Amador ledger., 1904-04-01
BURGLARY AND ROBBERY.
A Daring Attempt to Rob the Last
Chance Saloon.

One oil the most daring burglarles we
have been called upon to chronicle was
committed at the Last Chance saloon
during Monday night. This saloon is
situated at the north end of Main
street, Jackson, opposite the bridge
over the north fork. The prOprietors
are Airolde & Ouliali. 1t does a large
business, the patrons being mostly
Italians. A small fire proof safe is in
the front part of the barroom behind
the bar, the front of the safe facing
east, leaving narrow passage way for
the bar tender not more than three
feet wide 1t was the contents of this
safe that furnished the incentive to the
crime. In times past the proprietors
have kept considerable money in the
safe, but latterly it has been the Gus
tom TO deposit in the bank when the
cash amounted to between 500 and
$500. Monday night the saloon was
closed about 11:30 o'clock. No one
sleeps on the premises. So that from
that hour till about o'clock Tuesday
morning the burglars had a clear field
for their operations. Everything
points to the fact that the safe crackers
were thoroughly conversant with the
premises, and also that they were green
hands at that business. 1t is thought
that at least two and probably three
persons are implicated in the crime.
They appeared on the scene fully armed
with all the implements of warfare, as
they thought. Their weapons con-
sisted of a l6 ID. sledge hammer ard
a brace-and- bit. Both implements
were left in the saloon. The sledge
hammer has been identified as one used
at the blacksmith shop at the Ken
nedy mine, while the brace and bit was
taken from the north shaft of the same
mine.
Entrance to the saloon was effected
through the side or north door of the
barroom, which opens upon the bowling
alley. Here they could operate with
out being seen from the street. With
the brace-and- bit four holes were bored
through the door, just above the lock.
A blow easily knocked out a piece of
the door, sufficiently large to enable
the hand to be introduced, and there
by undo the side catch on the lock by
which the door was fastened. The door
of the safe was next tackled with the
sledge hammer. The hinges we're
knocked off, the combination entirely
destroyed. All this was evidently done
under the impression that the door
would fall open if the hinges were re-
moved. Finding that it was still firm
in its place, the robbers secured other
tools. Breaking open a door leading
to rooms in the rear of the barroOm
they got a hatchet and an ak, and with
these again assaulted the safe. Using
the Ratchet as wedge they ripped
open the front of the safe for four or
five inches from the top. Digging
through the cement casing they en-
countered the inner STEEL aud with this
obstacle confronting them they must
have voted their adventure failure.
All the implements were left on the
premises. A dozen fragments of the
broken safe testify to the determined
character of the attack.
The men worked by the light of a
candle, spots of grease are scattered on
the top of the safe, and small piece of
candle, not more than an inch long,
was left as a mementO. The contents
of the till were taken, amounting to
not more than two or three dollars.
The proprietOrs, on opening up Tues
day morning, were astOnished to see
the way things had been wrecked. The
officers were notified, aud Sheriff Nor
man and deputies went promptly to
work to ferret out the perpetrators.