Author visits Mars Hill library
Friday, Nov. 12, 1971 started out as a typical day toward the end of harvest in Mars Hill, Maine, but it ended with a fire alarm and the robbery of the Northern National Bank on Main Street. The fire alarm ended up to be a false call, but $110,000 was taken from the bank. At the time, this was the largest bank robbery in the state.
The Walter T. A. Hansen Memorial Library enjoyed a visit with Ron Chase, author of “The Great Mars Hill Bank Robbery — the True Adventures of Maine’s Zaniest Criminal”. Chase found that he had a number of things in his life that were similar to Bernard Patterson — they both were born in 1947, both had trouble with school, were from a small town and were raised in a poor family. While both entered the Army, Chase was not sent to Vietnam during his service.
Chase’s interest in this story started over 40 years ago, but life was busy so the idea of writing a book about the robbery got put on the back burner. He worked for the IRS as an accountant until his retirement.
Once he began to put together the story, he spent more than a year in research and did over 40 interviews. He got copies of newspaper articles and spoke to law enforcement officials. He spoke to many folks that knew Patterson or about the robbery and came to think of the story as the adventure of a likeable underdog. Chase thought of Patterson as a real life version of Don Quixote, Butch Cassidy and Robin Hood rolled into one.
The book tells the story as close to what happened as Chase could find out through his research — although he admits there could be some things that are not quite as they happened. One of the biggest mysteries that has never been solved is who called in the false fire alarm.
Wearing dark glasses, a long coat and a blue wig, Bernard Patterson walked in and told the tellers to put all the money in a bag. He wasn’t taken seriously at first, but he soon convinced them to do as he demanded. Patterson ended up with a laundry bag and a garbage bag full of money as the bank had extra on hand due to harvest workers coming in to cash their checks.
Patterson started his escape by paddling a rubber raft down the Prestile Stream — the beginning of a comic, outrageous and implausible journey. After spending some time hiding in the woods on the back of the mountain, he eventually was able to get across the border into Canada. He motored across Europe, hoodwinked border officials, bought a camel and got lost in the North African desert.
Along the way, he lived a raucous life of wine and women, hobnobbed in aristocratic hangouts and gave money to those he perceived to be in need, all the time staying just a heartbeat ahead of officials. Patterson was finally captured on the Isle of Jersey in England seven months after the robbery.
When asked why he had committed the robbery he stated, “The VA wouldn’t give me a loan, so I decided to take one out on my own.”
Patterson was a much decorated Vietnam War hero. A tunnel rat and paratrooper, he was awarded four bronze stars for valor, but he returned home broke and disillusioned. Chase also believed that Patterson suffered from PSTD, like many returning Vietnam veterans, and was very frustrated with the government.
Following his time in prison, Patterson returned to Mars Hill. One interesting item that happened following his return was going to the bank to open an account. For some reason, they declined his request. Patterson died of a heart attack in his mid-50s.
Chase’s book is available on Amazon and at some local store, including Mars Hill Pharmacy and Merchants on the Corner in Presque Isle.
