her full name, rank, and serial number, as was customary, she only offered one of her aliases. She neglected to inform the detectives that she was also known as Delia Moore or Maude Williams. Beyond this omission, she stubbornly repeated her story about the fictional Charley, insisting that she had no knowledge of the bills being stolen.

This strategy of "non-denial denial" caught the attention of Justice Hiram Vaughn. He issued a warrant formally charging Annie Rogers with the serious crime of attempting to pass forged National Banknotes. The arrest was immediately deemed significant, with the Nashville American newspaper proclaiming it "one of the most important captures in recent years." The newspaper’s description of Annie was less flattering, describing her as "somewhat good looking, not beautiful but not ugly." The article continued, "She was slender, with a heavy head of dark brown hair, a dark complexion, and high cheekbones. Her most noticeable features were two gold teeth on the left side, and her piercing black eyes… [which] fairly danced as she spoke."

The Nashville Banner also took an interest in the case, sending a reporter to interview Annie Rogers in her jail cell. The reporter found Annie to be surprisingly cheerful, greeting him warmly and even playfully flirting with Detective Dwyer, whom she referred to as "Happy Jack." She reportedly laughed, smiled, and expressed regret that she hadn’t had the opportunity to properly brush her hair.

The following day, Annie Rogers appeared before Justice Vaughn for a preliminary hearing. She wore a black suit and a black hat adorned with ostrich feathers. The Banner reported that "a deep frown gathered her brow and her piercing black eyes danced defiantly in answer to the stares of the onlookers." The court proceedings were tense and dramatic.

According to an account of the hearing published in a 1995 issue of Old West magazine, Justice Vaughn inquired whether she had heard the warrant read. "I heard one read yesterday. I don’t know whether it is the same one or not," she replied. He confirmed it was the same warrant and asked if she wished to plead guilty or not guilty. "Guilty of what?" she retorted angrily. "Of taking those bills to the bank? I took them bills to the bank. Yes, I did that." After Justice Vaughn clarified the charges, Annie entered a plea of not guilty. Vaughn then set her bail at $10,000 and asked if she wanted to make a statement. "Nothing, but that I came by those bills honestly, and I don’t see why I should be treated this way. I had used some of the bills before, and I thought they were all right."

The hearing seemed to have a profound impact on Annie Rogers. By the next day, she appeared more willing to divulge information, or at least, a version of the truth. She admitted that her real name was Della Moore, that she was 26 years old, and that she was born in Tarrant County, Texas. She recounted leaving home in 1893 and working as a prostitute in Mena, Arkansas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio, at the infamous brothel of Fannie Porter.

Between her stints in Fort Worth and San Antonio, she had briefly married a farmer named Lewis Walker, but she left him because "he was just a poor farmer," and their life on the farm was "too tame" for her adventurous spirit. She left Fannie Porter’s house for Colorado, Idaho, and Montana in late 1900, accompanied by Bob Nevils, Will Casey, and Lillie Davis, another graduate of Fannie Porter’s "college of soft knocks." Annie claimed she never inquired about Nevils’ or Casey’s occupations, stating that "they were just good fellows." Nevils gave her five $20 gold pieces upon their return to Ft. Worth, where they parted ways.

Annie then divided her time between her mother’s home in Ft. Worth and Fannie Porter’s establishment in San Antonio. Eventually, she traveled to Mena, Arkansas, where she remained until September 1901. Fannie Porter informed her that Nevils had returned to San Antonio and wanted her to accompany him on another trip. Annie responded with a telegram, stating, "Will wait till parties come." Shortly thereafter, Nevils arrived in Arkansas to fetch her.

According to the Old West article, their first destination was Shreveport, Louisiana, where they spent nearly a week playing cards and frequenting saloons. Nevils was flush with cash and gave Annie a generous sum of $10 bills before they departed for Jackson, Mississippi, where they continued to "have a good time." They then took a day coach to Memphis, Tennessee, where the revelry continued. Annie estimated that they spent around $400 on entertainment, with Nevils showering her with expensive dresses and hats. By the time they left Memphis for Nashville on October 10, heading straight for Linck’s Hotel, Annie possessed approximately $400 in Bank of Montana notes. Nevils continued to provide her with funds, suggesting she was a valued companion.

As Annie’s story unfolded, she revealed that she spent most of her time at the Lincke Hotel, confined to their room, while Nevils preferred to spend his evenings in saloons. It was during this time that she began to harbor suspicions. The more money Nevils gave her, the more uneasy she became. She also feared that he might reclaim the money and abandon her. In a shrewd move, Annie exchanged the smaller bills for larger denominations, intending to conceal them more effectively. It was during this attempt to exchange the money at the Fourth National Bank that she was apprehended.

Upon hearing this second statement, the police immediately searched the Linck Hotel for Nevils, who had registered under the name R.J. Whalen. However, he had already fled, capitalizing on the time it took Annie to fabricate her story. He had checked out the previous day, taking a train to Birmingham, Alabama, and then onward to Mobile, where the police lost track of him.

Now incarcerated, Annie Rogers may have longed for the mundane existence she had once known on Lewis Walker’s farm. Even that uneventful life would have been preferable to the grim reality of her jail cell. On April 21, 1902, she appeared before Judge W.M. Hart, requesting a reduction in her bail. Her former employer, Madame Fannie Porter, offered to provide the necessary funds.

