McConnell House

1937 Part 1

MYSTERIOUS FIFTH MAN IN MOOSE JAW BANK ROBBERY?

CONSTABLE SAYS THERE WAS FIFTH ROBBER.

Regina –It has been a year this day since the Moose Jaw bank robbery that left three dead, with numerous injured. It didn't end there. The RCMP tracked down the bank robbers hideout. After a shoot out, two more constables and two robbers were also shot dead.

The man believed to be the ringleader of the gang was one Luke Hall. Hall had a history of antagonizing the local RCMP and banks. For many years Mr. Hall could not pay his mortagage, so the land he was on had been parcelled away. Mr. Hall was slowly snapping, sending a letter threatening the local Royal Bank as well as one to the RCMP stating if either stepped on his land, they would be shot. When asked, the Sergeant of the local RCMP detachment refused to comment on why this was not addressed in a timely matter with Mr. Hall. Unfortunately the price of this inaction was eight lives.

 Harry Hall, Luke Hall's cousin, as well as Walter Franz, and Daniel Polinski were also believed to be part of this gang. One Joseph Hill was also found in the farm house, recently died from a yet unknown disease. It is not known if he was also part of the scheme to rob the bank.

 The only one to survive the aftermath of the failed bank robbery attempt was Walter Franz. Mr. Franz to date has refused to state what happened that day, instead prefering to rant about how Canada would be better under a communist government. He has been tried before the court and sentenced to death by hanging, which has yet to be done. But were they the only members?

 “There's one more.” says Sgt. Patrick Foley, “I met him before all of this happened.”

 Sgt. Foley is a member of the Regina Police Service. How could he know about a bank robbery forty miles away, out of his jurisdiction?

 “I arrested the gang in Regina, during the On-to-Ottawa riots. The moment I saw them in the newspaper, I recognized them.”

 How was it possible he would recognize them during such a tribulant time with numerious out of town rioters?

 “I arrested them after the riots had died down. They were up to no good, so me and my partner confronted them. They were beligerant, as well as aggressive toward our persons. We had to place them all under arrest. There was three of them, Harry Hall, Joseph Hill, and a third unidentified man. He is the one I believe to be the fifth robber.”

 If there is indeed a fifth robber, and he was the third man Sgt. Foly arrested that day, would it now be easy to check the reports from that day and find out who it was?

 “Well the bastards escaped. I was called away on an important matter. They then overpowered my partner, no doubt with the others help, and escaped.”

 And this mysterious third man?

 “He was tall, blond, green eyes. Clean shaved, dirty suit, of course they all wore the same suit. I didn't take a good enough look to find any disguishing marks, but I would recognize him anywhere.”

 Perhaps there was a third man, but why does Sgt. Foley think he was still with the gang at the robbery?

 “Well if those RCMP bozos would do a little detective work, and not try to sweep all this under the rug, they could answer that for you. As it stands, three men were inside for the robbery, and one get away driver. We know now Harry Hall was the driver. It's believed the three inside were Walter Franz, Daniel Polinski, and Luke Hall. I think different. If you ask the people inside the bank about the robbers general descriptions, Franz and Polinski match. As for the third man, they say he was tall, broad shouldered, and light eyes, green mayhaps. Sound familier? Luke Hall is short, slender, and brown eyes.”