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"Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" I a Sketche by Paul Arculus Bank of Commerce Robberigs In the 1945 robbery, the manager, Mr. Hayes was left locked in the vault after the thieves absconded with the cash. Mr. Hayes managed to escape by opening the Sketches of Scugog is a historical column written by local resident and historian Paul Arculus and published in the Port Perry Star the first issue of each month. °° It from the inside with THE GOOD OLD DAYS serewdriver oC WEE A few days ago I got into a discussion In the 1951 rob- with some friends, about the "Good Old bery, Mr. Days." We talked about the present pro- blems of crime, lack of respect for pro- perty and privacy and harkened back to a time when people could walk the streets at night free from the worry of crime. I slowly began to realize that there have been short peri- ods of time in our his- tory when the "Good - Old Days" may have existed but, in general, such a time was largely a figment of romantic imagination, wishful thin- king transferred into a false recollection of the past. What has changed is the HISTORICAL ent manager of the Bank of Montreal who suffered gun shot wounds in the recent robbery there. 1928 Robberies Probably one of the worst years for rob- beries in this area was 1928. The Seagrave store was robbed as was the Greenbank store and a number of cars were stolen in the region. Alix Gilboord's clothing and drygoods store was located where the present "From My Heart" is now located on Queen Street in Port Perry. His store was robbed in 1926 and 1927. In December of 1928 he suffered his third robbery, losing over $500 worth of merchandise. In the same week, Smallman's blacksmith shop was broken into and tools stolen, and Brock's store was robbed of $300 of merchandise. When the thieves were caught in Scarborough, they were in posses- sion of loaded revolvers and a "full kit of burglar's tools including ske- leton keys and jimmies." One of the thieves was a Port Perry resi- dent. He and his accomplice con- fessed to having carried out a number of robberies in Pickering, Whitby, Trenton and Brighton as well as "some vacant J availability of information about crime. With members of the media competing for read- ership or viewing ratings, crime seems to dominate and we are made far more aware of crime than at any time in our past. The Bank of Montreal Robbery The horror which struck this com- munity recently when the Bank of Montreal was robbed, its employees subjected to the horrors of gun shots, real and threatened, and innocent bystanders wounded, seemed to give credence to the argument that the Canada is becoming an increasingly dangerous place to live. This event was certainly tragic and upsetting, but, sad to say, it was not unprecedented. There are many "old timers" and even some not so old who can remem- clothing and drygoods. thieves. Bowman munity. Many can recall The Bank of | Robbed Again Just a year ago Mr. Alix Gilboord's store was robbed for the secoud time since he came to Port Perry, and on Soule yy Monday evening last he suffered from a thir This time the thieves took some $635 worth of ready made | the vandalism They borrowed a hacksaw from | during the 1969 Mr. Smallman's blacksmith shop, and sawed through the | Halloween cele- staple that held the padlock on the front door. | brations when There is no clue as yet as to the identity of the |indowsof Robber + & are reported of gasoline at Seagrave, an attempt t4¢. cal gasoline at Greenbank, an auto stolen at police cruisers oJ |. and picked up at Prince Albert, and another | were smeared from Ce ..egle-Day that "wouldn't go." ber previous violent events in this com- have B busy » but their turn will come for discovery : December 6, 1928 | Summer cottag- es throughout the area. They were each given six year sentences. Readers can robbery. other incidents; downtown merchants were broken, The thieves | with paint as more than 300 rowdy cele- Commerce being held up twice when it occupied the present Laurentian Bank building; the first time in April, 1945 and then again in December of 1951. On both occasions, the bank managers were held at gunpoint while the robberies took place. Helm, the bank manager, his wife, his son Robert and the caretaker, Mr. T. Asher were all bound and gagged in the apart- ment above the bank while the robbers attempted to blow up the safe. Fortunately, the telephone rang and the would-be robbers fled. Even the Port Perry Post Office was R bb robbed. This took place in September, onoery 1948. PORT PERRY POST OFFICE Harold Archer Shot In Thigh BROKEN INTO AND SAFE The 1920s were even more violent. REMOVED. Harold Archer owned a car dealership on Last Wednesday night the local Queen Street where the Big V Drug Store Post Office was broken into and the now stands. During the night of Sunday, snfo removed. Entrance