The San Francisco call., 1896-10-04
frs I HOLO-UP
OF THE SEASON
Thomas Christian, a Car.
penter, Robbed by Two
Footpads.
They Present a Revolver at His
Head With the Usual
Command.
BOTH MEN ARRESTED LATER
They Are Novices at the Business and
Gave as Reason That They
Were Hard Up.
BOTH MEN ARRESTED LATER

The first hold-up of the season occurred
Friday night, the footpads being two
novices and the victim carpenter.
Thomas Christian lives at $50 Hermann
street. He attended meeting OF the Car
penters' and Joiners' Union Friday night
and left there shortly before 10 o'clock to
go home. He was on Hermann street,
near Buchanan, when two men stepped
out of the shadow of the houses, one tall
and the other short.
Christian was unconscious OF danger
and walked between them. just then the
taller of the two presented revolver at
his head and said: Throw up your
hands" Christian obeyed the command,
and while the one kept him covered with
the revolver the other went through his
pockets. He had only four 50-cent pieces
and silver watch. Christian told them
he was a hard-working man and he did
not think they were doing right in rob-
bing him, but the robber with the revolver
replied that times were hard and they
needed money.
Say" he said to the other robber,
give him back his ticker and slug him
just once for luck"
The watch was handed back to Chris
tian, but he was not "slugged." He was
then told to go ahead, but not to look
back, on pain OF being shot, and the two
robbers walked Up the hill.
Christian ran to saloon on the corner
and asked if any one had seen the police
man On the beat. They told him he had
passed only few minutes before, and on
Webster street, near Haight, Christian
met Policeman Fleming. He gave FEM
ing an accurate description of the two
| +knr . tla,, raI <f
them. They found them standing on top
OF the old reservoir hill in the shadow OF
big sign.
Fleming asked them a few questions.
They denied being tie robbers and said
they had been at Fort Point and were on
their way home. Christian was quiet
listener bu he thought it was time to act,
and he told Fleming that they were the
men who robbed him. Fleming placed
them under arrest and took them to the
Central police station to Captain Witt
man. Fleming saw that the taller man
Was careful as TO how he placed his hat on
a chair with his overcoat over it. He
made an investigation, and found the re-
voiver in the hat, with handkerchief
rolled around it. Two ffty-cent pieces
and a nickel were found on one and two
tifty-cent pieces and dime on the other.
They were locked up in the tanks, and
yesterday morning. after Christian had
another look at Them they were booked
for robbery.
The taller gave his name as ishop G.
Bulterheld, % years of age, painter, and
the shorter II. John Jones, 10 years of age,
peddler. Jones recently came from Los
Ange es, where he had been working in
a restaurant, and has been living with a
married sister at 1528% Market street.
ButterfieId occupied a room in the We'll
come House, Seventh and Mission streets,
They have known each other for years.
and in Buttertield's pockets were found
everal letters written bv Jones to him
while Jones was in Los Angeles. Butter
fi-ld is hard-looking character and bears
bad reputa ion.