Ceylon, Saskatchewan, 30 miles from the U.S border straight south of Regina, has always been a direct trade route for settlers and commerce from the United States. A few miles to the southwest a very rough terrain known as Big Muddy Area (and Big Muddy Lake) was passable only by foot or horseback in the years before roads, making ideal travelling for anyone trying to avoid the law or for nefarious purposes. It is well known that during prohibition times, Ceylon was the "jumping off point" for illegal transfer of alcohol. The fact that Ceylon was a point for illegal transfer of alcohol was an assurance that Ceylon Bank had a good supply of money on hand at any time.

On Wednesday, September 27, 1922, one of the most notorious events in the history of Ceylon and district took place. In the early morning, between 1 and 3:30 A.M., the Bank of Montreal was robbed. About $16 000.00 worth of money and bonds was taken from the bank. This was not an isolated event. It was one of a whole series of bank robberies that spanned across the prairies.

This robbery gained extraordinary attention for several reasons. First, the Union Bank in Moosemin, Saskatchewan was robbed the same night. The stories of the two robberies held front-page attention in both of Regina's daily papers for three days. Second, the Ceylon robbery was the most daring, brazen and bold caper ever to take place in Ceylon. The police and the public had an attitude of "We've had enough. Something must be done!" The result of this attitude was that the Ceylon robbery received more publicity and more effort by the Saskatchewan Provincial Police than any other robbery. Third, after memory of the robbery had almost faded away, James H. Gray revived the story in his two books, Booze (1972) and The Roar of the Twenties (1975). In each a short account of the Ceylon Robbery is given. The first book, Booze is inaccurate and misleading. The second book is preposterous and completely ludicrous. Both books are still very popular and widely read.

Here is one of the stories of the way it happened. (Taken from Builders of a Great Land compiled by the Municipality of the Gap):

"The boys came rolling in, in a big car loaded with rifles, revolvers, tools, a padded box containing the nitroglycerine, caps, fuses and a heavy suitcase for the loot. It would be about or after 1:30 A.M. Had they noticed a car bearing Montana license plates parked in front of the hotel, they might have turned around and drove right out again, but they didn't! They drove back to the bank slowly. They let two boys out to cut the telephone line leading from the telephone office, drove on by the station for two to do the same for the telegraph office. They then assembled in front of the bank to unload, etc. and get to work."

Here is another account of how it happened (also taken from Builders of a Great Land by Mary Hadly.)

"I worked in the bank from May 1922 to September 1926, as a stenographer and teller. I boarded at Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gray's. At the time of the robbery, the bank manager, Mr. Stevenson was also boarding there.

'The Bank has been robbed!' This created a great deal of excitement and we all got dressed and went down to see what had happened. When we got there, we saw that the door had been blown off, the windows blown out, the partition of the teller's cage smashed and the door of the safe blown off. Apparently the robbers were well organized with guns and a fast car. People claimed they headed south. This robbery was watched by several people- those living at the station and the barber across the street. Next door at the telephone office, Emma Boss, who operated the switchboard, heard the explosion. She jumped out of bed and lit the lamp. A voice yelled "Get that out quick or we'll put it out for you." She woke the teller, T. L. Jones, who boarded there. They couldn't phone as the wires had been cut. Jones crawled on his hands and knees down a back alley to Chas. Hailstone's and they alerted the town. The robbers had left by this time.

The cash, securities, bonds, mortgage notes had all been taken. The records were still there but it took months to get the paperwork all done. The building was repaired and was soon back in business but we had no safe for quite some time. Each night the cash, ledgers, etc. were stored in the municipal vault. This meant that the teller and myself each night and morning loaded a wheelbarrow with these valuables and wheeled them to and from the municipal office- the teller wheeling while I followed with a revolver. "

by "Pistol Packing Mary"