Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-19
Cleric Kills Bank Bandit
After Staying of rooper

JEfFERSONV1GG 1nQ., MAR.
10 (P.-A fleeing bank robber
killed veteran State police off,
GER at a roadblock yesterday and
then died in a gun duel with the
officers friend, Methodist min
lister.
Sergt. Marvin E. Waits, 40. a
veteran of 10 years service with
the State police, was killed by a
bullet that entered his forehead.
while William Hassett, 25. of
Louisville, was dropped by two
shotgun charges fired by the
minister through the rear WIN
dow of the troopers car.
The Rev. Robert Gingery, 81.
minister of Trinity Methodist
Church in nearby New Albany,
gave this account of the incident.
although he was in a near state
of shock:
He and Sergt. Waits were re-
turning from looking at fishing
sites in the area of SellerSburg.
a community north of here, when
the State police radio broadcast
the news that the Sellersburg
State Bank had been robbed of
1855 by a gunman. Although
it was his day off. Sergt. Waits
was directed to a roadblock 4
miles north of here and Mr.. Gin
gerry accompanied him.
Stopped for Routine Checkup
Hassett. stopped by Sergt.
Waits, got out of his 1947 car
and said: II hope this thing
won't take too long"
The trooper searched Hassett
and found nothing significant,
but when he looked in the car.
he spotted a brown leather
jacket, a key item in the de-
scription of the bank robber
I've got a suspect here that
answers the description" Sergt.
Waits radioed his post. Give me
that description again"
Mr.. Gingery said that Sergt.
Waits then returned to the BAN
dts car with the suspect.
II could see Waits bending
down as if looking under the
front seat" Mr.. Gingery said
Then l saw the man jerking
around in the seat as if he was
after something. I could see
them scuffling and I heard some
shots. I didn't see Waits after
the shooting, but the other man
got out of the car and ram
around to the other side.
Safety Catch on Gun
"Then I saw him crossing the
road toward me with a gun. :"
Mr.. Gingery said he then
picked up the pump-action riot
gun from the police car seat and
leveled it out the side window
toward the gunman.
He saw it and ducked." Mr.. |
Gingery said. He ran around
behind the car. It's a good thing |
he did. l tried the trigger, but
nothing happened. Then Il
thought of the safety.
Il saw him through the rear
window pointing at me. Hel
fired a shot and bullet whizzed |
past me. 1 pointed the gun at
the window ana pulled the trig-
ger. Then l grabbed the thing
(the pumping lever and pulled
the trigger again"
The charges caught Hassett in
the side and midsection. killing
him instantly.
This is the Rev. Gingery."
the minister radioed the police
post. Marvin has been shot. I
have killed the bank robber. I'm
sure Marvin is dead"
Friends Are Shocked
State police said all put s4 of
the loot was recovered from
under the front seat of Hassett's
car and that two women tellers
of the bank identified the young |
man as the gunman.
Benjamin Hassett. father of
the gunman, broke into tears
when contacted by newsmen at
his home at Union City, Pa Mr..
Hassett. retired General Elec-
trio Co. employe. said his son
had been married, but was sepa-
rated from his wife. believed
living in Buffalo, ~ Y.
Until two weeks ago the
younger Hassett worked in the
General Electric appliance plant
at Louisville. His fellow en-
ployes and persons who lived
with him in a rooming house
said he was we'll liked and were
incredulous when told of the
incident.
Sergt. Waits. married and the
father of teen-age son, would
have been eligible for retirement
in September
Mr.. Gingery, a graduate of