The most famous man to serve as cashier of The First National Bank of Cody was the bank's first cashier, Ira Otis Middaugh.
On November, 1st 1904, a mere four months after the bank nationalized, it was robbed by two unmasked men. The sole man at the bank that day was IO Middaugh. He attempted to defend the bank but he was shot dead by the robbers.
``The death of I. O. Middaugh, the Cody banker, who was shot last week, has caused much regret, as he was well known in Cheyenne.''
The Intermountain Catholic., November 12, 1904, Page 6
Info provided by 48241982∼The Intermountain Catholic
November 12, 1904, Page 6
The death of I. O. Middaugh, the Cody banker, who was shot last week, has caused much regret, as he was well known in Cheyenne.
On the afternoon of November 1, 1904, two unidentified men rode into Cody, Wyoming. They dismounted, strolled into the First National Bank, pulled out their pistols, and shouted "hands-up!" to the teller and bank customers. From a side office, Ira O. Middaugh, cashier and part owner of the bank, heard the ruckus and stepped out to the lobby where he witnessed the two men with pistols drawn. Middaugh quickly retreated into the office, slamming the door behind him, and ran through the bank's side entrance onto the side street yelling for assistance. The larger of the two bank robbers ran toward the office door after Middaugh. Frustrated by the door's lock, Middaugh's pursuer retraced his steps through the front entrance, leaving his fellow outlaw in the bank.
Once on the street, the bandit fired through an open door of Judge Walls' office located next to the bank building, barely missing H. W. Darrah, a lumberman, and Judge Walls, owner of the bank building. Noticing Middaugh running in the street, the gunman rushed forward and grabbed him. Middaugh reached out and seized the pistol in the bandit's right hand desperately restraining him from firing. The robber struck Middaugh over the head with the pistol his left hand. After knocking Middaugh to the ground, the gunman deliberately aimed at the unarmed cashier and fired two shots, mortally wounding Middaugh in the neck and chest.
Hearing gunshots outside, the other bank robber fled the bank and mounted his horse for a hurried escape. Middaugh's killer followed the lead of his companion, and the unidentified men quickly rode out of town, without any money, firing their guns wildly. Cody residents returned fire at the fleeing bandits; later reports noted both sides exchanged over fifty gunshots that day. In the chaos of the gunfire, one of the robbers dropped his pistol, a .38 automatic Colt, and attempted to dismount to retrieve it but he changed his mind when his comrade yelled at him to hurry along. The Cody Enterprise described the killing and attempted robbery as "the most sensational event with a shocking termination that ever happened in Cody... creating an excitement of a character never before known in the town."
Dr. Francis Lane, known by the locals as the "Lady Doc," braved the gunfire to help Middaugh in the street.
While Cody residents debated the actions of their fellow citizens that fateful day, all clearly mourned the loss of Ira Middaugh whose premature death devastated the community. The attempted robbery was thought to have been members of the Hole-In-Wall gang but has never been proven.
Middaugh was thirty-six years old at the time of his death and left a wife and three daughters to mourn. A native from Michigan, Middaugh lived in Wyoming for twelve years. Before moving to Cody, he started a newspaper in Wheatland, Wyoming, and served in the Wyoming State Legislature. Middaugh moved to Cody and established the First National Bank, the target of the two outlaws, with Mr. Winterling, Mr. Brooks, and George T. Beck, one of the original town-founders. He was an active member of the Elks, the Cody Aerie of Eagles, and he was a 32-Degree Mason.
On November, 1st 1904, a mere four months after the bank nationalized, it was robbed by two unmasked men. The sole man at the bank that day was IO Middaugh. He attempted to defend the bank but he was shot dead by the robbers.
``The death of I. O. Middaugh, the Cody banker, who was shot last week, has caused much regret, as he was well known in Cheyenne.''
The Intermountain Catholic., November 12, 1904, Page 6
Info provided by 48241982∼The Intermountain Catholic
November 12, 1904, Page 6
The death of I. O. Middaugh, the Cody banker, who was shot last week, has caused much regret, as he was well known in Cheyenne.
On the afternoon of November 1, 1904, two unidentified men rode into Cody, Wyoming. They dismounted, strolled into the First National Bank, pulled out their pistols, and shouted "hands-up!" to the teller and bank customers. From a side office, Ira O. Middaugh, cashier and part owner of the bank, heard the ruckus and stepped out to the lobby where he witnessed the two men with pistols drawn. Middaugh quickly retreated into the office, slamming the door behind him, and ran through the bank's side entrance onto the side street yelling for assistance. The larger of the two bank robbers ran toward the office door after Middaugh. Frustrated by the door's lock, Middaugh's pursuer retraced his steps through the front entrance, leaving his fellow outlaw in the bank.
