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New Hazelton Bank Robbery
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by Tammy Lipke
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There are many exciting tales of the settling of the North near the turn of the century. The stories of heroic deeds and hardships make us appreciate the pioneers in our area. But few of those stories are as dramatic and exciting as the armed bank robberies in New Hazelton.
The New Hazelton Union Bank often held large amounts of money, as it was responsible for the payroll of Grand Trunk Pacific Railway's hundreds of employees. It's no surprise that there was temptation during hard times. Surprising was the fact that the bank was robbed twice in only five months ...by the same group of men!
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Hundreds of men worked to build the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
(photos courtesy of the
Bulkley Valley Museum Society)
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The bank's first robbery occurred on November 12, 1913. Two of the Union Bank's employees, John McQueen, cashier, and Reay Fenton, a ledger-keeper, were closing for the evening in the back room, when they were confronted by four armed men. During the initial fight, Mr. McQueen was shot, a single round taken in the face. The robbers, assuming he was dead, forced the other to open the vault, which they proceeded to empty.
After the robbers were gone, Fenton fired shots into the air, hoping to attract some attention. Dr. H C Wrinch (for whom Hazelton's hospital is named) came immediately, and began to attend to McQueen. Amazingly, he was still alive. In the scuffle, he'd slipped just as the gun fired, causing the bullet to enter the bridge of his nose, and lodge in his upper jaw. The slip still left him with a horrible wound, but he was not in serious condition.
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