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By DON PFANNENSTIEL(Examiner Staff Writer)Facing death through a long, thin barrel of a blue steel revolver, a rifle or any type of weapon can be more frightening than death itself.During the first nine months of this year 37 persons in Independence have been victims of armed robberies, eight less than during the same period in 1973. For six of the persons whc have recently experienced such an ordeal, it was not just momentary fright.Service stations, all-night stores, film processing stands and private residents have been robbed by persons carrying .22 caliber rifles, revolvers, 30.06 shotguns,knives or no weapon at all. Whether it’s a gun or a hand camouflaged by a coat, the experience is no less traumatic for the victim.In most instances theseriousness detected in thethief’s voice or the presence of the weapon are the factors that make the victim believe the holdup is not a hoax.Mary Womack, an employe at the Milk Jug, 11600 E. Truman Road, was recently robbed by a man who pretended to hold a gun in his pocket, but she only became frightened when she realized how scared the robber was himself.“He was very scared and that’s when I first became scared,” she said. “I didn’tknow he was serious, even though he had something in his pockets.Dorothy Salyer, owner of the Do Sal Shoppe, said the man who robbed her came in the back door as many customers do and she began talking to him as though he were any other customer.“But I was scared the moment I saw he was carrying that gun (shotgun),” she said. “He had a serious expression and I told the other lady to do whatever he said.”Most local robberies are unrehearsed and short occurrences, passing in lessTermites, Roaches, Moths, Fleas. CL 2*8247. Bell Pest Control, Inc. —Adv.than 10 minutes, but to the victim those minutes stretch to hours with thoughts of death popping up through the victim’s mind more than once.Lillian Leaton, the night manager at 7-11, 43rd and Crysler, who was the victim of two armed robberies in less than five days, actually thought her life was at stake.“During the second occurrence, I figured it was all over,” Mrs. Leaton said. “They appeared to be on something (drugs) and just the way they acted I thoughtthey’d kill me.“I thought they were onPetey Childers Prescriptions Free prompt delivery. CL 2 6131.—Adv.;drugs and the way that gun was pointed at me, I definitely thought the customer and I were going to be shot.”Leonard Spicer, assistant manager of Quik Trip, 2400 R. D. Mize Road, said, “I just figured he would shoot both of us and not even realize it.” Harry Beversten, an elderly man and a service station attendant at Wild Woody’s Fina, 4243 S. Noland, was worried about getting “knocked in the head.”“One of them came in and then the other followed with a gun,” he said. “I only got frightened when they tied me up. They used a yellow extension cord, but they sure weren’t cowboys — I got loosein 10 minutes.Thelma Alumbaugh an employe at the Do Sal Shoppe and also working when the store was robbed recently, said after being tied up she thought she’d be shot.“I thought he’d take her (Mrs. Alumbaugh) with him,” Mrs. Salyer said. “He jerked the phones out and tied us up with an old extension cord. It seemed he was here three or four days. I thought he would never leave. He told us ‘One wrong move and you’re dead,' which impressed us because of the way he said ‘dead.’ ”Most holdup victims escape the ordeal without serious emotional or physical injury, but instilled in the victim is alittle extra apprehensiveness.“Yes, I’m still scared,” said Mrs. Margot Osborne, cashier at the 23rd Street Milk Jug, which was robbed recently by two youngsters barely 17 years old. “I read so much about these things. How is a person supposed to know? I used to live in Germany and I went through a war, but I was never so scared as that night.”Being a robbery victim causes a short term, if not lasting, effect of suspicion of customers. Spicer said “When it’s slow, especially after 11:30 p.m., I’m stilldefinitely scared.”“I was scared to stay home,” Mrs. Alumbaugh(See Page 2)
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Independence Examiner
Independence, Missouri, US
Mon, Oct 28, 1974
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