The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-18
Make a Raid on a West
Exchange St. Saloon.
Hold Up of the Proprietor and
Two Friends With Pistols.
Rob Money Drawer, Take Watches
and Disappear in Darkness.

Two men wearing masks and overalls
went into A. II. Posner's saloon, known
as the Waldorf, a, the corner OF West
Exchange and Mathewson streets, vt mid
night last night. MIR. Posner was In the
saloon at the time and was preparing to
close mp for the night. He looked up as
the men entered and said, "Hello, boys,
having q good timer" He thought they
were merry masqueraders on their way
home from q dance. He changed his
opinion mighty quick, however, when
the men pulled two revolvers each ana
said:
Islands Upl"
The order was obeyed and then one of
the robbers went to the money drawer
aud appropriated its contents of S33.
Meanwhile mis- partner kept the terrified
inmates covered with his weapons and
they stood almost psralyzed with fear.
II was a strange scene to be enacted al
most in the heart OF the city and throws
many of the western tales OF lawlessness
into the shade. One -obber stood q short
distance from the back entrance with bis
revolver covering Mr.. Posner and q man
who had been playing cards with MIN.
The other robber was almost in the GEN.
ter of the saloon and the cleaning bar
rels of his weapons were leveIed directly
at three men staining in the corner. All
had their hands up.
One of the robbers went through the
pockets of his victims and took two
watches and the chains. When they had
secured all the things of value the two
men backed out of the saloon ana disap-
peared. No trace of them has been found
since they went through the door. The
strange and daring work was done
| quickly and 1t was but a few moments
from the time the robbery was committed
| that the police were on the scene. They
began vigorous search for the men but
they had to acknowledge defeat. They
had disa ppesred, e effectuslly as though the
ground had swallowed them up
A watchman in the railroad yard re.
ported that he had seen two men running
up West Exchange street ABOUT midnight.
With this exception the place was de-
serted and the police are .of the opinion
| that the running men were the despera-
| does.
There was never anything like this rob-
berry committed in this city before and
| its startling nature Is hardly compre-
hended by the police. 1t seems to them
almost incredible that two men could
I do such job and get completely away.
1t is almost parslyziug to them and they
would give n good deal to lay their hands
on the midnight msrauders.
"Tne robbers apparently understood
the seriousness of their work for in the
search of the men iu the saloon the man
with the Ieveled revolvers said TO bis psi {:
"Hurry up, our lives are at stake" Pos
ner's big saloon has two entrances. One
is on the corner Of West Exchange ana
Mathe ewson streets and the other is at
the end of the building on Mathewson
street. The robbers entered by the Math-
ewson street door directly in front of
Mr.. Possner who was playing pinocble
with joint. t.ssson who lives at Al Mathew
son street. On the able in front Of them
was S1.5O in change which had been re-
ceived for several games Of pool. This
money was left on tho table after the
robber quit the premites. The amount
was considered too small to bother with.
After the mon came into the saloon one
Of them walked quickly into the center
while the other msintained his position
in front Of the deer lie never left this
spot while bis confederate was getting
tie product of their incredibly daring
undertaking.
No one who has not been placed in such
n predica mont can understand the
emotions of q man looking at the black
hole Of pistol that he understands very
we'll will send him to his final account ii
he makes the least show OF resistance. 1t
isn't time for considering much OF any
thing but self preservation ana the order
"hands up' is capable Of only one mean
ing. Even the widest terror will
acknowledge that command, and when
the danger is past the victim stands be
mum bed with fear Of death. That was th,
condition Of the men in the Waldorf last
night. 1t is an experience that will re
main with them wildly SO long as they
live.
After the till had been emptied thu
searching robber took MIR. Posner's 80
watch ana then Mr.. Lassen was examined
lie had q watch In On inside pocket whici
the robher overlooked. One OF the atten
dapts Ia the saloon gave up his watch
when this was Done the fellow coolll
took up his revolver sgsin, the men wer
ordered to turn their backs and the des
peradoes went out into the night.
Mr.. Posncr ~ soon as he could collec
his senses telephoned TO the Central Polio
station ana on the arrival Of the officer
told the strange story. lie said the rob
bers had on common yellow masks, an,