The San Francisco call., 1906-10-10
POINTS PISTOL AND
DEMANDS CASH.
Cigar Stands Are Robbed
by Daring Operator, Who
Makes Careful Plans
LOOKOUT ON GUARD


LOOKOUT ON GUARD
The man who confronts cigar stand
keepers with an evil-looking. blue-bur-
nished revolver when the merchant
turns round TO All his order is the
latest addition to the band of sluggers
and holdup men who have been terror
izing San Francisco. Aided by whis-
Ting outlook. who takes up position
commanding a view of the passing
crowd. the man with the pistol times
his theft to a second and proceeds in
its execution with all the nonchalance
of a customer asking for light
Half dozen or more cigar men have
so far been robbed by this peculiar kind
of thief, and although every effort is
being made by the police to keep the
matter quiet at least two of the per-
sons held up are known. The informa
tion furnished by them agrees as to
the appearance of the man and the
method of his operations.
The cigar stand kept by Connor
Brothers at the northeast corner of
Golden Gate avenue and Webster
street is among those that have been
looted by the holdup man and his ac-
complice. George Connor, one of the
partners, was behind the counter of the
stand Sunday evening when he noticed
a well-dressed man pass and carefully
scrutinizing the place. 1t was not yet
dusk, and Connor did not regard the
conduct of the man as suspicious, al
- y, fl,of
the stranger appeared to take an un-
usual interest in the layout of the
stand. The fellow crossed to the OPP
posite corner and Connor did not give
him a second thought.
Pretty soon another man passed the
stand, turned quickly and entered it.
ASKS FOR CIGAR.
Reach me down one of those cigars, y
he said to Connor. indicating brand
kept on a shelf behind the counter.
Connor reached for the box. When
he turned with it and faced the man
the latter was just drawing a revolver
from his coat pocket. He. laid the
pistol on the counter and clasped 1t
significantly.
Look here" he said, you needn't
mind that cigar I'll trouble you instead
for what you have In your cash regis
ter. 1t won't do to make any fuss
about it, I'm out for the stuff and
won't let shooting stand in my way of
getting 1t If you try any stalling."
Connor concluded it would be useless
to resist, but thought he could get off
cheaply by a little strategy. Opening
the draw of the cash register he filed
both hand with silver change and began
to trickle it in a pile on the counter
before the robber.
None of that here" said the man.
Il want the sack, and want you to
be quick about IT."
Seeing that the fellow was familiar
with the details of his cash register,
Connor handed him out a sack contain
! ing the proceeds of his days sales--$56
principally in gold The man thrust
the sack in his coat pocket, and keep
ing Connor covered, backed out of the
store He disappeared around the corr
ner, and when Connor ventured on the
street people were passing in both d.
rections and the man could not be
distinguished among them.
Connor then remembered the first
suspicious looking man and realized
that he had been on the lookout while
the principal thug was holding him up,
the robbery being planned with such
nicely that the thief could back out
of the store and become lost among the
passers-by. He saw that it would be
useless to give pursuit, and returned to
his stand and reported the matter to
/ the police over the telephone.
i ANOTHER STORE ROBBED.
The robbery happened about s:15
! o'clock Fifteen minutes later L. H
/ Cox, who keeps a cigar stand at 6ls
I Golden Gate avenue, had his suspicion
attracted to a man who passed twice
K in front of his place and then walked
E 70 10 nnnnQifa Cox KENT
watching the man, when another man
entered and ordered "a cigar in the
same manner as had been done at Con-
nor's Something about the actions OF
/ the second man diverted Cox's atten-
tion from the first, and as he was
reaching for the box of cigars he
glanced quickly over his shoulder He
was startled to see the man drawing
a pistol from his coat and laying 1t or
I the counter.
/ Cox was about to cry out, and the
man with the pistol was just getting
ready to menace him when a whistl,
sounded Cautionihg Cox to keep quie
on pain of being shot, the man backed
out. Just as he was turning the cor.
ner two other men passed the stand
The coming of these had been observed
by the lookout, who had whistled II
time for the man with the pistol t
make off.
Neither Connor nor Cox got a yer,
close view of the lookout. but theil
description of the man with the re
voiver tallies in detail He is described
as being about thsrty-five years old
FIVE feet seven inches in height, ant
smooth shaven. He wore dark sui
and a black derby hat.
The police refuse all information OIL
the operations of the pair, but it il
declared that the latter have visited a
least four other places besides ehos'
mentioned.
anRRF0 KRFEl 0LlBnr