Bank Job: The Story of C.D. Waggoner

by Peter Kenworthy

In 1929, C. D. Waggoner, a bank president in Telluride, Colorado, went on trial for the theft of a combined total of half a million dollars from several prominent New York banks. The reasons and motivation for Waggoner’s actions remained unclear. Why would a well-liked and greatly respected member of the community throw away his reputation, his career, and his family life on such a grand caper, and why did he make such little effort to avoid having his crime uncovered or to keep from being captured? People from all over the country speculated on Waggoner’s behavior, coming up with wildly conflicting notions as to the quality of his character and the nature of his crime. Telluride was in the midst of serious financial the local mines were folding and banks all over the state were being audited, resulting in many of them being closed down for good. Some thought of Waggoner as a modern day Robin Hood, stealing from the wealthy banks of New York City in order to provide for his less well-off constituency. To others he was nothing more than a common thief – a position made more tenable as Waggoner’s extensive gambling debts and shady business dealings were brought to light during his trial. Now readers can determine for themselves Waggoner’s guilt or innocence in what was once termed “the bank job of the century,” as well as experience a particular moment in American history in which Telluride found itself in front of the nation’s spotlight.

264 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2005