Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-10-05

RObber Gets Away With $3.50.

65.
The Star Saloon, owned by Mike
Dolan and Frank Damon ,on Grand
avenue, near the C. NJ. & St. P. de
pot, was held up and robbed of $239.-
65, THURSDAY evening about 10 o'clocl
Emil Schealer, Albert Miller and
Fritz Demnitz were playing cards
in the saloon and had just left it in
order to get across the track be
fore the passenger train blocked the
crossing. Frank Damon, who was in
charge of the saloon, was Wiping
glasses behind the bar with his back
tuned to the front of the saloon
some one entered and came up to
the bar and said, Hold up your
hands" Mr.. Damon thought it was
some one joking and did not pay
any attention to the command. The
command came the second time and
still no attention was paid to it.
Then the rober stepped behind the
bar and uttering an oath, again told
the bar tender to hold up his hands.
Mr.. Damon turned around with his
hands up and saw a masked man
with a revoleYr in hs right hand.
The robber kept Mr. Damon covered
iwth the revolver and rang up 25c
on the cash register in order to open
it and then stuffed the money into
his pockets. He then backed away
towards the front door As he was
but only his profile could be seen
and that not very distinctly. AS
soon as the robber left the saloon,
Mr.. Damon ran out and could see
him walking briskly towards the
station. He called to the people to
stop the nina and also called that the
man had held him up. G. E. Boles,
who had gone to the train to mail
letters, saw the man coming toward
the train and stated that he thot he
was some one who had left the train
to get a drink and was hurrying
back, when Mr. Boles heard Mr.. Da-
mon calling, he took up the cry and
started towards the rober. The man
Immediately broke into a run and ran
south on the tracks. When near the
beer warehouse he fired once with
his revolver. The shot did not seem
tn hN oi, OF n iJ,or
in particular, and was probably fired
to intimidate the pursuers. Night po-
liceman, VIM. Berg took up the chase
and a number Of men joined in and
chased the rober almost to the Bad
ger plant where track of him was
lost. Officer Berg and Mr.. Damon
went through the passenger train
but did not find any trace Of the
robber Mr. Damon stated that the
man could not have come in on the
evening train as he entered the sa-
loon just as the train was pulling in.
A description of the robber obtained
from Mr.. Damon is as follows: Med
ium heighth, weighs about $50, dark
complexion, smooth face, about %
years old, wore a dark grey coat, did
not wear vest had grey shirt, khaki
trousers held up with a belt and wore
light brown soft hat.
1t has been the habit of saloon
owners to have rather large am
cunt of money on hand around pay
day, as yesterday was pay day for
the gravel train on the c. M. & St.
?. Ry., they had considerable money
on hand with which to cash work
mems checks. 1t is evident that who
ever committed the robbery knew
of this arrangement. There are a
number of theories as to whether it
was committed by some local talent
or was the work of yeggmen. The
case is now in the hands of the Sher-
riff Some of the side lights on the
ROBBERY are: Different people state
that they saw two strange men, one
who answers somewhat to the des-
cription of the rober, in the city yes
terday afternoon DR. Geo. E. Hous-
ton went into Sam Church's drug
store about nine thirty last evening,
leaving his bicycle outside. When
he came out the wheel was missing.
It was traced by DR.. Houston, G. E.
Boles and others by the track it
made on the side walk, to the yicin-
ity of the Star saloon. Geo. Demitz
and Geo. Miller found the wheel this
morning about a mile out on the
Grand avenue road and returned it
to the city. Chief Gibson now has
the wheel in charge. One theory
is that the wheel was stolen and
taken out on the Grand avenue road
to throw the officers off the track
and develop a false clew. The robbeT
in leaving the saloon dropped the
sum of eleven dollars on the floor
which he did not stop to pick up.