The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-09
A Bold Robbery
in the Old
Louvre.
Over $4,000 in Notes and
Stock Taken Before the
Eyes Of the Pro-
prietOrS.

n NE of the most daring robberies ever
l 1 committed in this city was reported
Saturday night about half-past II.
- In the annals of crime are plenty OF
Instances where the eighth commandment
has been broken under shelter OF dark
ness and in seclusion, but it seldom trans
pires that a thief will coolly and with evil
dent reconciliation open a safe, extract
its contents and carry his spoils to his
lair almost in lie immediate presence OF
those who are his victims.
The robbery took place in the Old
Louvre Cafe under the Phelan build
ing. Its execution IS a matter OF surprise
to all parties concerned, and those who
were in the cafe Saturday evening are
trying to explain to their friends why
they did not detect the guilty party al
most in the very act. The thief stepped
into the telephone box adjoining the din
ing room. In this small apartment are
kept the safe of the firm and desk.
While it serves in the capacity Of an Of
fee, yet II is considered a public place,
and any person desiring to telephone with
out leaving the building is accorded its
convenience. People have been IN the
habit of passing in and out at all hours
of the day, and are seldom noticed by the
proprietors or attaches OF the house.
After entering the room the thief opened
the safe, which was unlocked, and eX-
.tracted a tin box containing BESIDES a
quantity of insurance policies and other
documents 500 shares of Champion Mining
Company'S stock, valued at $l5,OOO. ana
a promissory note for 5000. payable 10
Gustav Schwarz. The box ana It's con-
tents were the property of SchWarz, VINO
is one of the proprietors OF the Louvre
From the fact that the box was heaVliy
sealed the thief decided not to open II IN
so conspicuous place, but run the gaunl-
LET bv hacking it unnoEced from the tele-
phone box through the dining room ana
Into a small room opposite, where ne pro-
ceeded TO ascertain ana pocket us q IL
tents.
mitted there were at least nifty persons
in the cafe. They were all seated at Ia
bes and had an opportunity of surveying
every part of the room, yet none or these
persons, so far as known, can give any
information which will lead TO the de-
lection of the culprit. In order TO pass
from one room to another one must pass
in front Of the bar, and the mysterious
part Of the entire transaction Is now the
safe-opener carried the treasure box of
the firm among the members of the firm
without discovery.
have left the building waiter entered
the small room occupied by the robber in
his last operation and found the empty
box lying on the moor: ne at once En-, IN,
sent for. At late hour last night they
had not succeeded in ferreung out the
mystery. There were two or three sus-
piciouS characters in the building shortly
before the discovery of the empty box
was made They will be hunted up, but
as none of them were seen to enter the
telephone box the officers have nothing
to work upon.
Beth and Schwarz explain that the safe
had not been locked for the night, as the
cash receipts of the day had not yet been
counted nor deposited. 1t has been their
habit to simply turn the handle on the
heavy door so that they will not be
troubled with the combination whenever
during the day they wish to secure any
thing which may have been deposited for
safekeeping. No money ever remains in
the safe during the day, and this fact
seemed to insure in their minds the pro-
lection of worthless paper. The thief evil
IDENTIFY knew all Of these things and
worked accordingly.
The six thousand dollar note missing is
useless to the man who secured 1t, but
. Schwarz may have some little trouble
collecting its face. The stock, worth
, SIS 900, is composed of numbered certifi-
Gates, Of which SchwarZ has record, and
he has already notified the banks to re-
fuse payment on any certificate CORE
spending in number to those once held
. by him. New certificates will be issued
in place Of the old ones. and Schwarz will
not. be the loser on this part of the trans
action. The location of the Champion
mine is in Nevada County, and 1t is con-
sidered one of the best in the State.