The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-11-15
! OF LEWIS, bartender at the CoIo

I OE LEWIS, bartender at the Colo
RADIO hotel. Az West Second South
= street. shortly before u last night
walked to the front of the bar just in
time to see a masked man standing
in the door pointing a bright, shining
revolver at his head.
IT'S a holdup." he yelled and, fright
ened at the vision, he rushed back be-
hind the partition. as the highwayman
staiked boldly behind the sceens also.
a white handkerchief drawn tightly
across his lower jaw. leaving his upper
lip visible, the holdup stood moment
looking at the men before him. Stand
ing directly in front. leaning against
s"e Dar' were Deputy Sheriff Tom
Lewis the bartender's father. and Pat
fCohahan' switchman on the pio
ai'ue. lie cast hurried glance over
the room, still keeping the gun Ieveled
at the bartender, stepped quickly for
ward and struck Conahan on the head
with the barrel of the weapon.
stunned by the blow, Conahan stag
gered and fell in a bean uDon the
Moor, Blood spurted from a deep cash
~ IN the back OF the head, and he Law
helpless. Like a flash, the highway
man turned upon the elder Lewis and
struck him on the head with the eun
also bringing him to the floor. He then
ieVeled the gun at Young Lewis be-
mind the bar and fired. The ball went
VIVA ana struck mirror in the rear.
Struggle With Highwayman.
Young Lewis dropped to the floor and
lay there, but his father, reviving
quickly from the blow, sprang to his
feet and srappied with the man as he
was preparing to take a shot at Coma
nan. He threw his whole weight
against the man, graphing him around
the waist
Lewis at once seized the hand in
which the revolver was held, and the
struggle for life began. Tall and mus
cular, and probably 80 years of
age. the bandit hurled aside his older
and less wiry antagonist and at
tempted to get a chance to fire. But
Lewis was on him again in a second
aid together the two Wrestled around
the room. Meanwhile Conahan lay
stunned and bleeding upon the floor,
and the younger Lewis, frightened and
unable for the moment to realize that
his father was in danger of death. re-
NAMED behind the bar, helpless and
daZed
|OuL rum the IdIIlLlOn WnlCn screens
ne bar from the street the two men
fought desperately. and together
crashed into a cigar case near the door,
During the Scuffie the gun was ex-
ploded twice, one ball blowing through
!. the lapel of Lewis coat. Another went
upward and lodged in the ceiling In
the narrow passage which is made by
the screen and the wall the burglar
succeeded in looseping partially the
hand which held the weapon and, smil-
ing Economically as he looked down at
the smaller man, pointed the barrel at
his head.
Lewis Marrow Escape.
Lewis again thwarted his attempt
and the ball went crashing through the
Z partition. Still locked in a grip of
strength the two men staggered round
the narrow space and finally fell to-
gether TO the floor. still fastened rigidly
in each others arms. Lewis still main
tanned his grasp on the wrist which
held the revolver and they squirmed
and painted in the struggle. The burglar
again succeeded in loosening the hand
which held the gun and pushed the
muzzle against the breast of his an
tagOnist.
Thinking that the end had come, and
desperate of the consequences, Lewis
freed his hold and seized the weapon
by the barrel He showed il away from
such dangerous proximity to a vital
spot and the weapon was discharged
and the ball lodged in the counter.
Still fighting, the men writhed upon
the floor. and the burglar at last eS-
capped from the other
Hearing the rushing of men who had
been attracted to the place by the
fusillade of bullets. he sprang to his
feet, Lewis rising at the same time.
The burglar. still holding the gun from
which all the cartridges had been
emDued, struck Lewis again on the
head. landing behind the left ear and
cutting deep cash.
Hold-up Makes His Escape.
When the stranger entered the room
three other men were in the rear of the
place and, hearing the shots, ran from
the back door into the yard. Realizing
at last that desperate encounter was
in progress on the inside, they came in
through the front door as the highway
man was escaping. The bartender,
young Lewis, came from behind the
bar as the man walked toward the rear
of the room. He still held the weapon
in his hand, and as young Lewis start
ed in his direction, said in a warning
tone:
stay where you are, young man, or
I will kill you,
CHANGING round and seeing others be-
gin to rush into the room he ran
quickly through a rear door and dis
appeared in the darkness. Men soon
filled the room and COnahan. reviving
from the effects of the blow and still
partially dazed. rushed out into the
street and up the stairway leading to
the hotel. On a landing was Mrs.
Cronin, wife of the proprietor, who had
heard the shots and rushed down in
her night robes. Frightened. she stood
waiting, and on seeing Conahan dash
ing madly up the steps with blood