"2 Gunmen Rob Bank - Caught," Victoria Daily Times. September 20, 1943. Page 1.
---
Over $1,000 Taken, Staff Put In Vault, Manager Wounded
----
Two gunmen today at 10.50 held up the Douglas and Bay Street branch of the Canadian Bank of Commerce, ordered the staff of seven into the vault, scooped up more than $1,000 in cash from the teller's cage and escaped,
Six minutes later city police arrested two men near the E. and N. freight yards. At 11.06 the pair, identified as Bob Dionne, of Victoria Charles A Talbot of Winnipeg, were charged with armed bank robbery.
The men were taken into custody by Detective Morris Wilkinson and Constable Robert Morris. J. C. Newmarch, manager of the bank, struggled with and disarmed one of the men. He suffered a gash on the right side of the cheek and injuries to his left arm.
TAKE UP CHASE
The call to the police station came in at about 10.55. Detective Wilkinson, accompanied by Dave Driver, Victoria Times police reporter, jumped in a patrol car and rushed, with sirens open, to the bank.
There a description of the hold-up men was given by J. R. L Burridge, a customer who came to the bank just as the men left. Constable Morris, who had already combed the Government Street area in the police patrol, jumped in the detective car.
Wilkinson had a hunch the men would try to escape along the waterfront near the gas works.
Driving west of the E. and N. fright yards, the detective, despite the speed at which he was traveling, noticed two men walking between the freight cars. "That looks like them," he said to Mr. Driver. He backed the car up rapidly, and Morris, taking his revolver from his hip pocket, rushed into the freight shed. Wilkinsen, with the reporter. ran around the block to Chatham Street.
"STICK 'EM UP"
Just as Wilkinson arrived, Morris thrust his gun into the back of one of the men. The other started to run, but his escape was blocked by Wilkinson, who ordered the pair, at the point of his gun, to stick up their hands.
The police searched the two men and ordered them into the car.
At the police station more than $1,000 in cash, mostly $5 and $10 and $20 bills, was taken from the two men.
Mr. Newmarch told reporters later that the two men had entered the bank, and announced: "This is a hold-up. Go to the vault"
"I picked up a book, making out I had to look into the book," he continued. "One of the men told me to put it down. The second man started to scoop up the loose bills in the teller's cage.
GRAPPLED WITH GUNMAN
"I turned and grabbed the gun, and in the scuffle, I was surprised it did not go off. The other fellow came around and pointed his gun at gun at me. He (the man Mr. Newmarch was struggling with) said: "Don't shoot. Don't shoot"."
The men then rushed out the front door. Just as they were leaving they were met by Mr. Burridge. He drove around to Government Street, but did not see them again. He told several bystanders to be on the lookout for the men.
He arrived back at the bank just as the police arrived. Mr. Newmarch's face was gashed by the hammer of the revolver during the struggle. The gunman twisted his left arm while wrestling with him for possession of the gun.
Besides Mr. Newmarch there were in the bank at the time, six bank workers.
They were:
Gertrude Pestre, 2323 Fort Street, who took over the teller's cage this morning for the first time.
Margaret Readman, 1149 Tolmie Avenue, savings ledger keeper.
Mrs. Winnifred Warren, 1000 Southgate Avenue, clerk.
Joan Parker, 1531 Jubilee Avenue, teller.
Florence Rowley, 1278 King's Road, clerk.
June Flinton, 126 Ontario Street.
MISSED TIED MONEY
In the cash drawer from which the men took the money, between $3,000 and $4,000 in bills was tied up. This was overlooked by the holdup men.
Neither of of the robbers entered the vault.
At the time they were arrested neither of the men had guns in their possession. They wore brown suits and had a couple of days growth of beard.
Police are making an intensive search of the ground over which they went to find the second weapon.
Preliminary Investigations pro duced a pair at overalls and an empty bolster.
0 notes
"Bank Bandits Tell Court 'You've Got Goods On Us'," Victoria Daily Times. September 21, 1943. Page 1.
----
(See Pictures Page 2)
----
Saying "You've got the goods on us," Bob Dionne of Victoria and Charles A. Talbot of Winnipeg, elected police court trial to-day and pleaded guilty of armed robbery Monday of the Canadian Bank of Commerce at Douglas and Bay.
