The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-05
ROBBERY BY MASKED MEN
The Sutter-Street Messenger
Office the Scene of a OAR
ing Crime.
MURDER BARELY PREVENTED.
Twenty-Five Dollars Secured by
Two Men, Who Easily Make
Their Escape.

Two masked men robbed the American
District Telegraph office at S33 Suffer street
early yesterday morning. and were barely
prevented from numbering the messenger
boy who was in charge.
One of the robbers had taken all the
money from the till and had raised long
dirk to stab the boy, when a signal from a
confederate outside the Office alarmed the
two men inside, and the would-be muir
derer ran away, dropping a sandbag in his
flight.
George Neice, the operator in charge of
the American District Telegraph Office at
1873 Suffer street at night, left the place at
AS o'clock yesterday morning to get his
lunch at a restaurant. He was accom-
panied by g friend named Mead. John
Monihan, messenger-bov about 20 or q
years of age, was left in charge. When
Neice and Mead passed from the door of
the office they saw three young men skulk-
ing across the street in an odd manner,
but came to the conclusion that they were
drunk, and passed on.
At $50 A. NJ. a masked man about 5 feet
inches tall entered the office and rushed
towhere Monihan was sitting, about TWEEN ty
feet from the door He placed a big re-
volver in Monihan's face and said:
Throw up your hands!'''
MOnihan saws he thought the man was
"iollving'' him, so he replied:
'"What will | throw up my hands for?''
AT this junCture a shorter masked rob-
Der rushed into the office and ran behind
the counter. He pulled out long bowie
knife and threatened Monihan. The mes
senger boy submitted quietly when con-
fronted by both revolver and dagger and
average size of messenger boys, took So 10
from MOnihan's pockets. He then said:
where's the rest of the dough around
here?"
"There isn't any more. The operator
Just left and took it with him." replied
Monihan.
None Of that old talk. I know better, "
said the robber.
He then began pulling out the different
drawers in the Office, the larger robber
keeping his revolver pointed at Mcmillan
all the time. Finally the robber found the
right drawer. He pulled it out and
emptied the contents, so, the day
receipts, into his pocket.
"Ain't there any more dough around
here?" he then asked.
Nav replied the messenger, who be-
gan to get quite independent. His actions
did not not please the robbers and the
larger one said: Turn around this way
toward me"
Monihan realized what was in the rob
ber's mind and he refused to turn. He
believed the shorter man intended to stab
him in the back. His belief proved to be
well founded, as the larger man said to the
one with the dagger, ''Give it to him any
way"
The shorter man raised his knife and
was about to stab the messenger bow when
some. taps on the sidewalk were heard At
J 1
the man dropped his uplifted knife and
ran out of the office, together with the lar
ger man.
Mcmillan ran to the door and saw the
two men running along Suffer to Leaven-
worth street. He followed them and
chased them as far as the corner Of Leaven-
worth and Post streets, where he lost sight
of them. Monihan was yelling for the
police all the time.
Several police appeared quickly, but the
robbers had escaped. a search of the
neighborhood resulted in finding one mask
on Leavenworth street, another in front OF
the messen ger-office, and inside the Office
a stocking filed with sand.
The masks were long white linen ones,
and had evidently been cut from old linen
busters Both had holes cut for the eyes
They were about one and a half feet LONG
and about as wide, having been made to
cover the front of the body.
Suspicion has been directed against some
ex-messenger boys, who form part of q
gang known as 1.-THE Dirty Dozen" and
are hardened characters. They evidently
were DESTROYS of emulating the Stage muir
derers and train-robbers, and were GER
tainly more successful, except in killing
their victim.
Detective Cody was detailed to work up
the case. Two men were arrested on How
ard street yesterday on suspicion, but
N1.arr a0+
the crime. They are old crooks, and it is
believed that the robbery was committed
by persons who are quite familiar with the
telegraph Office.