Once on the street, the bandit fired through an open door of Judge Walls' office located next to the bank building, barely missing H. W. Darrah, a lumberman, and Judge Walls, owner of the bank building. Noticing Middaugh running in the street, the gunman rushed forward and grabbed him. Middaugh reached out and seized the pistol in the bandit's right hand desperately restraining him from firing. The robber struck Middaugh over the head with the pistol his left hand. After knocking Middaugh to the ground, the gunman deliberately aimed at the unarmed cashier and fired two shots, mortally wounding Middaugh in the neck and chest.
Hearing gunshots outside, the other bank robber fled the bank and mounted his horse for a hurried escape. Middaugh's killer followed the lead of his companion, and the unidentified men quickly rode out of town, without any money, firing their guns wildly. Cody residents returned fire at the fleeing bandits; later reports noted both sides exchanged over fifty gunshots that day. In the chaos of the gunfire, one of the robbers dropped his pistol, a .38 automatic Colt, and attempted to dismount to retrieve it but he changed his mind when his comrade yelled at him to hurry along. The Cody Enterprise described the killing and attempted robbery as "the most sensational event with a shocking termination that ever happened in Cody... creating an excitement of a character never before known in the town."
Dr. Francis Lane, known by the locals as the "Lady Doc," braved the gunfire to help Middaugh in the street.
While Cody residents debated the actions of their fellow citizens that fateful day, all clearly mourned the loss of Ira Middaugh whose premature death devastated the community. The attempted robbery was thought to have been members of the Hole-In-Wall gang but has never been proven.
Middaugh was thirty-six years old at the time of his death and left a wife and three daughters to mourn. A native from Michigan, Middaugh lived in Wyoming for twelve years. Before moving to Cody, he started a newspaper in Wheatland, Wyoming, and served in the Wyoming State Legislature. Middaugh moved to Cody and established the First National Bank, the target of the two outlaws, with Mr. Winterling, Mr. Brooks, and George T. Beck, one of the original town-founders. He was an active member of the Elks, the Cody Aerie of Eagles, and he was a 32-Degree Mason.
The most famous man to serve as cashier of The First National Bank of Cody was the bank's first cashier, Ira Otis Middaugh.
On November, 1st 1904, a mere four months after the bank nationalized, it was robbed by two unmasked men. The sole man at the bank that day was IO Middaugh. He attempted to defend the bank but he was shot dead by the robbers.
``The death of I. O. Middaugh, the Cody banker, who was shot last week, has caused much regret, as he was well known in Cheyenne.''
The Intermountain Catholic., November 12, 1904, Page 6
Info provided by 48241982∼The Intermountain Catholic
November 12, 1904, Page 6
The death of I. O. Middaugh, the Cody banker, who was shot last week, has caused much regret, as he was well known in Cheyenne.
On the afternoon of November 1, 1904, two unidentified men rode into Cody, Wyoming. They dismounted, strolled into the First National Bank, pulled out their pistols, and shouted "hands-up!" to the teller and bank customers. From a side office, Ira O. Middaugh, cashier and part owner of the bank, heard the ruckus and stepped out to the lobby where he witnessed the two men with pistols drawn. Middaugh quickly retreated into the office, slamming the door behind him, and ran through the bank's side entrance onto the side street yelling for assistance. The larger of the two bank robbers ran toward the office door after Middaugh. Frustrated by the door's lock, Middaugh's pursuer retraced his steps through the front entrance, leaving his fellow outlaw in the bank.
Once on the street, the bandit fired through an open door of Judge Walls' office located next to the bank building, barely missing H. W. Darrah, a lumberman, and Judge Walls, owner of the bank building. Noticing Middaugh running in the street, the gunman rushed forward and grabbed him. Middaugh reached out and seized the pistol in the bandit's right hand desperately restraining him from firing. The robber struck Middaugh over the head with the pistol his left hand. After knocking Middaugh to the ground, the gunman deliberately aimed at the unarmed cashier and fired two shots, mortally wounding Middaugh in the neck and chest.
Hearing gunshots outside, the other bank robber fled the bank and mounted his horse for a hurried escape. Middaugh's killer followed the lead of his companion, and the unidentified men quickly rode out of town, without any money, firing their guns wildly. Cody residents returned fire at the fleeing bandits; later reports noted both sides exchanged over fifty gunshots that day. In the chaos of the gunfire, one of the robbers dropped his pistol, a .38 automatic Colt, and attempted to dismount to retrieve it but he changed his mind when his comrade yelled at him to hurry along. The Cody Enterprise described the killing and attempted robbery as "the most sensational event with a shocking termination that ever happened in Cody... creating an excitement of a character never before known in the town."