The pair of bandits were stood over until next Monday at the request of Prosecutor Claude L. Harrison, who said he wished to check their history with the R. C. M. P. at Ottawa.
J. C. Newmarch, manager of the bank, today gave evidence of the hold-up, while evidence of the capture made by Detective Maurice Wilkinson and Constable Robert Morris will be given later.
Newmarch appeared in court with a gash on his right cheek and his left arm in a cast, supported by a sling. X-rays taken today showed two wrist bones were splintered in the struggle Monday in which Newmarch wrested the gun from Dionne.
Two other guns have been picked up near the bank, and police, searching the possessions of the bandits at a downtown rooming house, found a fourth gun.
In his evidence in court today, Newmarch praised Mrs. Winnifred Warren, bank clerk, who rushed out of the bank to call the police, even before the robbers had left. He said he believed police were on the way to the scene before the gunmen made their get-away.
$1,330 STOLEN
The sum taken was approximately $1,330. About $1,375 was found in the possession of the two bandits.
It was revealed today that the capture of the two bandits was even more remarkable than had been supposed Monday, for after they left the bank the pair quickly changed their clothes on a vacant lot.
The City Council police commission meeting today, on motion of Ald. W. H. Davies, congratulated Detective Wilkinson and Constable Morris on the speedy capture. They did their duty in wonderful way, he said, and took desperate chances. He said they had brought honor to the police department.
///
"Figures In Hold-up of Victoria Bank," Victoria Daily Times. September 21, 1943. Page 2.
---
The armed bandits who Monday morning held up the Bay and Douglas Street branch of the Canadian Bank of Commerce were very nervous during the whole affair, the staff said today.
The six women members of the staff admitted they were nervous during the hold-up after they realized it was the real thing.
"I wasn't scared at first," said Miss Joan Parker, teller. "I just stood here and looked at them."
The bandit whom J. C. Newmarch, the manager, disarmed, stuck the muzzle of his antique revolver Into Miss Florence Rowley's stomach. "This is a stick up," he told her. "Keep still. No body is going to get hurt."
Then he ordered the entire staff into the vault.
Mr. Newmarch was the only one who appeared calm while the gunman ordered the staff into the bank, the women aaid.
LOOKED BANDIT IN EYE
The manager looked one bandit right in the eye when he was told to get into the vault and just as he was being crowded into the door, he sprang for the bandit's gun, pointing it away from the employees.
The bandit and Mr. Newmarch crashed to the floor in the struggle and Mr. Newmarch disarmed him before the second bandit came over and threatened him with his gun. The man Mr. Newmarch struggled with shouted:
"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"
One was wearing a handkerchief over his nose and mouth.
The other gunman had been in J. C. Newmarch, manager of the bank, with the ancient firearm he the bank several times before, the office staff said. To get to the cage he walked through a swing ing door near the accountant's table. The masked bandit walked through the manager's office to order the staff into the vault.
Members of the staff said both men appeared very nervous dur ing the hold up. Their guns shook in their hands and their voices trembled, they said. According to the staff the hold-up was poorly planned and poorly executed.
Photo captions:
Top: At the point of a gun these women employees were crowded into the vault. They are, left to right: Mrs. Winnifred Warren, Mrs. Margaret Readman, Miss Joan Parker, Miss Florence Rowley, Miss June Flinton and Miss Gertrude Pestre.
J. C. Newmarch, manager of the bank, with the ancient firearm he wrestled from one of the bandits during a a violent struggle at the vault door. His face was cut in the struggle and his shoulder and wrist twisted. The hat was worn by the bandit.
Constable Robert Morris, who Detective Maurice Wilkinson, with gun in hand, stopped the fleeing men at the E. and N. freight shed on Chatham Street, whose dash and daring during the case, ind to the arrest of Bob Dionne and Charies A. Talbot, charged with armed bank robbery.
0 notes
Cracking the Code: Your Guide to Success in Bank Exams with Aglasem
Welcome to Aglasem, your trusted partner in the journey to excel in Bank Exams. As the premier online coaching platform in Indore.
Dive into the variety of courses we offer, catering to different bank exams. From IBPS PO to IBPS RRB, SBI PO and SBI Clerk our tailored coaching programs ensure that you are well-prepared for the specific challenges posed by each examination.
please visit https://wordpress.com/post/shopwears.wordpress.com/7
0 notes