St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-01
MURDERED BY THUGS,
Three Masked Men Commit
the Deed Last Evening.
WALK BOLDLY INTO A. SAL00Ki
Knock the Keeper Down and
Kill a Bystander.
PUT THREE BULLETS IN HIM.
Shot While Trying to Escape
at the Back Door.
PUT THREE BULLETS IN HIM.
THE MURDERERS NOT CAUGHT

One of the gangs OF hlghwaymen who
have been holding high carnival in ST.
Paul for the past three months added1
murder to their list of crimes last nightsa
AT $3.50 o'clock three men with faces
masked entered the saloon of Mathiasi
Valek, at 437 Michigan street. In thel
saloon at the time the proprietor and
Joseph Herda, carpenter living at SO
Palace street. were seated at smalIJ
table discussing the street car strike. ]
AS the door opened to admit the Masked
thugs Valek caught sight of the trio, !
and, as he afterwards related
the story. became so frightened
he could not speak. One of the
robbers ordered Valek to throw up his
hands, but he was so scared that he
only put up one, and in an instant the-l
fellow struck him savage blow on the
head. knocking him senseless to the
floor. Herda, who at first thought the
performance was joke, no sooner saw
SASA AtA1 W 9LO llOOl lIldLx uG SLdTtcU.
for the rear door of the saloon. Before
he could reach the door the thieves
opened fire with their revolYers, and
three of the four shots fired struck
Herda IN the back, and he fell to
the floor. One Of the thugs went
back of the bar and grabbing about So
In silver from the money drawer. startedi
toward the rear door, AS he was about
to go out. Valek. who had partly re-
gained consciousness. struggled TO his
feet, and the robber turning around
pointed his revolver at Valek and
tred another shot. Fortunately for
Valek the thief's aim was Door
and the bullet struck the floor and
did no damage. Just at this moment
Valek's daughter. aged fifteen years,
ran down the stairs from the living
apartments of the family, and as she
opened the door leading to the saloon
she saw two of the men go out Of the
front door. Neighbors who heard the
shooting were soon on the scene, and
Patrolman Joe Davis, who had alighted
AANhi % NoA GU eslN SOl iiCl Va OCFCulu dUu
Michigan streets. hearing the shots, ran
to the saloon. By the time the officer
arrived the robbers had escaped, aud
attention was turned to Herda and
Valek. DR.. Baker, who had been sum-
moned. made a superficial examination
of Herda's wound, and found that the
bullet had entered the back just above
the right hip. Herda was removed to
the city hospital in the patrol wagon,
and word sent to his wife and children,
it being the opinion of the doctors that
the wound was fatal one.
Valek's injuries consisted of a cash
four inches long OH the left side of his
head, and, although a severe wound, it
Is not at all serious. Mrs. VaIek had
left the saloon but a minute before the
robbers entered. and before going up
stairs had spoken to her husband about
closing up early. The sound of the
shots frightened her so that she could
not move for moment. but her daugh-
ter Freda ran down stairs and caught
glimpse of one of the thugs as he ran
out tine front door. The girl says the
fellow wore brown overcoat and brown
derby hat.
Valek, seen an hour after the affair,
said two of the men wore black masks
and the other red handkerchief. Their
faces were so concealed that only their
eyes were visible. Two of the men. he
said, we're about five feet six and the
other little taller. After the man
who ordered him to throw up his hands
had sIugged him he fell to the floor, and
what transpired after that he could not
clearly tell. He heard the shots, but was
only half conscious, and could not tell
about Herda's struggle with the
thieves. He was certain the meu did
not get more than IS. as the fellow who
went behind the bar did not take ouly
the silver dollars. leaving the half
dollars, quarters and dimes untouc he'd.
Valek says since the papers have pub
lished about saloons and stores being
robbed he has been in the habit of clos
ing his saloon at 10 o'clock, and he was
only waiting until Herda went home.
when he intended to shut up.
DETECTIVES AT WORK.
Five members of the detective force
visited the place about 10 O'Clock, and,
after a consultation with Valek and
getting such description of the men as
he could give, started out to search the
saloons in the western part of the city.
Patrolman o. E. Davis. whose beat is
In the vicinity of the saloon where the
robbery and murder occurred. said he
heard the sound of the shots, and mo-
ment afterward the sound of police
and running to the scene found
Patrolman Joe Davis there. Vaclay
Picha, who keeps saloon at 3S3
Michigan street, about block from
Valek's place reported to the police
that two men came into his saloon a
short time after the shooting. The men.
he said, were strangers, both well
dressed. and seemed to be very nervous.
They did not drink, but seated them
selves at table and seemed to be read
ing the papers. One of the men, Picha
said, was small man, and had black
mustache. while the other was taller
and had no beard.
Valek told the detectives that the
three men seemed to be young men. and
the police are of the opinion that the
robbery and murder was committed by
a gang of young local toughs.
WHO HERDA Is.
Joseph Herda is a carpenter and