The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-05-18
BEER DRUMMER
COMES TO GRIEF
Says He Was Dragged, Robbed
and Beaten.
COMPLAINED TO THE POLICE
ENTICED INTO DICE GAME IN
MAIN STREET SALOON.
COMPLAINED TO THE POLICE

Drugged, enticed into a brace game
OF dice, robbed of money and jewels,
then beaten into insensibnity- Arthur
Coke. travelling salesman fer the Lemp
Brewing company. complained 10 the
police yesterday that he was handled
in this manner in a Main street saloon
late Saturday night Yesterday Coke
was confined to his room in the Wilson
hotel under the care Of "A doctor, SUI
fering from severe injuries, one OF
which it is feared may cost him the
sight Of one eye. He claims TO have
been robbed OF 1865 in cash and a dla-
mond pin worth SO. He names the
person who he alleges dragged, robbed
and beat him, but as yet has filed no
criminal complaint against him.
According 20 the story told by Coke
TO Captain Burbidge. the affair &C
CURED i'm an Office room Of the saloon
little before midnight
Il went to the saloon about 10
o'clock" said Coke. Ito see a man who
had sent for me on business. I went
into 4 side room and talked for some
time with the man. He suggested that
we have a little wine to drink ] drank
Two glasses 1 hadn't been drinking
before and two glasses of wine never
affect me in the slightest, but in very
short time after L drunk the liquor
/ was completely knocked out
0dyS nc W do OIuSSCu.
7 could hardly realize what ] was
doing. L am confident that some drug
was put into the Wine to fix me-
While 1 was in this condition third
person was introduced. Then they
suggested a little dice game. I lost
pretty heavily-about 800 or a little
more
when the game was over the first
man asserted that I owed him twice
= i'm
a. check for it. knew that didn't owe
him that amount and I was conscious
enough to refuse to pay il. Then the
first man era bbed my watch chain and
said he would take that and my PIN as
security I jerked away
In an instant 1 felt a blow in the
face and fell over. I don't know what
happened after that until some friend
OF mine picked me up and started for
M room with me. When 1 got to my
room I felt for my money and it was
gone. The diamond pin was missing
also. had 1855 in my pocket and not
a cent was left. When / told my friend
that L had been robbed he went back
10 the saloon. But the persons Who
were with me had disappeared and they
haven't been. seen since
Doctor Was Called.
As soon as Coke was taken to his
room DIT. c.. Nj Benedict was called
and examined his injuries. He found
that a severe blow had been struck in
the left eye. cutting The flesh of the
cheek and the forehead The eye was
swollen almost shut. The back of the
head was also badly bruised and swOl-
len. DIT. Benedict dressed the eye sew
eral times yesterday. Last night he
stated that the optic nerve was very
badly injured and he could not tell yet
whether Coke would lose the sight of
the eye or not. The other injuries he
thought were not Of a serious nature.
In talking of the affair to the police,
Coke said he was in such a condition
when the game of dice was being
played that he could not remem Der
much about it, but he seemed to do al
he losing and it looked TO him as if the
lice had been liked
After hearing the story, Captain Bur
oidge informed Coke that the case was
)ne for the county attorney and that
no arrests could be made unless he
swoTe out a warrant. Coke stated last
night that he should have left the city
yesterday, and he did not know wheth-
eT he could stay over long enough to
prosecute the case