Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-07-07
WAITER, SHOT AT, BUT
ESCAPES GIVING ALARM
Fifteen Diners Held Up at Ho-
tel Pines, But Lose Nothing
Faithful Dog Killed.

BY Special Correspondent.
METUCHEN, July Two mask
ed men, each armed with two .45
caiibre automatic army pistols, en-
tered the Hotel Pines, q few miles
from here, shortly after midnight
this morning and held up about
fifteen persons who were dining
there at the time. One of the wal
ters, as he was backing out of the
door in an effort to escape and give
the alarm, had five shots fred at
him, none of which hit him. A
large st. Bernard dog belonging to
Joseph Herr, the proprietor of the
Pines, 1eaped at the two men, only
to be killed by more bullets from
one of the revolvers.
Realizing that the waiter, who had
managed to getaway from the dining
room might at any time return with
help, the two masked men retired be-
fore going through the diners. AS
soon as they had backed out of the
door. warning the patrons of the
hotel not to follow, q rush was
made after them by several of the
men present. They were seen dis
appearing on foot In the woods
across the street and up until noon
today no trace had been found Of
them.
The Metuchen police were imme-
diately notified by the proprietor of
the hotel and Chief Hutchinson ar
rived on the scene shortly after
wards. An investigation of the ter
ritory about the hotel, which is
thickly wooded. failed to show the
presence of the two hold-up men.
The prosecutors office was noti-
fed Of the hold-up and Chief of
County Detectives Richard A. Pei
tier started to make a personal in
vestigation this morning.
According to the story told by
Herr. the two men approached the
hotel about 1915 when there were
three parties dining in the hotel,
there being fourteen or fifteen per-
sons seated at the tables. Noticing
a chauffeur sitting in one of the
cars in front of the hotel. they seiz-
ed him and took him in the hotel
with them, taking this precaution
so that he could not give any alarm.
The two men suddenly entered
the dining room. each with q reg
ulation army khaki colored hand
kerchief, drawn tight over the
lower part OF his face. Each also
wore glasses. One of the men was
about 5 feet inches and rather
slim while the other was about 5
feet inches and well proportioned.
the descriptions given the police by
Herr say. Each man carried two
As calibre army revolvers.
The chauffeur, who the men
brought into the hotel with them
was placed in a telephone booth
and locked in. In the meantime
the patrons had been told to line
up around the wall so that the hold
up men might search them and re-
lleye them of their valuables.
Just after the two men had given
these orders one of the walters was
noticed slowly backing towards a
door. Without any warning one
of the holdup men started to fire at
him. The waiter made a dash for
the door and miraculously escaped
being hit by any of the five bullets
fred at him.
The large st. Bernard dog, SEEM
ing to realize that everything was
not as his master would have 1t,
leaped toward one of the masked
men. Just as the dogs front feet left
the door. the bandit pulled the trig-
ger and the huge dog dropped to the
floor dead.
Apparently nervous from the noise
which the revolver had made and
the escape of the waiter from the
hotel, the two men suddenly with
drew to the door, and, once in the
open, sprinted to the woods directly
across the street.
Receives Call Here.
Sergeant James Mulligan received
telephone call at the local police
headquarters shortly after midnight
from a Mr.. Poulsen. giving his ad-
dress as 382 Prospect street, stat
ing that he had been held up at the
Hotel Pines. The man requested that
an officer be sent to the city line to
escort him home. Officers Sullivan
and Buchan were detailed to comply
with his reuuest