" HANDS UP"

Otago Witness, Volume 02, Issue 2420, 2 August 1900, Page 70

" HANDS UP"

(New Penny Magazine.)

" If you will take my word for a' little experience I had recently, perhaps I can make clear to you now it is possible for bhree men to 'hold up' a roomful of fairly brave men and " get away safely with their money," said a "holdup" not long ago,' and I have ceased jeering at fellows who have been through.' similar experiences. "I was one of 70 men who were held up in a big gambling hell, and, as I am not a regular patron of such places, I kept ■quiet about it at home. The gambling is one of tbe best known in the West, jand on the night of the hold-up it was filled with - a representative crowd. A jsearch would have disclosed the iact, un■doubtedly, that many of the men present ptvere armed. No trouble in recent years has occurred in this place, and- there was Do' reason to anticipate. any. It was.ne.arly midnight when the' door opened and three .men, masked, and each holding two revolvers, entered the room. '• ' Hands up, quick ! ' shouted the foremost man. , ' "I was sitting at a faro table when I heard this command, and as I looked up I found a revolver pointing straight at my head. When I compared notes with the

other 70 odd men later, I fcimd that each one had the same exiDerience. There were only six revolvers, and yet each man in the room was willing to swear that one of them was pointed at his head all the time. The crowd was simply paralysed with fright. For ttt*o or three seconds not a man moved. Then Over in one corner a Leadville sport brought his hand around to reach his hippocket. "'Stop that, or" I'll shoot!' said one of the masked men, covering him with his revolver. ' Hands up, now, quick ! We mean business ! '

" Every man in that room did hold his hands xip. There was no hesitation then. " 'Line up against that wall with your backs to me, and the man who takes his hands down will get shot. Quick now, gentlemen, if you please. Obsy orders, and you won't get hurt.'

"We lined up as directed like a lot of schoolboys.

" ' Now then, mv friend here will relieve you of your valuables without your assistance,' said the spokesman. ' Don't move, because, there are two dead shots behind you." Keep quiet, and -it, will soon be over. '

"It was a very coel piece of work, I can , assure you. One of the three went right straight down the row, -taking each man's watch and money.- He didn't get as much as he expected, and as near as we could estimate later, the total haul was under £1000. There was over -£20, 000 in the safe, which the robbers overlooked: When we had been cleaned out fhe spokesman said : 'Now, gentlemen, we are sorry to inconvenience you further; but we shall have to request you to. stand just as you are for five minutes more. Don't cut the time short, or you will hurt.' The s?de door opened at this instant, and we heard the order. ' Hands -^up, Chink, or vmi are a dead man.' It was one of our Chinese servants, who was .returning with a tray filled with drinks;' He nromntly dropped his tray, smashing all the glasses, and threw no his hands. We heard no other sound for five minutes. Each man counted the peconds to make sure that he shouldn't take down his hands ahead of time. The proprietor was the first man to move. As soon as. he felt that it was safe he turned, and found +he robber.* srone.' FT° picked up a heavy "chair and threw it Urrousfh th^ window.- Tt carried a sash with it, and the crash that followed attracted general attention in the street below. The proprietor stuck his he»d. out thp, window and shouted such details of the hol'd-uo as might put thp people' in the street on the track of the robbers. Tt was useless, however. The fellows walked out auietly. took off their raaske. and disappeared without leaving any We all filed but of the place to aid the search. T When we "found out that a chase was hopeless, most" of us cam« back to the gambling room to talk it over. When we entered the place we found the Chink standing in the ruins of his classes, with his hands still above his head. The pronrietor told him io take his hands down. The Chink wouldn't do it. and two men who milled, his firms to hi* side had all they could do to hold him. He had looked in ! the big barrel of one of those small revolvers, and hadn't forgotten it." j