On this day, forty shots were fired in the Elms Hotel lobby and veranda in a robbery gone bad. The Excelsior Springs police shotgun squad chased the robbers from the hotel to Kansas City where they were caught, tried, and convicted. You can still visit the Elms today. 

This post was contributed by Ross Malone. A historian and a retired school teacher, Ross has authored many books about Missouri’s history, weird facts, and folk tales. He has also written children’s historical fiction. Visit his website, and buy his books in the Missouri Life store.