The San Francisco call., 1904-03-06
MERCHANT
SHOT DOWN
IN OFFICE
Joseph ButtgenDach
Fatally Injured
by Thugs.
Unknown Men Enter His
Store and ASSail Him
at His Desk.
Sack Of Coin Is Not MOIeSted and De-
tectVeS Find Unused Cartridges
On the Floor.

Just prior to closing his place Of busi-
ness last night Joseph Buttgenbach,
head Of the Pacific Packing Company,
at Fourth and Shipley streets, was shot
and fatally injured by unknown assail-
ants. He was taken in dying condi-
ton 10 the Central Emergency Hos
pital, and his son Al and his book
keeper. Louis Bruno. were held for OBJ
servation, pending a thorough investi-
cation. Although from the statements
Of these two the shooting was done by
a pair OF desperate thugs, there is much
10 be explained If. as Bruno and the
younger Buttgenbach claim, Mr. Butt
genbach was fatally injured only after
a desperate struggle with two thugs,
il seems strange that the robbers left
the place without molesting a bag of
gold coin, containing approximately
$500, which had not yet been placed
in the safe. besides $40 in gold and
silver which Mr.. Buttgenbach was
counting at the time of the murderous
assault Who the murderer was or
what his motive is a mystery for the
police 10 unravel Detectives Bunner
and Freel, " no are working on the
case, incline TO the belief that the crime
was committed by members OF The nu-
neroUs gangs OF hold-up men who are
a. present infesung the city. This
makes an easy solution to the prob
lem, as the crime can be laid at the
doors Of the prOverbial tall man and
short man.
TELL STORY OF THUGS.
According to the statements of Al
Buttgenbach and Louis Bruno, first
made 10 the police. they were fright
ened out OF their wits and left the old
man to grapple alone with two des-
perate thugs. Al was on his way
home and while passing down Shipley
street two men attempted to hold him
up, he says. He Immediately ran into
the side door Of the establishment.
yelling. "RObbersi robbers. Thieves,
Help, murder."
He rushed through the outer Of
fee, where his father was at work,
he says, and into the inner one, burst
through a thin board partition into
neighboring saloon and considered
himself safe. The boOkkeeper, Bruno
at work in the inner Office caught the
infection Of terror and fed precipitate-
ly, leaving the elder man TO his fate.
According TO his first statement he did
not see the intruders, but later he told
the officers that he heard a scufIle, a
crashing OF glass and saw the old man
on the floor struggling with a stranger.
He then gave the alarm.
-
The door opening into Buttgenbach's
private office is on the south side of
the store. 1t is of plain glass. as is
also the partition on the east side of
the Office. 1t is through this glass the
bullet was fired. 1t would easily be
possible for a person to rush into the
Shipley-street door, fire q shot through
this glass partition and enter the inner
Office. The whole general interior os
the place, however. s plainly visible
from Fourth street, as the front IS
closed only with telescoping iron doors
and light is kept burning. At the
time Of the shooting the street was
filled with passers-by, yet none wit
messed the brief. but fatal struggle
One Of the first 10 arrive on the
scene was Sergeant Green of the
Southern Police Station, who was re-
porting on for duty. He heard the shot
fired and Immediately sprang from the
car and rushed to the scene His
story is as follows:
At about 1910 was on a Fourth
street car near the corner of Shinlev
when heard what took 10 be a mis-
tol shot / Immediately left the car To
investigate / was at first told that
there was nothing wrong-that a fuse
had blown out in the power-house
but a moment later 1 heard Brune
calling for help. entered the Pa