way made August 29, 1926, thieves broke into his by way of a back window which had d tol ' bor of ti d been forced. © Apparently the safe garage and stole a number of tires an wan removed and taken away in some gasoline. The car used in the rob- truck. "While sonte of the dogs in bery was seen by a number of residents. neighbourhood were aroused, no per- Encouraged by the success of their first non seemed to be suspicious that any- haul the thieves decided to return the fol- lowing Tuesday. Their vehicf® was rec- thing was wrong. ognized as they approached the garage. The nnfe contained about $300 in cash, 'rome $1200 in atamps and the usunl number of money orders, ete. Harold Archer and his friend, Art Knight fe ee uy in jumped onto the running boards of the un field west o 0 , sh- vival ed seemingly from a dynimite charge. car. It sped away and the villains shot Mr. A heavy hammer was found nenrby. Archer in the thigh as he attempted to The cash nnd stamps had been taken hang on. The thieves were later appre- but the money orders atill in the snle. hended and sentenced. We understand both the Dominion Mr. Knight and Mr. Archer recovered from their adventure. Incidentally, Art Knight is no relation to Al Knight, pres- and Provincial Police are working on the case. September 16, 1948 brants instilled fear in the hearts of Port Perry residents; the rash of break-ins in 1974; the $10,000 vandalism at the Prince Albert Public School in 1977. In January 1985, the community was devastated to hear that the body of 9 year old Christine Jessop had been found just a few kilometres north of Port Perry. The Good Old Days But what about the real pioneer days, the time when our forefathers were still hacking down trees in an effort to estab- lish more land to produce crops basic to their survival? Surely this was a time of relative peace and tranquility? Unfortunately, the records show us that this period, particularly the middle dec- ades of the 19th century were probably the most fearful and crime ridden of all. The police system was in its very early and formative years leaving the settlers to take care of themselves. These circum- stances presented opportunities for the more devious and unscrupulous individu- als to vent the negative side of human nature. A clue to this time is to be found in The British Colonist of Tuesday, November 11, 1845. The Colonist was a weekly newspa- per published in Toronto...It advised its readers to travel "...in company on the great roads until the districts they tra- Scugog verse are more thickly populated." The Colonist also called for "...an increase in the strength of the police force." The Colonist was joined by a number of. other contemporary newspapers in this appeal. The reason was that individuals and gangs were roaming the countryside, particularly in the less established areas of the province, beating and robbing people. The Markham Gang One group of villains was known as the "Markham Gang." They were so-called because several of them were from the Markham area. Other members of the gang came mainly from Whitby and Reach. This group of men, had a "Mafia" type of structure. The British Colonist * The Hold-Up Five men who took the names of es- caped convicts forced an entry into the apartment over the. Canadian Bank of Commerce on Saturday were frightened off by the ringing of the telephone. While they were tying up the bank manager and his 'wife and son the telephone rang, Mrs. Helm, wife of the.manager was allowed to answer but warned not to mention the hold-up. Some one asked for her ron, Robert, and was told to call later. Mr. T. Asher, the caretaker,' who had answered the doorbell, was forced up stairs and all four people were bound hand and foot with sheets and towels, their mouths and eyes were taped. The. robbers who had previously heen told by Mr. Hélm that he could not open the safe, prepared to blow it up, but before they were able to ac- complish this the phone rahg again and the bandits fled., Half an hour later Mrs. Helm had succeeded in rece her hands and was able to loose the. others and give the alarm. reported: "...on his first introduction of the novice to the leaders or old hands of the gang, he is required to pledge himself that he will adhere to their rules and never betray their secrets on pain of certain death: In the event of one of the gang being arrest- ed the other members found are to do all they can for him; to procure bail, to give evidence for him, and to "prove him clear" as they call it by swearing an alibi." They also had an arrangement to dis- pose of stolen-goods and to share in the wealth derived from their crimes. The British Colonist stated that they "..became a terror to the communities in which they resided; the whole country was held in a state of intimidation." Next Month: The Markham Gang strikes Terror in Reach. ; TE EE «vw I LF LF 1 LLP YE ahi 4 A A & a & » EERE EERE)