Bruce County Memories: Bruce County’s first bank robbery - the Royal Bank in Cargill

Henry Cargill was instrumental in getting a bank established in Cargill to serve his many business interests, as well as local merchants and farmers. The Trader's Bank opened in 1902, at 201 Cargill Road, and merged with the Royal Bank in 1912. In the summer of 1924, the original bank building burned to the ground in a disastrous fire that also destroyed adjacent stores.

Ten years later, Aug. 14, 1934, during the depths of the Great Depression, a green sedan with New York plates pulled up at the Royal Bank and two men ran inside.

Customers in Cassidy's Barber Shop across the street could see right through the bank’s front window — two bandits were holding up manager Edward Dreak and teller Gerald Raper. The robbers scooped up $2,200 in cash from the teller's cage and emerged from the bank, one carrying a bag and the other wielding a gun. They ran to the getaway car and took off.

Alerted to the hold-up, garage owner Trimble Bailey picked up Joe and Tommy Meyer and left in hot pursuit. They were doing fine until they were slowed down by a cattle drive on the road.

It turned out that the wheelman that day was Anthony Diebold, born and raised near Cargill but living in Buffalo when he met his four accomplices from New York state. 

Diebold knew the district well and hightailed it out of town, careening down local roads and losing his pursuers in the Greenock Swamp.

After making their getaway into the swamp, Anthony Diebold and his accomplices drove back to cousin John Diebold's farm and divvied up the loot, paying John a small portion. 

The quintet then left in two cars, going in different directions. The two bandits in the green sedan headed for the border at Fort Erie. As they tried to cross into the United States, American officials arrested them and held them for identification as the suspects in the Cargill robbery.

The newspapers don’t say so, but the tip-off to border police probably came from OPP officer Otto McClevis. Although he arrived in Cargill an hour after the bank job, he was able to interview the many witnesses.



Bruce County's constable, Otto McClevis, always got his man

McClevis joined the OPP in 1928 and was the only policeman in Bruce County during his early years. He was legendary for his high-speed car chases and shoot-outs with county bandits and bootleggers. In his car, he carried nine revolvers, a sawed-off shotgun and a rifle, all loaded, and didn’t hesitate to use them, whether arresting bank robbers or pursuing moonshiners deep in the Greenock swamp.

The constable escorted the bank manager and the teller to a jail cell in Buffalo. They viewed the prisoners and declared that Diebold “looks like the man who was at the wheel of the robbers' machine," reported the "Toronto Daily Star," Aug. 16, 1934.
 

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Reporting from Cargill, "Toronto Daily Star," Aug. 15, 1934

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McClevis also took witnesses Tom and Joe Meyer to Buffalo to view a line-up of suspects at the police station. Tommy Meyer and his brother, Joe, were painting the old ice house when they got word of the robbery. They got to the bank in time to see the men come out of the bank, get in the car and head away.

By October, extradition proceedings culminated in Frank Adamzyck, 20, of Cheektowaga New York, and Diebold of Buffalo and formerly of Chepstow, being hauled back to Walkerton by constable McClevis.

Evidence showed that Anthony Diebold and the other bandits had visited John Diebold's farm near Cargill. John testified that Anthony was at his place a week or 10 days before the hold-up. He also said that Sunday night, Aug. 12, Anthony returned to his place, accompanied by four other men, none of whom he knew.

John said that “the men had guns in their possession and one of them said they intended holding up a bank,” according to "The Kingston Whig-Standard," Sept. 1, 1934. The men left an hour later, returning about three or four o'clock on the morning of Aug. 14, when they divided the spoils, giving John a small portion.

John Diebold pleaded guilty to receiving stolen money from the hold-up and was sentenced to three months in Walkerton jail. Anthony pleaded guilty to taking part in the robbery and got six years. Also convicted, were two Buffalo men, Frank Adamzyck, who got three years, and John Zwick, six years. The search continued for two others.



If you robbed the Traders Bank, you could obtain this $5 bill from 1909



Otto McClevis (right), ready for action, about 1939

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The fifth edition of the "History of the County of Bruce" is available by sending an E-mail to Bill Stewart, willstew@bmts.com, at the Bruce County Historical Society, or by visiting the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre in Southampton, Treasure Chest Museum in Paisley, Holst Office Supplies in Walkerton, Little Blue House Café/Gallery in Tiverton, Hamilton's Toys and More in Kincardine, Berford Street Books in Wiarton, Shops at 84 Main in Lion's Head, or Readers' Haven Book Store in Tobermory.