Ellis visited the warehouse and studied it and the way the gang entered, left, and used it as a headquarters for crimes. He was collecting evidence. Ellis wanted to later inform the police, stake it out with them and plan a large bust that would hopefully capture most of them.
Downtown was a large state bank, The First National Bank. A lot of currency, gold bars, and a safety deposit of valuables were in three large vaults there. The Skulls had for a long time wanted to do a strike there. They had studied the place and cased out the employees, their work habits, schedule, the security forces that were there, alarm systems, and what would work to get in the three vaults to clean them out. The nine men in the gang had six extra men to help them. These fifteen planned an attack that was sure to succeed. Armed with Thompson machine guns, semiautomatic .45 ACP pistols, a few rifles and shotguns, they were going to just walk in there at 3:00 in the afternoon. Seven get away cars were to be at the curb. These had drivers so the personnel total was nineteen. All were wearing black hooded masks with no holes in them. The cloth let the men see out but their faces could not be seen. The bank officials at gun point were to be forced to open the three vaults. Heavy gold was to be hauled out on small wagons to the cars’ trunks. A number of large canvas bags with sturdy leather handles were to be loaded with paper currency, coins, and valuables. These were to be thrown in the car trunks or back seats. Enough men with guns would overpower the bank to make the robbery work. The men would get in the cars and get out of there. They would separate and travel in different directions. Eventually they would rejoin at the north city warehouse hideout. Likely over a million or more would be taken in less than an hour’s work.