The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-04-18
MASKED THUG ROBS
HOTEL CAFE TILL
Three Stand With Hands Up in
Air While Deed Is Com
mitted

OAKLAND, April 17.-Masked and
armed with a revolver a single high
wayman held up the bar of the Hotel
Metropoie at 7:45 o'clock tonight. com
pelling three men to stand while he
opened the cash register, finally
making his escape when he knew that
pursuit was to follow by feigning
mat he had a comrade near the place.
The cash register contained s25 in sill
yer. which was taken, the thug over
looking more than 500 in gold in a
hack compartment Of the drawer.
In the saloon at the time were the
bar tender, W II. Rollins. and the
porter. Louis Dennis-s The bar tender
was making change for the porter and
had his back turned TO the street door,
by which the robber came into the
he was looking at q IS caliber revolver,
and then came command that he and
Dennis throw up their hands.
TOURIST JOINS THEM
Just as they raised their arms
Charles Clark, a tourist from London.
Eng, and a guest at the hotel, walkeu
irto the saloon by the same doorway
that the holdup man had used. Clark
was cowed with the pistol and he. too,
was compelled to raise his hands.
Having subdued by the pistol all
three OF the occupants the robber
calmly walked behind the bar and. with
Rollins at his side, opened the cash
register and placed the coin in his coat
pocket.
When the robber turned his back for
q moment 10 loot the register Clark
and Dennis ran out, Clark by the street
door and Dennis through the billiard
hall at the back of the saloon, and up
stairs into the hotel.
MANAGER RAISES HIS HANDS
Dennis called to J. o. Hendry. the
assistant manager of the hotel, that
there was a robbery being committed
and Hendry went with Dennis back
10 the bar. Dennis remaining just out
side in the billiard room Then the
revolver in the hands of the thug was
turned on Hendry, and he was made
TO stand with his hands in the air. He
backed away. however and his action
aroused the fears of the robber.
Peering nervously over his shoulder
the thug said. Where is my friend?"
The words led Hendry and the others
TO believe that there were two men in
the holdUp. and while they were per-
picked with their fears the robber
broke out OF the door by which he had
entered and into Jefferson street.
Clark, who had gone into the hotel
and returned, thinking the robber must
have departed. saw the man. as he
stepped into the street. draw his mask
down from his face and replace the re-
Volver in his pocket. The robber started
down Jefferson street and Clark fol-
lowed.
TOURIST TRAILS ROBBER
This pursuit, Clark shadowing the
thug. continued for several blocks Once
the robber stopped to hear a socialist
speaker at Tenth and Broadway, Clark
says. He then walked across Tenth
street TO CAROLS saloon in Tenth
between Broadway and Washington
street. Seeing him enter there Clark
thought the robber would remain there
and went to telephone for the police,
who had already been apprised from
the Hotel Metropole By the time they
were piloted to CarrOlrs saloon the
man had disappeared
Newman reporteR that the same thug
had entered his place, and told of q
graphic struggle with the robber. He
said he had struck the armed man in
the face, knocking the robber down
just before the blue handkerchief mask
was drawn UP. then had grappled for
the pistol and lost il.
DISCREDIT HIS STORY
The employees of Newman say they
saw no one enter save Clark, who spoke
10 Newman, then telephoned TO the po-
lice and went out Fred Newman,
brother TO Charles, bears out his broth
er's story. but the police discredit it.
Even the Chinese who serves enchiladas
in Newman's place says no one en-
tered with a blue handkerchief mask
and a revolver.
The man did not go to Newman's
after robbing the Metropolis" said
Sergeant of Police Mulgrew. who aided
in the pursuit "Clark went there to
telephone and spoke TO Newman, but
the thug did not try TO rob the
place"
The Metropole robber made no effort
TO rob the patrons Of the place or the
bar tender.
Clark had s4O0 in greenbacks in his
pocket Rollins. the bar tender. was
asked why he did not hit the robber
with g. bottle. He replied:
by, man, I could have crawled
into bottle about the time he put that
gun at my head"