Dr. Francis Lane, known by the locals as the "Lady Doc," braved the gunfire to help Middaugh in the street.
While Cody residents debated the actions of their fellow citizens that fateful day, all clearly mourned the loss of Ira Middaugh whose premature death devastated the community. The attempted robbery was thought to have been members of the Hole-In-Wall gang but has never been proven.
Middaugh was thirty-six years old at the time of his death and left a wife and three daughters to mourn. A native from Michigan, Middaugh lived in Wyoming for twelve years. Before moving to Cody, he started a newspaper in Wheatland, Wyoming, and served in the Wyoming State Legislature. Middaugh moved to Cody and established the First National Bank, the target of the two outlaws, with Mr. Winterling, Mr. Brooks, and George T. Beck, one of the original town-founders. He was an active member of the Elks, the Cody Aerie of Eagles, and he was a 32-Degree Mason.
On November, 1st 1904, a mere four months after the bank nationalized, it was robbed by two unmasked men. The sole man at the bank that day was IO Middaugh. He attempted to defend the bank but he was shot dead by the robbers.
``The death of I. O. Middaugh, the Cody banker, who was shot last week, has caused much regret, as he was well known in Cheyenne.''
The Intermountain Catholic., November 12, 1904, Page 6
Info provided by 48241982∼The Intermountain Catholic
November 12, 1904, Page 6
The death of I. O. Middaugh, the Cody banker, who was shot last week, has caused much regret, as he was well known in Cheyenne.
On the afternoon of November 1, 1904, two unidentified men rode into Cody, Wyoming. They dismounted, strolled into the First National Bank, pulled out their pistols, and shouted "hands-up!" to the teller and bank customers. From a side office, Ira O. Middaugh, cashier and part owner of the bank, heard the ruckus and stepped out to the lobby where he witnessed the two men with pistols drawn. Middaugh quickly retreated into the office, slamming the door behind him, and ran through the bank's side entrance onto the side street yelling for assistance. The larger of the two bank robbers ran toward the office door after Middaugh. Frustrated by the door's lock, Middaugh's pursuer retraced his steps through the front entrance, leaving his fellow outlaw in the bank.
Once on the street, the bandit fired through an open door of Judge Walls' office located next to the bank building, barely missing H. W. Darrah, a lumberman, and Judge Walls, owner of the bank building. Noticing Middaugh running in the street, the gunman rushed forward and grabbed him. Middaugh reached out and seized the pistol in the bandit's right hand desperately restraining him from firing. The robber struck Middaugh over the head with the pistol his left hand. After knocking Middaugh to the ground, the gunman deliberately aimed at the unarmed cashier and fired two shots, mortally wounding Middaugh in the neck and chest.
Hearing gunshots outside, the other bank robber fled the bank and mounted his horse for a hurried escape. Middaugh's killer followed the lead of his companion, and the unidentified men quickly rode out of town, without any money, firing their guns wildly. Cody residents returned fire at the fleeing bandits; later reports noted both sides exchanged over fifty gunshots that day. In the chaos of the gunfire, one of the robbers dropped his pistol, a .38 automatic Colt, and attempted to dismount to retrieve it but he changed his mind when his comrade yelled at him to hurry along. The Cody Enterprise described the killing and attempted robbery as "the most sensational event with a shocking termination that ever happened in Cody... creating an excitement of a character never before known in the town."
Dr. Francis Lane, known by the locals as the "Lady Doc," braved the gunfire to help Middaugh in the street.
While Cody residents debated the actions of their fellow citizens that fateful day, all clearly mourned the loss of Ira Middaugh whose premature death devastated the community. The attempted robbery was thought to have been members of the Hole-In-Wall gang but has never been proven.
Middaugh was thirty-six years old at the time of his death and left a wife and three daughters to mourn. A native from Michigan, Middaugh lived in Wyoming for twelve years. Before moving to Cody, he started a newspaper in Wheatland, Wyoming, and served in the Wyoming State Legislature. Middaugh moved to Cody and established the First National Bank, the target of the two outlaws, with Mr. Winterling, Mr. Brooks, and George T. Beck, one of the original town-founders. He was an active member of the Elks, the Cody Aerie of Eagles, and he was a 32-Degree Mason.
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