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14—Janesville Daily Gazette, Monday, Nov. 1, 1965Bill Canary, Bandit-Pursuing Banker, Put Footville on the MapBy ELIZABETH HATLENFOOTVILLE — Foot ville's hero, William Canary, made headlines around the world Sept. 29, when he led the chase to capture the man that robbed his bank.“The response has been tremendous, he remarks, “but the thing that has meant the most to us is the expression of concern that we might have been harmed.”His reaction was impulsive, but having built his business of 50 years on faith in people, he thinks that subconsciously it angered him to think a man would come in and help himself. So he was prompted to protect the 55-year-old bank at which hehad been the second savings depositor.A down - to - earth person, Canary gives credit to everyone but himself, and for the amazing way things worked out, he credits “the good Lord.91THE CHASE AND successfulcapture was the result of coincidence and cooperation. His son, Paul, first gave chase without any previous instructions; Maurice Bonaunet, a long-time friend, came along just as Canary ran out into the street; Mrs. April Roenneburg rushed out to get a description of the car; and Mrs. Canary phoned the sheriff's department, where an FBI man just happened to be.Canary hastens to add, “Bonaunet just can't get enough credit in this thing.” When he got into Bonaunet’s car, the one and a half hour chase, which ended in an Illinois cornfield, was on!WILLIAM CANARY“After we had driven for quite a wfhile, the car got awfully hot,” Canary remembers. “I was afraid, to tell you the honest truth, that the motor was overheating. Tension mounted! Then the old friends shared a laugh when they noticed the heater was on.As they continued in pursuit, Bonaunet said, “I’ll bet thatguy is getting kind of panicky.“I told him, this is not exactly a joy ride for us either, Canary said.“We were all tired out that night, he confesses, but with his refreshing sense of humor, he recalls some of the amusing incidents. 'When help had arrived and the cornfield was surrounded, waiting for the bandit toemerge, a man commented, “It’s good to have something local happen for a change.An Evansville men, hearing the bandit got away with some $2,000, remarked, “My gosh, he could have borrowed that much from Canary.“TWICE, CANARY admits, “I was really scared, but both times the good natured banker was afraid for someone else.The first time was when hewalked out of his office to see Mrs. Roenneburg, the bookkeeper, waiting on her very first customer at gunpoint! She hesitated, not knowing what to do, and Canary was afraid the bandit would become alarmed and harm her.The second time was when thebandit ran Paul off the road, and from a distance he could see his son being held at gunpoint and was afraid he might be taken as hostage. Instead Paul's keys were taken and he was unharmed.Merton Fish organized theFootville State Bank in 1910.Canary began with the bank in 1915 under J, M. Beck and has been in banking since then with the exception of the time he served in the Navy. As is often the case in small town banks, Canary is bank president and cashier. Paul, a Marquette graduate, has been assistant cashier for the past two years.The way his face lights uo when he speaks of “Marie, (Mrs. Canary, his wife of 32 years) is priceless.“I tell folks that our marriage is what caused the downward spiral of the Depression, hejokes. “It was on that day, May 10, that it started going upward.The couple met when Mrs. Canary, then with the Pet Milk jComoanv in Madison, came to the Footville branch to break ina new secretary.IN REFLECTING about Depression days he says the state, governor and banking review board set up a banking holiday in which depositors could only withdraw 15 or 20 per cent of their deposits. The remainder was allowed to be withdrawn over a neriod of several years. “This, he said, “is what saved the small banks.A Rock County farmer says Canary’s faith in him during the Depression saved his farm.Besides Paul, a daughter. Mrs. Mary Jane Patsch, is with the county Welfare Department in Janesville. Her husband is with the Janesville school system.Canary, who Is active in local and c’vic affairs, was recently elected as president of Margaret of Janesville, an apparel firm which is soon to relocate in Footville.Praises continue to pour in. Chicago banks have called, a Janesville woman taped an out-of - town newscast commendingtheir efforts and Paul received a communication from a friend who had seen the story in toe “Stars and Strioes in Germany.An Evansville attorney perhaps gave the best summation of the event when he said, “When folks used to ask us where Evansville was, we wouldsav near Madison. Now we say it is close to Footville!
Newspaper Details
Janesville Daily Gazette
Janesville, Wisconsin, US
Mon, Nov 01, 1965
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Ruth A.
NA, NA 26 Jan 2023
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