The San Francisco call., 1905-04-22
Man KILLED
IN HOLD-UP
Of SALOON
7. Reilly Falls Dead
in F'uSilldde OF
Bullets.
Masked Man Opens Fire on
Bartender Who Shoots
From Cover.
SteVedors Laid Low During the Duel
and Police Are Puzzled Over
the Strange Case.

A hold-up man whose face was con-
cealed behind black mask stealthily
entered the saloon OF John C. Brutt at
Second and Brannan streets shortly
before midnight last night. When the
bartender refused to throw up his
hands the robber opened fire and in the
pistol duel that followed, Thomas
Reilly, a customer of the place, fell
dead, his heart pierced by bullet.
Whether Brutt or the intruder fred the
fatal shot remains to- BE .roved. The
burglar made his escape by a side
door.
Reilly and Brutt were the sole oc-
cupants of the place when the man en-
tered by the side door. In deliberate
tones he commanded Brutt TO hold
up his hands and no fooling." Instead,
the bartender reached for his revolver
behind the bar. When the robber saw
this he opened fire. Brutt raised his
head above the bar and returned the
flsillade. In all five shots were ex-
changed and Reilly fell dead during the
volley.
The position of Reilly's body would
indicate that he was shot by Brutt. He
was found face downward on the floor
near a small door that leads from the
grocery store to the bar. The door is
pierced by bullet hole and the mis-
sile entered from the barroom side.
The big mirror behind the bar is
shattered by two bullets, both of 32-
caliber, which We're fired by the hold
up man. Brutt used a 3S-caliber re-
yolver, so when the autopsy is held
on the remains OF Reilly it will be
ascertained whether he was killed by
the bartender or the robber.
That two men were mixed up in the
job is likely theory, though Brutt
says he saw but one. H Verney. who
resides in the neighborhood, says he
saw but one man run out the front
door of the place and down Second
street, while Brutt positively asserts
that the man who tried to hold UP the
place ran out of the side door, He
was not seen after making his cape
from the saloon.
Police Officer J. S. Cook was the
first to arrive on the scene after the
shooting. He heard the shots from
where he was standing a block away
and ran quickly TO the scene He saw
nobody hastening from the place He
thinks the man or men probably
turned into one of the numerous side
streets in the vicinity and made haste
toward the water front.
Cook picked up the robbers hat in
the barroom. 1t is black, we'll worn
and dusty. Brutt says the robber had
1t turned down over his face, so as
TO hold the black mask in place. The
saloon man describes the robber as be-
ing a man Of medium build, about
feet 6 inches in height and wearing
dark clothes. He talked in a steady
voice and seemed cool and collected.
Brutt tells the following story of the
hold-up: Il was standing behind the
bar talking with Reilly, when a man
wearing a black mask and displaying
a revolver entered the side door of the
saloon He said, Hold up your hands
and no fooling.' l reached behind the
bar to get my pistol and he fred. /
ducked down and returned the fire as
quick as could
IT fired two shots and the robber fired
three. Reilly was standing at the end
of the bar. but | was so excited l did
not see him drop till it was ALI over.
The robber ran out the side door.
found Reilly lying face downward. He
was dead Policeman Cook came in
shortly after and found the robbers
hat"
The saloon-keeper was very much ex
cited over the affair and was not able
to give a clear account of what ham
peped. He does not know whether
Kelly ITleu 10 cScdpS VI not. He does
not know whether the robber aimed at
Reilly, but if he did he could not have
been shooting at Rrutt, for the bar
tender was directly in front of him
while Reilly was standing at his left
hand side and he would have to turn
directly around TO have killed the lat
ter.
Detectives Ryan and McManus came
on the scene to make an Investigation.
They are not convinced as to who fired
the fatal shot, as there were no wit
nesses TO the affair save Brutt, and he
was too wrought up to give a clear
version Of the fatality He will prob
ably be held pending an Investigation.
Reilly was a native of Brooklyn. New
York. and AZ years old. He was
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