The Saint Paul globe., 1897-06-07
Mr.. AND MRS. LOUIS TAUBER
TRIED TO KILL THE HUS-
BAND
MIDNIGHT ROBBERY
Street-A Charles Street Couples
Exciting Adventure.

vile, was HSiu up Dy lone highway
man at Avon street and Sherburne
avenue, at 1 O'Clock yesterday morn
ing. and robbed of SO in cash, after
desperate hand-to-hand encounter. dur
which the footpad four times pointed
his revolver at his victims head ana
pulled the trigger. That Mr. Tauber
was not murdered before the eyes of
his wife was due TO the fact that the
thugs revolver missed fire three times.
The fourth fall of the hammer sent the
bullet whiZzing through Mr.. Tauber's S
hat, but he had spoiled the aim of the
highwayman by closing in upon him
just as the shot was fired. In the
struggle which followed, the thug
firally sent his victim senseiess To the
ground with blow upon the back
Of the neck from the butt of his re-
volver. Hurriedly securing the money
from Mr.. Tauber's pockets the high
Wayman sought escape in flight, but
in the meantime the prcstrate man had
recovered from the effects of the blow
and chased his assailant five blocks,
finally losing sight of him as he dashed
across the old base ball park at St
Albans street and Aurora avenue. At
8 o'clock last evening Detectives Daily
and Sweeney arrested T. J. Mullen,
young man living in Minneapolis, or
suspicion, and later Mr. Tauber ident1-
fed him as his assailant Mullen was
then formally charged with highway
robbery and will be arraigned in thN
police court today.
The hold-up took place while Mr.. and
Mrs Tauber were on their way home.
Mrs. Tauber had been down town
shopping and knowing that her hus-
band would be detained at his place
Of business 323 East Seventh street,
quite late On account Of it being Sat-
urday night, decided to wait and ac-
company him home. The couple left
the store shortly after II o'clock. and
after making several small purchases
Of fruit, started for Ninth and Waba-
sha streets to take an Interurban car.
In their leisure it was nearly l o'clock
when they bearded the car, each with
an armful Of bundles. Mr.. and Mrs.
Tauber alighted at Avon street, and
though in an outlying district had no
fear, as they are accustomed to getting
home late and had never before been
mClested. AS they walked down Avon
street Mrs. Tauber was some distance
,
stopped to arrange the bundles which
he was carrying. On looking toward
University avenue Mr.. Tauber saw
three men standing in front of the
brick building formerly used as a
school house, but thought nothing OF
their presence.
Following his wife Mr. Tauber soon
gained her side and the couple pro-
ceeded down the narrow walk until
near the corner of Sherburne avenue,
when they heard some one approaching
kurTiedly from the opposite direction.
When in the light of the corner street
lamp man passed Mrs. Tauber hum
ming a light tune to himself and aE-
parent1y on his way to University av-
enue to catch a car. While Tauber
stopped to let the man pass his wife
again went on a few feet ahead of him
hut waited, and both crossed the street
diagonally to cut through a vacant
lot to the rear entrance of their house.
While in the street they heard some
one running toward them from the di-
rection taken by the man who had
just passed, and as Mrs. Tauber started
across the lot she heard the command
for her husband to throw up his hands
Looking back she saw the shining bar
rel of a revolver thrust in her hus-
bands face by the man Who had
passed them on the opposite side of the
street, and dropping her packages she
ran screaming for help toward the
home of a neighbor.
Throw up your hands, Louis" Or
dered the thug again to Mr.. Tauber,
land give me what you've got quick.
Mr.. Tauber's astonishment was 50
complete that he failed to comply with
the demand of the highwayman, and
without any further parIey the fellow
began swapping the trigger Of his re-
volver upon the cartridges, which failed
to explode. Realizing that the high
wayman had a faulty weapon, Mr.
Tauber determined to give him battle
and sprang toward the man as he again
snapped the trigger. knowing by the
binding flash of the pistol, as the bull
let from the last shot knocked his hat
from his head, that his life was az
stake, Mr.. Tauber grappled with the
thug and tried to get possession of the
pistol. Backward and forward the
struggling figures swayed until the
middle of the street was reached, when
the footpad, alarmed by the continu-
ing cries of Mrs Tauber, who had sue
ceeded in entering her home and was
loudly calling for help from an up
stairs window, dealt his victim blow
with the revolver. Intent upon some
reward for his reckless work. the thief
searched Mr.. Tauber's pockets while ne
lay in the street, and getting the SO
ing his feet Mr.. Tauber pursued the
man five blocks to the ball park, not
withstanding that the pursued repeat
edly turned and attempted to fire his
revolver. When the thief lodged into
the park Mr.. Tauber gave up the chase.
as he feared the man might lie in hid
ing and reload his weapon, in which
event his unexpected discovery by an
unarmed man was too dangerous u
hazard
Mr.. Tauber found a policeman to
whom he related his experience, but the
officer did not consider it worth while
searching the ball park for the thug.
and accompanied Tauber back home.
where Mrs Tauber was found in
state of nervous prostration induced by
the fear that her husband had been
killed
The fact that the footpad called Mr.
Tauber by name when ordering him to
throw up his hands is said by Mrs
Tauber to be due to the fact that
just before the man passed the couple
on the sidewalk she turned to her hus-
band with a request to hurry, and call
ed his first name. Mr. Tauber, how
ever, thinks the man knew his name
as he claims to have seen Mullen many
times, though not acquainted with him
personally. Mr.. Tauber positively iden-
titles Mullen as the highwayman even
to his clothes, though white silk
handkerchief which he wore over the
lower portion of his face is not now
in his possession. A scratch on Null
lens nose he thinks was received dur
ing the struggle, as he says he remem-
hers grabbing at his 0SSaiIant,S