Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1902-07-09
BOLD ROBBERY IN COLFAX
GAMBLING HOUSE THE LOSER.
Lone RObber Gets Away with $500
Nearly IA Dozen Men Were Lined
Up Against WaIi-Boldest Criaie
Ever Perpetrnted In That city
Safe Emptied.

ColfaX, WASH, July THE Richelieu
saloon and gambling house was held up
and robbed of $500 by lone robber at
2 o'clock in the morning. Nearly dozen
men were in the saloon ut the time and
all were lined up against the wall with
their hands above their heads while the
lone robber went coolly about his work.
1t was the boldest crime ever committed
in ColfaX. The robber was masked and
carried two murderous looking revolvers,
both of A caliber and poked these hmil-
iarly in the ribs of his victims as he gave
them orders which were readily obeyed.
The robber 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.
cipal actor in the drama, aside from the
robber, the story is best told in his words.
Mr. Schultz said:
1t was between 80 and o'clock. |
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 two men and looked directly into two
big guns. They were held by nun wear
ing black cloth mask which covered all
his face and had holes for the eyes. He
said; Hold up your hands, We all held
up our hands and he marched Manson and
Sparks through the door leading into the
room where the tables were 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. He took all the money from
The three tables in the room and searched
all the men, some of them twice. He
took no money from the men, but seemed
to be hunting for arms. After he had
finished getting the money from the tables
he ordered the men not to move. Two
OF them, Hank Sparks and George Gerltz,
looked around over their shoulders and
each received A knock ON ibc boad with
one of the guns. The robber turned TO
me and said: Here, you big fellow, IN
do business with you He then pokcd
one of the guns in nv hack and tha
other against the back Of nv neck The
gun barrel was cold and his hand trcm.
blcd a little SO that the muzzlc of the
gun rubbed M and down ON NV neck
1t made me nervous.
ale marched me TO ibc front cnd "A
the saloon. after telling the others that
he had two fellows with him and IL any
man moved il was death and mado mo
open the safe. told him did NOT
know the combination. but he made mo
open it and took out all the money. One
drawer that locks with a kev and con.
tsined insurance nolicies I tried to loon
from opcning. but he made mo oncn il
and went thro,ob tbo n,pors In ,bo
hack end of the drawer bo found . ,ri.
vate s,ck containing SO5 belong;pg :, ono
of the dealers
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