It was Halloween night when he decided to strike, which, as I'm sure you'll agree, made for the

perfect backdrop for a bloody crime.

But before I get ahead of myself here, let me assure you that there was no one hurt in the

making of this news story.

But as the old adage goes, if it bleeds, it leads.

And this was certainly true from the robbery at the Spokane Blood Bank. Now, at the time,

blood bank robberies weren't actually unheard of. They often had cash on hand and very minimal

security. The papers reported that on the night of October 31st of 1957, a man stepped through the

Spokane Blood Bank's doorway and approached Billy Evelyn Miller, the only medical technician

on duty.

He saw her and she saw him.

The man then calmly produced a pistol.

This wasn't a typical bank robbery, though.

He wasn't there after some quick cash.

No, he was there to find

something far more valuable to him, human blood. In his steady voice, he asked for five units

of typo-negative and four sets of transfusion equipment. Based on the words he used,

Billy Evelyn thought that he must have had a higher degree of medical understanding than

your average run-of-the-mill

thief. He was also polite, and, in her words, very calm and sweet, telling her,

I won't hurt you, my dear. Just don't be frightened, do what I tell you. And although he was

brandishing a gun, he was careful not to aim it at Billy Evelyn. So she obliged, handing the items over.

...