The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1914-01-31
Great Feature Film in Which Mask
ed Man with Gun Holds Up
Peaceful Party Of Five
Real Thriller
ENTERS STORE WITH
REVOLVER In HAND
Cleans Up Available Supply Of Cash,
$2z, and Walks Away Leav-
ing Crowd to Count
Hundred

Was il really bold. bad man, pro
fessicaal in his line, or was it some
youth enacting the part, previously
cleaned from stories OF the James OF
Younger boys? In either event he was
successful. for he very effectively held
Up the store Of John Bitinis. an Ital.
ian grocer. and extracted therefrom
all the available cash ON hand. s22.
and so far has made clean getaway
So neatly was the job executed. and
&c hurried that when il was over and
the police. having been notified. put In
an appearance. no very accurate de-
acrlptlon Of the man could be given
and little was known except that he
was gone. likewise the cash.
Last night about O'Clock Bltinis,
proprietor OF a small grocery store az
ninth and Illinois avenue together
with three other men. were sitting
around the small stove. smoking spin.
ming yarns and withal enjoying a very
pleasant evening Mrs. Bitinis was at
the time In the rear room. which
serves as the Bltinis home. All was
sereae and quiet and .othing was lur-
thcr from the mind Of the worthy pro
prietor than a robbery. while in the
rear his good wife was just finishing
tie supper dishes.
Suddenly the door opened and a
masked man leaped into the room.
With revolver drawn he advanced to
ward the group around the stove.
Throw up your hands and don't try
tc start anything" was the stern com
maad The three visitors complied
readily. but the proprietor, probably
little slow TO realize the situation. was
Inclined to consider IL all in the ma
ture Of joke and remained tranquil
~ smoking. with his hands in his
pockets "Come on there y7u, Up
with them hands," again commanded
the masked man. meanwhile empha-
sizing his words by puaching Bitinis
in the ribs with the barrel Of the gun.
Bltlnis then complied with the re-
quest, il simply request it was. and
Joined the others with arms extended
clilingward
The robbers work was then quick
and decisive. He hurriediy searched
Bitlnis. presumably for gun, and
keeping the men covered. backed to the
partition door. arriving there just as
Mrs. Bitinis. ignorant OF what was
transpiring in the room. had started
TO enter For one brief instant. the
gun swung its position and was thrust
before the startled face Of Mrs. Bitinis.
Get back in there quick" was the
order. The woman screamed and
backed into the living room and the
gun was instantly whipped back to COW
er the men, huddled against the wall.
The master OF the situation was
plainly accustomed to the ground, or
the possessor of remarkable faculties
for taking in details on the spur of
the moment. The partition door is
fastened from the storeroom side by
a simple hasp and staple. through
which is inserted a small file, taking
the place Of a pin The file always
rests on a small shelf near at hand,
when not inserted in the hasp.
With one hand busy with the gun
covering the men and with his back
70 the door the robber calmly reach
ed behind him with the other closed
the door. slipped the hasp over the
staple, reached 10 the shelf. procured
the file and inserting il in the staple,
quite effectively locked Mrs. Bitinis
in the rear room.
Then advancing to the proprietor he
said, "Shell out your coin Bitinis
diyed first one hand into his pockets
and then the other. but could produce
but a dime. which he proffered to the
bandit. q don't want that. want
money You know you've got more
than that and you had better dig up
Continued from Page Two.)