75 years ago: Armed taxi bandits nabbed 26 minutes after Christmas week holdup

On Tuesday, Dec. 21, 1948, an employee and two customers at Hille’s service station in O’Fallon were the victims of a Christmas week holdup by armed taxi bandits.

Here’s the story as reported by the O’Fallon Progress.

“Twenty-six minutes after two taxi-riding St. Louis bandits staged a daring holdup at the point of a gun at the Milton Hillesheim 24-hour service filling station in this city, they were in police custody at East St. Louis.

“The robbery occurred Tuesday morning at 1:28 o’clock and were nabbed at 1:54 a.m.

“Under arrest were Joseph Tucker, who gave an address in the 5000 block of Delmar boulevard, and Lee Asher, 5219 Enright avenue.

“They were captured at 1:54 o’clock at St. Clair and Seventh street by Sgt. Fred Theriac and Patrolman Jack Lewis after a 13-block chase in a scout car.

“An automatic pistol was stuck under the front seat.

“The police used force in subduing Tucker. He was treated at St. Mary’s Hospital for head injuries.

“Joseph C. Koser, a Black and White cab driver, told police that he was forced by the two holdup men to accompany them while they robbed the Toddle House restaurant in St. Louis where $48 was taken.

“The taxi driver was then directed to drive across the river and then to this city where he was ordered to stop at the Hillesheim station for gas.

“Jack Hemmer, night man at the station was ordered to ‘fill ‘er up’ and when payment was to be made one of the bandits drew a gun and took $82.50 of the station’s money and $9 belonging to Hemmer.

“Harold Alexander, of Carbon Station, who was at the station at the time, was relieved of his billfold containing $25.

“Just about that time John Tarvin, of Lebanon drove up for gas and the bandits took $17 from him.

“After tearing the telephone from the wall the pistol-packing bandit jumped into the taxi and it sped west. While the holdup was under way the other bandit remained in the cab to guard the driver.

“Tarvin and Alexander took after the fleeing cab but gave up the chase at the junction of U.S. 50 and 159 when they were outdistanced.

“Tarvin telephoned state police from the Blue Bonnet Tavern, giving a description of the taxi and the holdup men. The information was radioed from state police headquarters and the message was picked up by the East St. Louis squad cars.

“State police, starting from headquarters were in time to see the cab speed by and gave chase. East St. Louis police overtook the fleeing bandits and after a 13-block chase forced them to the curb.

“Koser, the driver was not in the taxi when the two were arrested. He was later found by Illinois highway police in a field on the outskirts of East St. Louis.

“He told police ‘when the bandits left after the service station robbery I tried to ditch the cab, but Tucker threatened to shoot me. The other man talked him out of it but they got into a scuffle and the gun went off. Then they tied my hands with my belt and pushed me out of my cab.’”

Milton Hillesheim’s gas station, called Hille’s, was located at 406 W. Highway 50 where Gator’s Frozen Custard is today.

75 years ago, Dec. 23, 1948

An automobile, driven by Ray Meyer, of Frank’s Hotel, ran off the pavement on the State Street cut-off at 2:30 a.m. Sunday and landed on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad tracks, about 50 feet west of the water tank crossing.

The automobile damaged a switch signal light standard and straddled the double tracks in such a manner that it had to be removed by a wrecker before the railroad traffic could move.

A Greyhound bus driver, who passed the scene at the time of the accident flagged down a west-bound freight train at the water tank while another east-bound fast Diesel passenger train was halted some distance west of the blocked tracks.

The auto was damaged about $175. Meyer was not injured.

50 years ago, Dec. 20, 1973

The lights will shine for Christmas!

The O’Fallon City Council approved Monday night a motion to turn on the city’s lighted Christmas decorations that have been left unlit due to the energy shortage.

“Illinois Power told us that the decision to turn on the lights was up to the individual city. They said there was no shortage of electrical power and that turning them on would be permissible,” said O’Fallon Mayor Gary Mackey.

The lights will be turned on tonight (Thursday) and will stay on every night until Jan. 2 when the lights will be taken down.