Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-14
ATTEMPTED ROBBERY.
The Danger to Persons Who Venture In
side the Present Dives.

side the Present Dives.
A hard looking specimen of humanity,
calling himself Jack Williams. was before
the Police Court yesterday for examina-
ton on charge of attempting to rob q
man of his watch in one of the numerous
Z street dives.
Frank Ford, an employee at the Pioneer
Wood Yard, took the stand and testified
that last Saturday evening, while waiting
for a chance to get shaved, he went into
the saloon which adjoins the Western
Hotel on the west. He was considerably
intoxicated at the time. He met the pris-
oner in there, and invited him to drink.
When he started to go out Williams caught
hold of him and to drag him to the back
end of the saloon. Ford resisted, and then
Williams grabbed at Fords gold watch,
and broke the chain in trying to get it
away from him.
Ford said that he was never before so
badly scared, as he feared not only robbery,
but personal injury.
There was also charge against Williams
and man named G. w. Merriman of at
tempting to dissuade a witness, the charge
growing out of and being connected with
the above described affair.
Dick Wallace, who had been charged
with Ysgrancy, was brought in as witness
against them, and the charge against him
was dismissed He testified that be met
Merriman and Williams in the CITY Prison
the night Williams was arrested, and that
the latter asked him to write note for
him, which witness wrote at his dictation
The note was produced in Court, and read
as follows:
Tell Billy to be sure and get that party out of
the way. From WILLIAMS.
Merriman, who was there merely as q
lodger, was asked to take the note and de-
liver il to the proprietor of the saloon ad-
joining the Western Hotel. Merriman said
he would if it would not get him into
trouble, and Williams assured him it would
not.
Officer Eldred testified that he had been
informed note had been carried by some
person from the Jail to the keeper of the
saloon, and he soon found the man (Merri-
MANI, who admitted that he had delivered
a note at the saloon from Williams.
Eldred went back to the saloon, but the
man behind the bar said he thought he
had destroyed the note. Eldred saw him
fumbling in his vest pocket, and saw some
thing fail to the floor. He went behind
the bar and picked up the note.
Merriman stated to the Court that he was
totally ignorant OF the character of the
note, and was not aware that he was doing
wrong in conveying the message out of the
Jail. He was discharged.
William Chrisman, who keeps the saloon,
testified that he did not see the alleged at
tempt at robbery in his place on Saturday
evening. There was a scuffle there be-
tween Williams and another man, and
they were elected.
Witness admitted having received the
note from Williams, but swore that he did
not know what it meant.
Williams was held to answer on the
charge of attempt to commit robbery, with
bail in the sum of $1,000 The charge of
attempting to dissuade a witness was taken
under adVisement by the Court until this
morning.
The only weak point in the testimony
against Williams, in the robbery case, is
Ford's inability to swear positively that
he is the person who attempted to rob
him but there is the testimony of the pro-
prietor of the place, and also his wife, to
the effect that Williams and Ford did have
scuffle in their place, and that Ford did
at the time accuse Williams of having
ripd IN rOh him