The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1908-12-02
ATTEMPTED HOLDCp
AND MURDER
ENPLOIE OF VALLEY HARD.
WARE COMPANY GETS BULLET
WHEN HE REFUSES TO COM
PLY WITH DEMAND TO HOLD
UP HANDS.

Armed hishwaymen operating i'm
the heart of the west side residence
district held up and shot George Alex
andcr, an employee of the Valley Hard.
ware Co. mt the corner of Eighth and
Yakima avenues Saturday night
about II o'clock. Refusing to comply
with their demands to hold up his
hands higher one of the highwaymcn
with an oath shot ..lcNandcr through
the left cheek, intiicting IL serious but
not necessarily fatal wound, and made
their escape in the darkness. The
wounded man ran and crawled to his
home at IL Tenth avenue south. The
hiShwaymcn received nothing, AL
though he had SD in II wallet which
was in his hip pocket.
/ Alexander was not only an employe
of the Valley Hardware Co. but also
holds stock in that concern. He had
been working at the store Saturday
evening upon the companys books,
and left for his home about 1880.
When at the corner of Eighth and
Yakima avenues the two highwaymen
leaped from the dark corner and COM
manded Alexander to hold up his
hands. Alexander slowly raised his
hands to the level OF his shoulders.
up higher. YOU ----' said the
highwaymen.
Not raising his hands as fast as
the robber desired, the leader. an
gered. and with murder in his heart.
said: You --. you've got to
have it" and fired. the ball tearing
a ragged hole in Alexanders cheek,
splitting his tongue. and lodging at
the base of the brain.
With the firing of the shot the
highwaymen fled. Alexander Crap
ping with the one that fired the shot
and calling loudl.. for help A mo-
mentary struggle followed in which
the highwayman freed himself from
AleXander's grasp and. with his part
ner, fled toward the city. Alexander
is unable TO give a good description
of the men. He says they were both
tall and wore black masks over the
lower part of their faces He thinks
they wore dark clothes and hats.
The scene of the attempted holdup
and shooting is an ideal place for a
crime. The nearest house is 100 feet
away. and a cut in the street and
clump of bushes furnishes hiding
place. An arc light which lights the
corner had been turned off a few
minutes before the shooting, presum-
ably by the highwaymen. who knew
the location of the switch. Frank
James. hack driver. passed the
spot few minutes before the shoot
ing and noticed the light burning
While returning from a cab call he
saw the light 80 out and heard the
report of the shot and the sound of
hurried footsteps on the sidewalk.
Alexander after the shooting ran
up Eighth avenue. then up the alley
to Tenth avenue to his home DR.
Corpron was called and dressed his
wounds. The bullet. which is lodg-
ed in the base of the brain. will be
taken out Sunday The wound is
not necessarily dangerous but is ex-
tremely painful At an early hour
this morning the wounded man was
resting easy.
The report of the shooting and at
tempted holdup was telephoned to
the police station and Officers Storey
Perry and keenan, arrived on the
scene ! minutes after the commits
sion of the crime Tracks of the
two men We're found in the mud and
around the electric light switch
Traces OF blood We're found, and it
was by this nreans that Alexander
was tracked to his home. A dragnet
was thrown out by the police and a
roundup of all suspicious characters
followed. The shooting is the Gull
mination of a series of holdups which
in some instances have been particu-
larly bold