The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-08
DEATH STRUGGLE
IN THE FLAMES
Attempted HOId-Up Results in
Disastrous Fire.
MERCHANT FIGHTS A ROBBER
THRILLING INCIDENT IN TRIP
STORE NEAR MURRAY.

y TIE struggle Tor the possession of
a revolver. "A masked bandit who at
tempted to rob the Tripp merchan-
disc store at Murray about O'Clock
last night and Chris Trip. one of the
proprietors of the place, kicked over
the stove and the store and two adj
Joining buildings were totally destroyed
by flames
The two men rolled about the floor in
tie dark engaged in a death grapple
Until the store was completely filled
with smoke. Trip managed TO find his
way out through the smoke and flames,
but before an alarm could be- raised the
blaze had envelo9ed the entire build
frg
Samuel TRIM was also in the store
al the time the man entered the back
door. When the robbsr pulled the gun
In Chris Trips face Sam turned out
The lights in order to foil the robber
While he secured a shOteun which is
Etptsin the store. In an instant Chris
Trip grabbed hold of the gun which
VAS showed IN his face aud the struggle
edsued. The revolver was discharged
IN the fight and the bullet went
through the front window Sam Trip
vas unable TO find his gun and by tins
time the men were rolling over and
ever i'm the dark on the fiooy. The stove
as kicked 0yer and the live Goals scat
tered over the floor The floor was
ablaze in minute and before the men
uid find their way out they were al
Most strangled.
Flames Consume Building.
The flames spread rapidly and the
adjoining butcher shop soon caught fire
che vacant frame building a few feet
away from the butcher shop, formerly
uSad for saloon. was also consumed.
All three buildings were owned by the
Iripp brothers and the loss is esti-
Ihated at $4,000
The Trip merchandise store is about
a mile and half below Murray on the
road TO the Highland Boy smelter, but
the flames Illuminated all Murray and
attracted the attention of crowds OF
citizens VINO FASTENED to the place.
Nothing could be saved and Marshal
MauSs. his deputies and citizens took
Up the search for the hold-up, but no
trace of the man could be found The
officers at Bingham Junction were noti-
fed and the outskirts of the town were
guarded. bat nobody was apprehcnded.
IL was pay day at the Highland Boy
smelter yesterday and it is evident that
The hOld-up intended to get the money
handled by Trip in cashing the en-
Iioyes' checks. Early in the evening a
suspicious looking character entered
The store and asked for some tobacco.
He did not buy any and both the Trip
brothers suspected him.
Enter the Robber
About an hour later the masked hold
W entered the back door and IL is be-
lieved 10 be the same man who came
IL, for some tobacco. He wore a black
mask with eyeholes and had gun in
his hand Chris Trip was sitting by
The stove and his brother behind the
counter. He covered Chris Trip with
the gun and ordered him 60 throw up
his hands. He failed 20 obey the or
ders and the bandit rushed at him and
stuck the gun in bis face. Chris tried
10 knock the weapon out of the man $
hand and grabbed ut his throat. Then
1he lights were turned out aud the men
Nrestled in the dark on the floor. The
gpn which Sam TriDp was hunting for
: had been moved but he found il i'm the
fear of the store after the hold-up had
escaped. He made his way out the
back door but the man was nowhere TO
BE- seen. He fired a couple of shots in
The air 10 give the alarm. Several men
y no were i'm a saloon across the street
Game to the store. but they were un-
abit TO enter Oh ACCOUNT u the names
and had nothing with which 10 fight
The flames.
The stock in the store and butcher
shop is estimated at $500 and the
lGildiugs at 50. 500. a small amount Of
Insurance was carried ON the property.
The Murray officers and Sheriff En-
cry and Deputies Steele and Stout con-
tinued the search for the man. The
Trip brothers were unable to give a
good description of the man further
than he was OK medium height and
heavy set