The Bank of Qulin
County Posse Chase Qulin Bank Robbers
Published in The Vindicator
Bloomfield, Missouri
March 6th 1928
More action was displayed Tuesday afternoon on the main street of
Bloomfield, north of the courthouse, than has taken place here in many a
day. About 3.00 P.M. Tuesday, three heavily armed bank robbers held up and
robbed the Bank of Qulin, Butler County, of about $2,500.00 and made their
dash for liberty by way of Fisk and Dudley in a high powered Master Six
Buick coupe, with the Butler County officers hot on their trail. In Stoddard
County the posse was joined by Sheriff George Barham and others, south of
Puxico, and after picking up and losing the trail of the robbers several
times in the territory west of Acorn Ridge and east of the Edmundson Store,
the posse got almost in gunshot of the robbers near Acorn Ridge and
thereafter for a mile or more.
Ray McCown, Sheriff of Butler County, along with two other cars of Butler
County and others with two other cars close behind ran in excess of sixty
miles an hour until McCown's car landed in a ditch at the Alfred Harty farm,
while traveling 65 miles an hour. The robbers came on to Bloomfield and
passed George Crain so fast over the top of the big Crain hill that he
thought they were flying. As the robbers came into Bloomfield from the west,
they suddenly turned north at the Barney Miller home and then back east and
out into main street where Eff Kelley fired a load of buckshot into the car.
By that time Kip Briney, prosecuting attorney, was coming down main street
driving a Pontiac at a high rate of speed with City Marshall Curt Pickens
and John McAllister in the car.
As Briney's car got within 75 yards of the robbers, the robbers opened fire
on Briney's car and Pickens returned fire with both cars traveling at a high
rate of speed. The robbers faster car outdistanced the Pontiac and were
finally lost trace of east of Bell City.
The car was found abandoned on the Bell City-Morley road about 1 or 2 miles
over in Scott County. 
Sheriff Barham went to Hagy yesterday and brought the bandits car here. No
trace of the robbers has been heard since Wednesday and it looks as though
they made good on their escape. 

Alleged Qulin Bank Robber caught in Los Angeles, California
Hunter Albritton, a Sikeston youth, who is alleged to have been implicated
in the Qulin Bank robbery more than a year ago, has been apprehended. He was
wounded, perhaps fatally, when he attempted to flee after being placed under
arrest by a Los Angeles police officer last Friday at an undertaking
establishment where Albritton was employed as an embalmer.
Los Angeles officials had been tipped off by officials back here. The
officer fired five shots, three taking effect, with one penetrating the
heart. Albritton has quite a criminal record back of him and his flight from
justice has taken him through many states. Besides being implicated in this
bank robbery, according to information in the hands of officials, he is
wanted for escaping prison in Florida, for several holdup jobs in Southeast
Missouri and robberies in Canada.
It will be remembered that Albriton and his two companions in this robbery
in which approximately $2,000.00 was obtained were pursued by Butler County
officials as far as the Harty place near Acorn Ridge, where the officers car
failed to make a sharp curve. Bloomfield officials were notified but the
robbers eluded the Stoddard County officers as they came through Bloomfield.
In this pursuit it is known that one of the fugitives was injured and it was
believed to have been Albritton as it was later reported that he had an
injured shoulder dressed in Cape Girardeau. Officers have had reports of him
here and there but until Friday he had been successful in eluding them.
When he collapsed after surmounting two obstacles between him and the
pursuing officer he was taken to the Georgia street receiving hospital where
physicians say his condition is very grave.
 
Sentenced to 20 years on Bank Robbery
Hunter Albritton and Orville Taylor, former Sikeston men, drew a sentence of
20 years in the penitentiary from a jury in circuit court at Poplar Bluff
last Tuesday. They were tried on robbing the Qulin Bank on February 28th
1928.
Following the robbery of the bank on that date, when about $2,700.00 was
taken, these men accompanied by another were pursued by officers through
Bloomfield. Word had been telephoned ahead to be on guard but the robbers
coming into town from the west, detoured around the officers and proceeded
north on Highway 25 and succeeded in making their escape. They were located
in California and brought back to Butler County for trial about two months
ago.
Contributed by Adruian Cato.