The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-19

men. very much regret that there was
not revolver ON hand. / can assure you
that had there been we would have been in
a much different position from the one we
are in now. / was not in the least bit
nervous and felt as cool as | do this mo-
ment. BY George, it's too bad hadn't
gum" said Mr.. Hopkins. with a grieved
expression, but it was perhaps better for
him that he was without that variety of
weapon.
~ could not describe the men with any
accuracy" he continued, "as they were
too we'll masked and it was all done so
rapidly. Further than the fact that the
man who burned me withPo wder was about
my size and wore long coat | am unable
to give descriptions. The masks of all
three of them came down below the collar
and implicitly covered up the neck and
breast. saw very little of the third man.
He appeared 10 be busy watching the front
door, having pulled down the curtain after
jamming in the screw to keep it tightly
closed. I do not think he got inside the.
railing at ALL unless it was when l was in
the vault. Perhaps he came in at the door
near the end of the counter leading down
from the right, but If he did | was not
aware of it."
That was about all that Cashier Hopkins
had to say regarding the affair, and the
hookkeeper bore him out in SO much as he
saw. The episode of the vault was sub
Stantiated, but neither of the men had
much time to see anything.
There is no foundation to the statement
that all three of the men got into the ele-
vator and forced the boy, Froyd Curry, to
take them to the top floor, where they
escaped into Stevenson street by the aid
of ropes previously fixed for the OCCASION
Curry was in the basement at the time
the shot was fired, and says he heard the
report, but thought it was the failing of a
letter press or some heavy piece of ma
chinery or Office furniture. A close ex.
animation of the fire escape was made
from the top story, and accumulated dust
remained undisturbed on each rung
There is no reason to believe the men es-
capped by that route, at least from the evil
| dence secured after very careful research.
Crowds of curious people hung around
the bank entrance all day, and the cashier
was the subject of much congratulation on
his narrow escape from death both by
pistol shot and suffocatlon in the vault.
The following statements were made to
Detective Seymour few minutes after the
robbery was reported at police head
quarters:
VS.. HOPKINS, cashier, said: "This morning
about 10 O'Clock while was standing beside
desk, near the vault, turned my head and
Immediately after turning my head a fellow
poked pistol at me and said, Hands up
The bookkeeper had his hands up already.
zone OF the fellows jumped over the counter
and fred off his pistol The man in the lead
who fired off the pistol was about feet
and cark clothes, black mask lied around his
face, covering his nose and mouth.
CATER he fired the shot told him not to act
so foolish The other two men then came up
and forced me into the vault, and l said,
That's all right knew the vault could not
be locked as the custom is to keep the bars
thrown out, so the vault cannot be barred.
"They worked quite while, and l guess we
were IN the vault g bout three minutes, and as
soon as the men got out OF the bank we gave
the alarm.
1.-The elevator-man was in the basement and
the janitor was on the fifth floor. l grabbed
my pistol and ran right out. 1t not two
or three minutes after 10 when this happened.
l think the last man who had come in had
pulled down the curtains and closed the door.
81 cannot tell how much is taken. 1 do not
think ii will be great deal. l unlocked the
vault door this morning. There is some money
in the vault. 1 can't say whether they got
money or not out OF the vault. l can't say
until have private talk with Hayshurst
"The most peculiar feature OF the matter is
| that TWO little coin trays usually ON the coun-
ter find now In the safe, which to me
is very strange thing. The Bank of Califor-
MIA is our correspondent. We were formerly
in Kfngsburg, Fresno County. l cannot.give
description of the other men. The skin of No.
! looked brown, as though in the sun O great
deal"
j. F. Hayshurst accountant, said "Mr.
Hopkins and myself opened the bank at 9
O'Clock. \ few minutes before 10 o'clock three
masked men came running in the bank and
leveled their revolvers at US. They hollered
for me to hold up my hands. I did not obey
the first command, and a the second command
saw that could not get at my pistol, 1t being
on the counter, so did as they demanded.
zone of the men jumped through the window
OF the paying teller's desk and commanded
the cashier to throw up his hands. He did not
| comply until the third command. Before the
third command the man fired shot over
| him. Then the men forced US both into the
| vault.
eve always keep the bars thrown out so that
| the vault cannot De barred. While we were
| in there they talked about killing. They were
| in the bank three or four minutes after we
were in the vault, and soon as we heard the
door close we gave the alarm"
At this point President Lillis sent Hay
| hurst off on message, and the balance of
| his statement could not be taken.