As reported in the Old West article, Annie was dressed in a black suit and hat. "Wearing a black glove on one hand and carrying a white handkerchief in the other, she took a seat beside her attorney, Richard West." Attorney General Robert Vaughn presented his first witness, express messenger C.H. Smith, who had been brought from Montana to describe the train robbery and connect Annie to one of the robbers. Smith described the robbery, which involved $40,000 in unsigned banknotes on July 3, 1901, near Wagner, Montana. He identified a man in a torn photograph, shown to him by General Vaughn, as one of the train robbers. Thus concluded the first day of Annie’s bail hearing.

The following morning, Annie Rogers, smiling and laughing, engaged in a "lively conversation" with a deputy sheriff in the courtroom. Her demeanor changed abruptly upon seeing Pinkerton detective Lowell Spence take the stand. General Vaughn presented Spence with the same photograph identified by Smith, and Spence also identified the man as the train robber, one Harvey Logan, a member of the Wild Bunch, also known as "Kid Curry." Spence testified that Logan was currently incarcerated in the Knoxville, Tennessee, jail, having been arrested in December 1901 on a charge of felonious assault against policemen. He had over $9,000 of the stolen Bank of Montana bills in his possession at the time of his arrest.

Intriguingly, the photograph of Logan, having been identified by two witnesses, revealed a hand resting on his left shoulder. In a dramatic moment reminiscent of a Perry Mason episode, General Vaughn produced the other half of the picture. The hand belonged to Annie Rogers. The courtroom erupted in hushed whispers as observers digested this revelation. Annie then took the stand.

She admitted that the man in the photograph was Bob Nevils, but she denied ever knowing that he was also Harvey Logan or Kid Curry. She denied any knowledge of the source of the money and claimed she had never heard of the train robbery until her arrest. Judge Hart, seemingly unconvinced by her testimony, set her bail at $2,500, significantly higher than the $1,000 she had requested. Even Fannie Porter was unable, or unwilling, to pay such a high bail, despite Annie’s tearful pleas. Sobbing uncontrollably, Annie was led back to her jail cell, where she remained for nearly two months until her next court appearance.

On June 14th, the same cast of characters gathered in court: defense attorney West, prosecutor Vaughn, and Judge Hart. The prosecution called a series of witnesses, including bank employees, hotel staff, and detectives, each providing their account of the events.

Of these witnesses, the most damaging testimony came from Corrine Lewis, the owner of a resort in Memphis. She identified the photograph of Logan as one of her hotel guests in September 1901. She testified that he had "plenty of money," flashing a large roll of bills. When she asked him if he wasn’t afraid to carry so much cash, he replied that he "wasn’t when he had his guns," and then opened his coat to reveal two large revolvers. Miss Lewis also identified Annie Rogers as Logan’s companion, noting that while Annie had arrived "plainly" dressed, she was wearing expensive new clothes the following day. She also reported that both Logan and Lewis consumed a considerable amount of alcohol but never appeared to become intoxicated.

Next, Annie herself took the stand, appearing nervous and pale. She reiterated her denials of knowing Nevils’ true identity, not knowing the money was stolen, and denying any involvement in forging the bills. She did, however, admit that she had "bled Nevils and got all the money I could." She confessed to frequently taking money from him, estimating that she had extracted approximately $500 by the time they reached Nashville. Annie then concluded her testimony.

To support her case, defense attorney West presented a deposition from Harvey Logan, who was incarcerated in the Knoxville jail. In the deposition, Logan stated that he had been with Annie at Linck’s Hotel on the day of her arrest and that she had left him in mid-afternoon. When she didn’t return, Logan "thought that she had quit me." He claimed that he had given her the money and that it was signed before she received it.

In their closing arguments, prosecutor Vaughn portrayed Annie as a greedy opportunist, a liar, and accused her of aiding and abetting Logan’s escape. Defense attorney West argued that she was simply an unsophisticated country girl who had been duped by a cunning criminal.

The jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning to the packed courtroom with their verdict: "Not guilty!!" A relieved and elated Annie Rogers shook hands with each jury member, her lawyer, and the judge. Spectators crowded around her, expressing their approval of the verdict, while Annie expressed her gratitude for receiving a "fair deal."

After the trial, Annie requested the return of her $500, claiming it was rightfully hers. However, the court ultimately ruled that she was not entitled to it.

Annie left Tennessee and returned to Texas, where she followed Logan’s exploits in the newspapers and corresponded with him. Logan was eventually captured in Jefferson City after a fight in a Knoxville saloon, where he broke a man’s nose in a quarrel and shot two Knoxville Police Officers who opened fire on him. He was subsequently tried, convicted, and sentenced to life in Tennessee Prison. However, he managed to escape from the Knox County jail using wire from a jailhouse broom. He died a few months later after a failed bank robbery, taking his own life to avoid capture.

During his lifetime, Logan/Kid Curry was wanted on warrants for fifteen murders, but it was widely believed that he had killed more than twice that number. William Pinkerton, head of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, described Kid Curry as the most vicious outlaw in America, stating, "He has not one single redeeming feature. He is the only criminal I know of who does not have one single good point."

There is no evidence to suggest that Annie Rogers ever saw Logan again. It is believed that she changed her name once more and resumed her work at Fannie Porter’s brothel. Her story remains a captivating tale of a woman entangled in the world of outlaws, deception, and the pursuit of fortune in the Wild West.