Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-11-15
IN ATTEMPT At ROBBERY
By Two Masked Men at
Jackson Gate.
They Enter the Chichizola Store but
are Frightened Away Before Sc
curing Any Booty.

The most daring attempt at robbery
that we have been called upon to
chronicle for many years, occurred at
| the store of the Chichizola Company
at Jackson Gate on Monday night last.
| The hour was about nine O'Clock II
was near the usual closing hour, and
only part of one of the entrances was
| open. The would-be hooters evidently
| thought that the business of the day
was over, and the store was about to
be closed. The time of the month was
also selected judiciously. 1t was on
the eve of payday at the Oneida mine,
where $50 employees are paid off in
checks. Many of these employees
change their checks at the store, and
to be prepared for this the store has
on hand at this time several thousand
dollars in coin. No doubt those en-
gagged in the attempted hold-up knew
these facts, and the prospect of so
much booty induced them to make the
uOlu oHOrJ W CdpIur6 III.
AT the hour named two men, with
masks covering not only their faces,
but their heads, and reaching to their
shoulders, walked into the store, each
with revolver, presented in the direc-
ton of Al Haverstick, the clerk, and
commanded him to throw up his hands
AS it happened, there was another in
the store at the time, named Charley
Cuneo, driver of the delivery wagon,
store where he could not be seen by
the strangers. Haverstick was en-
gagged in measuring outsOme dry good
to fill an order. The clerk at first was
disposed to treat it as a practical joke,
but the robbers ordered him the second
time to ''Throw up your hands, and be
quick about it," The manner and
tone of the intruders quickly convinced
him that they meant business in the
freebooters' line, and he complied with
the request. Cuneo realized the situa-
tion and concluded that no had no
business in the store just then, and
made break for the back door, and
made noise in opening or closing the
door. Hearing this, one of the robbers
followed, evidently with the intention
of ascertaining the meaning of the
noise. Cuneo succeeded in passing out
side, and into the darkness, beyond
pursuit. This seemed to scare the rob-
Der. 1t meant to his mind, giving the
alarm, and raising the neighborhood.
Hastily re-entering the store, he said
to his companion, ''We can do nothing
here" and the pair passed out the
front door and disappeared. 1t is sup
posed that another man was stationed
outside the front door to watch, while
the others entered the store.
Within five minutes the sheriff's Of
fee was notified by telephone of the
affair. Sheriff Gregory, and his dep
uty, Jerry Podesta, and Constable Kay
were on the road in very short time
in a carriage. They made the round
of the road to Jackson Gate, Oneida,
Martell's, and returned to town by way
of theIKennedy, but saw nothing that
would furnish clue to the perpetrators.
1t was very dark, and the robbers
would no doubt leave the highway as
soon as possible. They are supposed
to have started in the direction of the
Oneida after the failure, and man
coming from that direction, met three
men near the store, and accosted them,
when they Immediately started to run.
Tuesday morning three masks, no
doubt dropped by this daring trio,
were found not far from the scene of
their fruitless hold-up. One mask was
of flannel, and all were long, conceal
ing the hair, with holes cut for eyes,
nose and ears.
Haverstick took good look at the
two men, as far as their disguise would
permit. He says both wore dark
clothes; one wore fedora hat, the
other fat crowned head gear. The
men were about feet 9 inches in
hight. They wore heavy lace shoes,
something like brogans. The guns
they carried seemed like new weapons,
judging from their bright barrels.
Vic Chichizola was in the cellar at
the time the strangers were interview
ing the clerk. While there was con-
siderable money in the safe, the clerk
was not acquainted with the combina-
ton, so that, even if the fight of Ounce
had not scared them OFF, they would
have failed in securing the bulk of the
cash. There was, however, about 5000