At the north end of Bay Street, the current Mardo’s has had many names, the first being the Fountain Inn. It is here we have an unsolved mystery – the safe heist of 1939. Licensee Roy Ballhausen and his family were away from the inn attending a picnic when thieves broke in. As there was no sign of forced entry through any of the doors or windows, it was assumed they used a skeleton key. Described in a local newspaper as ‘a most audacious theft’, the thieves blew up the inn’s safe, using a mattress to muffle the noise and stole its contents consisting of money and gold watches totalling £140. The thieves’ identities have never been discovered.
by pastportproject on Sept. 7, 2015
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