The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-04
THREE Masked MEN
ROB ONYX SALOON
Enter Well-kn0wn Resort and
CoOIiy Rob Victims of
About $1,000.
BIG REY0LVERS USED
TO INTIMIDATE MEN
Trick Evidently Turned by
Thieves Thoroughly Familiar
With the Premises.

An mdacious robbery was perpe-
trated in the holding up of the Onyx
Bank a, 80 West Second South street
about $50 o'clock Thursday evening,
Three masked men entered the saloon
at a time when the streets were crowd
ed with people, held up James Meier
nay, the proprietor; his bartender,
Thomas Needham; James Maier and
James Burke. rifled a cash register and
looted the safe. getting away with
something like $1,000 in cash and jew
elry,
The holdup was pulled of at time
when only the four men named were
m the saloon. McTernay, Burke and
Maier were playing game OF slough
in booth in the rear of the saloon,
and the bartender was in his accus"
toned place behind the bar when the
holdups appeared and started their
work. Entering at the rear door OF the
saloon, two Of the robbers covered the
men in the booth and ordered them to
throw up their hands, which they dld,
while the third passed quickly to the
front Of the saloon and, covering Need.
ham with a big revolver, issued simi-
lar order to him. Necdham showed no
hesitation in complying with the in
junction. The prelimlnaries successfully
disposed Of, the real work of holding
M the place and its occupants began,
The three men in the booth were
marched TO the middle room of the sa-
loon. covered all the time by two big
rcvolvers and ordered to line up against
the cast wall of the building With
their backs TO the wall and their hands
held high, McTernay, Maier and Burke
were relieved of their cash and part OF
their jewelry by one of the two rob
bers who had marched them out of the
booth, the other standing guard over
the trio with drawn revolver oil big
dimensions Finishing, the searchcr
clided behind the bar. touched Need
ham, rifed the cash register and looted
the safe, the third holdup man stand
inp ouard over the whole situation, in
Guiding the front entrance, with an I'M
mensc revolver, from his station near
the front of the saloon. This com
pleted. Ncedham was ordered to Join
McTernay, Maier and Burke, the quar-
tette was marched back to the booth
and the door was closed on them. Tear
ing the rear door Of the saloon open,
the robbers left the four somcw nat
dazed men in the booth and made good
their escape through the alleyway be
1ef ms
rushed from the booth TO the telephone
and into the street, notifying the po-
lice and spreading the alarm
Mr. McTernay IS the heaviest loser,
his loss being, as he reports, In the
neiehborhood of S600-$250 in iewelry,
handsome diamond stud, and the rest
in cash. Maier's loss IS fine diamond
ring that he values at $400 and some
cash, Burke and the bartender were
touched for $3.50 and $25 respectively.
Checks and papers in the safe were not
touched, and the robbers apparently
overlooked a bet III not taking Nc
Ternay' 5 excellent ring, which he values
MT 500, from his left hand. Twelve
dollars in the cigar cash register, at
the upper end of the bar, was not taken,
this register not being molested.
Maier, of course, was feeling pretty
gum over his loss, but there was some
consolation in the fact that, after re-
ileving him of his fine gold watch, the
robber who went through the three men
lined up against the east wall of the
saloon, returned ii to the owner. When
tbs boldup man started to remove the
gatch from Maier S person the latter
,xpostulated, explaining that the time
piece is a birthday gift from his moth
er. which he priced highly on that ac-
cunt The bold. bad man rclented.
Burke told the robber that his time
piece is bum one and he was allowed
to keep it, after il had been given a
hasty examination.
McTernay was not so fortunate re-
gardipg his diamond stud. After 60
ing through the proprietor, the robber
laid his hand on the stud, mussing up
McTernay's immaculate white tie, Me
Ternay objected: asking TO be allowed
to retain the diamond that was glitter
ing and twinkling eutrancingly in the
uncertain light of the saloon "Shut
up,' growlcd the thief. McTernay g
silence was eloquent from that time on.
Mr McTernay. when he looked up
from the card table in the booth into
the two revolvcrs, behiud which peered
two half.conceaed faces, in response to
the demand tc throw up his hands
thought IL was all a joke, Not so with
Maier. Throw up your hands," said
Maicr. McTernay took a second glance
into the cold steel heart of the glitter.
ing weapons, and convinced of the err
ror Of his first impression, put his
hands up.
The holdup was adroitIy planned and
perfectly carried out. II was the work
of men who thoroughly understand their
business, Not n movement was made
unnecessarily Only five or six min.
uteS were consumed from the time the