Barry Bradley’s Old Newspaper Clippings

Throughout his career in the Force (1960 – 1995), Veteran Barry Bradley developed a newspaper scrapebook containing notable news stories about the RCMP in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.

Each week, we will post three of these old newspaper clippings for the interest of Veterans and their families. This week’s webpage includes three newspaper articles from 1965 and relates to RCMP members and one RCMP Veteran.

Suit Dismissed: Court Defends Police Car Speed

(1964) – NEW WESTMINSTER – County court Judge Bruce Fraser has upheld the right of a police vehicle to answer an emergency at a high rate of speed.

The judge dismissed an action brought by a Burnaby man on behalf of his son against an RCMP constable answering a bank holdup alarm.

Harold John Sinclair, of 7537 – 17th Avenue, sought $1,233 special damages and his son, Barry Farrell Sinclair, 17, general damages, as a result of a collision between Sinclair’s car and a police care at Kingsway and Sperling Nov. 15 1962.

CALL FALSE ALARM

The police car, driven by Const. Robert John Siddle was on its way to Kingsway and McKay in answer to a call that armed men had been seen entering the Royal Bank of Canada branch. The call was false alarm.

Young Sinclair, 16 at the time, was driving his father’s car, making a left turn off Sperling on to Kingsway with the green light when the police vehicle hit him.

Evidence at the trial estimated Const. Siddle’s speed at between 50 and 60 miles an hour as she approached the intersection and at about 35 miles an hour when he entered it on the left hand side of the road to get around westbound cars waiting for the red light to change.

EXTREME URGENCY

Judge Fraser said the police vehicle was responding to a call of extreme urgency, its siren was being sounded audibly and the speed it entered the intersection, with regard to all circumstances, was reasonable.

The judge dismissed the action and found for the defendant policeman, awarding him $500 for personal injuries.

Verdict Frees Wasylenchuk On Murder-Holdup Charges

Photograph of the Seattle First National Bank that was robbed in 1954.

(April 1964) – SEATTLE – John Wasylenchuk, of Burnaby, B.C. was acquitted Saturday on charges of first degree murder and the armed robbery of a north Seattle bank in 1954.

Wasylenchuk a former convict on parole, was extradited to the United States earlier this year despite protests that were brought up in the House of Commons.

The U.S. federal court jury returned a verdict of not guilty almost 24 hours after it had retired to deliberate.

Wasylenchuk told the jury of five men and seven women he ‘would do everything in my power to show the people of the United States and Canada that I will make good.’

Wasylenchuk parted the back of his court appointed attorney, Eric Horswill, as the verdict was read by Mrs. Lois Stolson, clerk of the court.

Judge William Lindberg then asked each if he concurred in the verdict. Each said yes.

The jury in effect, had to decide whether it believed the testimony of a former RCMP officer or an ex-convict.

RCMP SERGEANT

Ernest Clegg Nuttall, 63, retired RCMP sergeant (Reg.#10325), had testified by deposition he visited Wasylenchuk at his Burnaby home on the day of the bank robbery.

Horswill said after the verdict that Nuttall had provided the backbone for the defence case.

Irvin Lester Teague testified for the prosecution that Wasylenchuk had told him he participated in the holdup during a talk when the two men were cellmates at British Columbia Penitentiary in New Westminster in 1955.

POLICEMAN KILLED

Photograph of police officer Frank Hardy

Seattle police patrolman Frank Hardy, 31, was fatally shot during the holdup. Two fellow officers were wounded and three bandits escaped with $7,000.

The prosecution had demanded the death penalty.

Special Prosecutor Brock Adams told the jury Nuttall had only seen Wasslenchuk three times in his life.

Defence counsel Horswill said witnesses who had identified Wasylenchuk as participating in the bank holdup had seen his picture in the newspaper.

Nuttall was told by The Sun at his North Vancouver home of the acquittal verdict.

“Good, wonderful.” he explained.

I’M VINDICATED

“It vindicates the stand I too,” said Nuttal who was too ill to leave his home at 1456 Forbes to attend the trial in person.

Nuttall, 63, said he fond Wasylenchuk at home in Burnaby within an hour of the time the robbery took place.

Wasylenchuck returned to Burnaby saturday afternoon.

He now reverts to his former status of an ex-convict on parole.

NOTE: A more recent Seattle newspaper article (November 28, 1993) provides a different perspective on this murder trial – Police Protected Robber Says Book – check out this article here

ALSEEP IN CAR: POLICEMAN NOT GUILTY, COURT RULES

(Setp. 17, 1965 – The Vancouver Sun) – A Vancouver Island RCMP officer was acquitted Thursday of an impaired driving charge.

In dismissing the charge against Constable James Herbert Blake, Magistrate James Bartman found the officer’s testimony had raised reasonable doubt.
Blake, a member of the Courtenay detachment, was arrested early July 27 after begin found asleep in his parked care near Second Beach in Stanley Park.

The officer, who pleaded not guilty, said during his trial he had no intention of driving the vehicle.

Blake admitted having four drinks during the evening but said he began to feel sick while eating a hamburger in the park. H said he then a banded any thoughts of driving, and went to sleep.

“I am deeply perplexed with this decision,” said Magistrate Bartman.

“It could be asked why the accused left the keys in the ignition and why he was impaired if he had as he testified consumed his last driver several hours earlier.

“I find the caused has raised a reasonable doubt with his testimony. Case dismissed.

Four Municipalities Keep Their “Eyes” On Speeders

1964 – Photograph of New Radar Gear used by Burnaby police to trap speeding motorists is hooked to window of police car and resembles a spotlight. Police park at side of road to check cars and can give chase if necessary without leaving equipment behind (Source of photo – The Vancouver Sun newspaper)

The Eye is a dead-eye.

Out of 650 vehicles checked by the Eye in Burnaby in four-day period, 458 were found to be speeding, and the divers were charged.

Four municipalities, Burnaby, Richmond, North Vancouver and Port Moody, now have their own Eyes.

The Eye, which looks like a spotlight is a radar set that can be attached to a police car.

One policeman can now clock the speeder and then catch him.  Old radar sets required at least two officer, one to operate the set and another to drive the pickup car.

Municipalities with The Eye say they are using it in high accident toll areas.

In Port Moody, the Eye is installed in the rear window of a police car.

Burnaby police sometimes hang it on a window, sometimes put it on the side of the car, and occasionally hang it on a telephone pole.

1964 – Interior of policed car is cluttered with radar apparatus and two-way telephone. Burnaby police recently checked 658 motorists and charged 458 with speeding in a four-day period. Richmond, New Westminster and Port Moody police use similar equipment (Source of photo – The Vancouver Sun newspaper).