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Young Gunman Loses Nerve, Flees After Robbery AttemptRiver St. Service Station Nighttime Holdup SceneA guu-wielding young man /led*in panic from a River street servicestation at 9 last night, foiled in arobbery attempt by the service1station attendant who refused toturn over his money under threatof the gun.Despite the efforts of Camille Bilodeau, 50, of 18 School street attendant at the Speedway Service Station at 285 River street and a• customer, the would • be robber escaped.Police officers approached the scene from all angles in an attempt1 to intercept the robber who fled the immediate area on foot.Says ‘Hello*Mr. Bilodeau, who was alone in the service station at the time, said the young man, described as about 21 or 22, five feet, five inches tall.1 150 pounds, with a red face and ‘ uneven speech, walked into (he station and said '‘hello.”Mr. Bilodeau said after he exchanged greetings with the man he produced a gun from beneath his long tan coat and stated. “What do you think of this?Mr. Bilodeau said he thought the man was “just showing me the gun so I said it was nice.”At that point the young man said, “this is a stickup He pointed the gun at the attendant.“Are you kidding? Mr Bilodoau* asked the gunman.' . . Cased This Place*He said the gunman replied. *Tv« cased this place hefore and , know that there is plenty of dough j here Mr. Bilodeau told him. *Tm sorry buddy, 1 haven't any money/* At this point Mr. Bilodeau at '.tempted to edge closer to the gun-5, man in an effort to grab him but j the young man raised the muzzle of the weapon, which resembled a i sub-machine gun and pointed it .‘at Mr. Bilodeau, t According to the attendant, he j had no Intentions of turning over any cash to the gunman but reached into his pocket, placed a handful of change on a table and* stepped back thinking he might 1 have a chance to wrest the gun p from the man when he reached forthe money.Just then. Frank Marranzino ofI!6Z King street, proprietor of Web Nik Motors at 280 River street, drove into the station.Mr. Bilodeau stated, I picked up the change and put it back in my pocket and told the robber tbat I had a customer and had to go out.”Lunges At GunmanAs the gunman turned to flee,Mr. Bilodeau lunged for him and“just grasped a corner of his coat.” The gunman pulled free and ran through the door to River street.Mr. Marranzino told of Uie robbery attempt, followed the racing man in his car to Wallace road where the gunman crossed River street and back toward the WebNik Motors lot. Mr. Marranzino said he leaped from his car and was “within three feet of the guy when he turned on me with the gun and said, ‘hold it/ I stopped and the gunman ran up an em bankmcnt to the railroad track* and then ran toward West Fitchburg on the tracks.Lt. Joseph J. Kolazyk, desk officer at the police station, sent all available police officers into the area immediately following a telephone call from Mr. Bilodeau.Ptl. Joseph W. Bramante, KL Joseph A. Rivard. Ptl. Dominie D. Ricci. Ptl. Harold F. Gabriel, Ptl. Charles L- Pappas and Ptl. Georg? A. Sheppard were on th* scene shortly after the alarm.Capt. Ralph E. Williams, head ofthe bureau of criminal investigation. 5gt. Warren A. Wade and Ptl. Kaar! E. Kymalamen were on the scene shortly after the attempted holdup.Search AreaA thorough search of building* adjacent to the railroad tracks wta made and officers searched through, over and under box car* on the tracks in the area.Police said it was sot knows whether the gunman bad * ear parked on a nearby street but officers were investigating the possibility he was using a 1953 model car stolen from Elm street near Academy street between 7 and 10 last night. The vehicle was reported stolen by the owner, Robert Egan of 29 Boylston street.Police continued the investigation throughout the night and today.
Newspaper Details
Fitchburg Sentinel
Fitchburg, Massachusetts, US
Wed, Mar 18, 1959
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Wilfred R.
USA 01 Aug 2021
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