- THE TIMES TRAVELLER by Barney Moorhouse
PART 2 THE HAVELOCK BANK ROBBERY
The following items were published in The Bancroft Times.
LASSWADE – September 7, 1961
Lasswade has been a busy place for the last few days. Thursday morning a green ’60 Buick with three or four men in it went tearing down the Lasswade road toward Lake Township with a Police car right behind with Constable McKendry and Constable Baker. Shortly, about ten or twelve police cars poured in and the chase was on. I guess Mrs. Lummiss got quite a scare when the bandits put a gun on her and ordered her to get the car off the road, where she was stopped with a flat tire.
Without missing a beat, as if this was commonplace in Lasswade, the correspondent continued: “Mrs. Ron Woodbeck and Bob spent Friday….”
September 7, 1961
Fifth Suspect in Bank Robbery Picked Up Monday
Police Now Hunt $185,000 Hidden Loot
Following a four day and night vigilant search by some 50 Provincial Police, assisted by local residents in 12-hour shifts since the hold-up at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday last of the Toronto-Dominion Bank at Havelock and maintaining road blocks and bush searches around Coe Hill, The Ridge and Bass (Steenburg) Lake area, the last of the five man gang was picked up Monday morning. Only four were seen at the holdup itself.
The man gave his name as George Wilson of Ottawa, however Police believe his real name is Lemieuz. Wilson was picked up before 8:00 a.m. Monday at the Ormsby turn, at the corners of Highway 62 and 620, by Constables Ray Hooker and Charles Disley of the Bancroft O.P.P. Detachment. Police said he was all in and that his feet were raw from the rubber boots he had been wearing. He was unarmed.
The trio, Roger Martel, 41, Roger Poirer, 31, and Jean-Claude Lalonde, 23, also did not resist arrest, when picked up Sunday, about 4:00 p.m., near Millbridge.
Lalonde, a younger brother of Yvon Lalonde, the first to be captured by the Police, was arrested Saturday afternoon, being spotted by Martin Murphy of Bass Lake.
The two Lalondes, Poirer and Martel, both gave Montreal addresses.
It was in a very short order that a heavy force of Police surrounded the area. Volunteers were enlisted from the many civilians who came to the scene. Most were armed with firearms. (Imagine this to-day!-Ed.)
On Thursday morning, August 31st, there were four men who entered the Havelock Branch of the Toronto-Dominion Bank, and held up the staff with revolvers and a sawed-off rifle. Manager, Mr. Milliken, told the Police, the men, hooded and armed, fled from the bank about 9:15 a.m. in a blue car. They had stolen approximately $85,000 in cash and $100,000 in securities.
Near Coe Hill they exchanged shots with Constable Jack McKendry in a car. Both cars were ditched. The getaway car, a 1961 Chrysler, stolen from Montreal, with stolen license plates on it, lay at a crazy angle with both right tires blown.
(Layne Moore said that all doors were open and it looked like all of the robbers had vacated the vehicle. However, according to Moore, he heard that some of the robbers had remained behind to hide the loot, guns, masks and clothing. Also, with so many citizens milling about it was hard to tell by the tracks.-Ed)
On Tuesday the five men were arraigned in Magistrate’s Court in Peterborough, on an armed robbery charge.
They were remanded without plea until Tuesday, September 12th. Lawrence Corriveau, Quebec City, was in court as attorney for the five men. He told Magistrate Philp they would be represented by John Mireky, Q.C., of Ottawa, when their case came up for trial.
Now Police and civilians are competing in a modern day treasure hunt for the $185,000 or better in cash and securities. A squad of 15 Provincial Police, assisted by civilians, are searching the hilly, rocky brushland for a 25 mile radius. On Wednesday they found some clothes and a revolver holster believed to belong to the hold-up men.
Police are sure the money and securities, originally packed in two duffel bags, is hidden in the area.
September 14, 1961 Accused Men Hear Charges Against Them
In Magistrates Court in Peterborough on Tuesday, the five accused men of armed robbery, in connection with the Havelock bank holdup, two weeks ago, heard several more charges read against them.
They have been in jail for more than a week since their capture by police during a four day manhunt through the woods in the Coe Hill, The Ridge, Steenburg and Millbridge area.
Four of the men, all except Yvon Lalonde, were charged with shooting with intent to wound, while resisting arrest. The shots were fired at Constable Jack McKendry, Apsley, when he tried to stop the speeding get-away car near Lasswade.
The same four have been charged with the theft of a Buick car and all five with theft of a 1961 Chrysler car. Wilson is charged with breaking and entering a cottage on Bass Lake.
Magistrate Philp remanded the men without plea on all charges until Tuesday, September 19th. Preliminary hearing has tentatively been set for October 3rd on the charges.
The five are, Yvon Lalonde, 30, his brother, Jean Claude Lalonde, 23, Roger Poirer, 31, and Roger Martel, 41, all of Montreal and George Wilson of Ottawa. Police say Wilson’s real name is Lemieux. (Actually it was Hermyle Lalonde according to Barker.-Ed)
November 16th, 1961 Bank Robbers Trial In January
The trial of four Montreal men, charged in the $220,000 August 31st bank robbery at Havelock, has been set for January 15th, at the assizes in Peterborough. They are now prisoners at Peterborough court jail and it will be remembered the fifth member of the group died about a month ago. (According to Layne Moore, rumour had it that Wilson (Lemieux/Lalonde) knew about security systems and was convinced to take part even though he had a bad heart. The foiled escape didn’t help. – Ed)
The West Road
On April 10, 2010, I went for a walk along the West Road, starting at Mailbox Corner. It was a typical bluebird sky. The temperature was a comfortable 5 degrees C. The wind whistling through the woods and an occasional drumming partridge provided musical entertainment. The old road, now more an ATV trail, is typical shield as the undulating terrain moves through low swampy “gushy” ground filled with crushed gravel left by the retreating glaciers to bed rock and misfits. The trail came to an abrupt end at a sizeable beaver pond that obviously hadn’t been there during the time of the bank robbery. The crooks wore rubber boots to cross the Deer River. They would hardly suffice given the size of the pond. The trail hadn’t been used in months as there were blow downs across the trail at several places. I tried to imagine a ’61 Chrysler navigating this. In all, including stops to take some photographs, it took me one hour to hike the round trip.
Photos of the West Road to-day and at the pond which would have required an amphibious car to cross had it existed then.