The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1902-07-12
BOLD ROBBERY N COLFAX
GAMBLING HOUSE TEE LOSER.
Lone RShhsr Gets Away with SIS0O
Nearly u Dozen MsA We're LIS~d
Up Against WAll-BOldest CrIme
Ever Perpetrated In That City
Safe Emptied.

COlfax, WASH, July The Riehelieu
saloon and gambling house was held up
and robbed OF $500 by a lone robber at
o'clock in the morning, Nearly dozen
men were in the saloon at the time and
all were lined up against the wall with
their hands above their heads while the
lone robber went eOolly about his work
1t was the boldest crime ever committed
in ColfaX. The robber was masked and
carried two murierous looking revolveIs.
both OF "A caliber and poked these hmil-
nrly in the ribs Of his victims as he gave
! them orders which were readily obeyed.
The rcbber was evidently an expert at
the business and was the coolest man
in The house during the progress OF the
robbery.
Charles Schultz IS proprietor of the sa-
loon. The games are owned by Phillip
Love, who was in Spokane when the rob
berry occurred. As Schultz was the prin
opal actor in the drama. aside from the
ro6ber. the story is best told in his words
Mr., Schultz said:
1t was between 1850 and ? o'clock. l
was standing behind the bar talking to
jim Manson and Hank Sparks and was
leaning with my elbows on the bar and
my chin on my hand. did not hear the
outer door open, but the inside screen
doors swung open and | glanced around
the tive men and looked directly into two
big guns They we're held BY a man wear,
ing black cloth mask which covered all
his face and had holes ior the ewes. He
said: Hold up your hands We all held
up our hands and h. marched Manson and
Sparks through the door leading into the
room where the tables we're and kept me
covered with one gun all the time. There
were seven or eight men in the back room.
lie made these all line up with their faces
to the wall and their hands up.
The robber then went to the roulette
table and began scraping the money Off
IN a sack. Tie took all the money from
The three tables in the room ami searched
all the men, some OF them twice Tie
took no money nom the men, but seemed
10 be hunting for arms. After he had
unisaed getting the money iruIn the tables
ne ordered the men not to move. Two
OF them, Hank Sparks and George Gerltx
looked around over their shoulders ami
each received a knock on the head VITA
ole of the guns The rubber turned to
me and said: Here, you big fellow, In
do business with you. He then poked
one OF the guns in my back and ths
other against the back Of my neek The
gun barrel was cold and his hand trsm
bled a little 80 that the muLzle Of the
gun rubbed up and down on my nevk
Il made me nervous.
He marched me to the front end OF
the saloon, after telling the Others thai
ne had TWO fellows with aim and If any
man moved 1t Was death, and made ms
open the safe. told him | dad not
know the comblnAti ton, but he made me
open It and took out all the money. One
drawer that locks with a Key AMI eou
tanned Insurance policies | tried 10 keep
from opening, but be made me open II
anu vent through the papers. In the
back END OF the drawer he found 4 pr-
vale sack containing SO belonging t. one
Of the dealers
lie Poked me IN the RIBS with one oi
the guns again and marched me back 10
the rear end OF the saloon and made ME
stand with my face to the wall saving
a, be did 50: Iii you attempt TO move
III blow hole through your heart, ami
gave me another poke to show be meant
IT. Both guns we're at full cock all the
time And he kept ais fingers on the ting
gers. lie then opened the drawers D.
hind the bar. In one OF them he founi |
my gun and said: Well, this i a pretty |
hne gun 1t will come handy in my bus |
ines. I'll take it along The gun /. a
~ eIliber Frontiers Colts.
The fellow backed toward the door
saying: If any man moves inside Of Is |
minutes he is A dead man He opened
The door and disappeared. George Gerlitz
and Charles Oehs we're in the toilet room
and say they saw the shadow Ut three
men go out, but no one else saw more
than the one man"
All others who were present at the
lime agreed that but one man did the
work, and it Is not considered likely that
more than one man vas implicated. for i,
5 pointed out that one man would not
ave undertaken such a task alone II he
l1d eonfede1tes to assist nm. The
money taken vas mostly in silver and
vas heavy load for a man to carry.
sr. Schultz estimates the loss at about
1850.