25 Years Ago Five Men Apprehended Following Armed Robbery Of Bank—Five Baltimore City men are in custody following the armed robbery of the Farmers and Mechanics National Bank office at 18 North Main Street in Union Bridge. The men, armed with rifles and handguns, entered the Bank on Friday, Dec. 8 at 6:46 p.m. Three of the men held three patrons and three tellers at gun point as the other two men emptied the cash drawers of a large sum of money. All five robbers then fled out the front door and sped away in a waiting car. A silent alarm alerted Maryland State Troopers at the Westminster Barrack who responded to the bank and then flashed a lookout for the wanted vehicle. A few minutes later, Westminster City Policeman John Bellow spotted the car and took up pursuit on State Route 31. Another city police car and State Trooper Hugh McCormick joined in the pursuit. The wanted car went North on Route 31 and then East on State Route 97 and proceeded to the intersection on Englar Road and U.S. Route 140 where the traffic light was red. The getaway car then attempted to pass the stopped cars on the right, sideswiping two of them and then bounced off a third car which was coming through the intersection and finally came to a stop when it hit a fourth car head on. The Carroll Record, December 21, 1972.

50 Years Ago CITY MENTIONED FOR HOSPITAL- 20 County Physicians Back Unit For Maternity Hospital, Accident Room And Health Center. The Hospital survey and Plan for the State of Maryland made under the State Planning Commission, was discussed at a meeting held at Rosewood, Owings Mills, on Monday afternoon and called by the Baltimore County Medical Association. The "Baltimore Area," as defined by the Survey, included Baltimore, Harford, Howard, Anne Arundel and Carroll counties, and representatives from these counties attended the meeting. Dr. R. S. McVaugh, president of the Carroll County Medical Association, had appointed Dr. C. O. Billingslea to represent this county and Dr. Billingslea reports that members of the Baltimore County Hospital Committee also attended. An important part of the report of the survey of interest locally is the conclusion, which reads as follows" "Carroll County has need for a general hospital. It should be located at Westminster, which is the county seat, and is located at the approximate center of the county. On the basis of United States Public Health Service standards for rural areas, there is a need for a 100 bed general hospital. It is recommended that a hospital of at least 50 bed capacity be established in Carroll county." Democratic Advocate, December 19, 1947.

75 Years Ago DOES PROHIBITION PROHIBIT!—The United States has now been subject to constitutional prohibition for nearly three years. During that time there has been more drunkenness, more deaths from alcoholism, more theft, more robbery, more murders and other heinous crimes, than ever transposed in the history of the United States during a similar period prior to the enactment of the Eighteenth Amendment. Young men and boys who were never seen at a saloon during the old wet regime now get gloriously hilarious on home brew home-made wines and last, but not least, hard cider. During the apple season of 1922, one small cider mill in the "Barrens," has manufactured nearly 1000 barrels of cider. Do the Barrenite pickles and souse need this much vinegar? If so, then the majority of us will be tolerably well soused. Democratic Advocate, December 15, 1922.