Card game turned violent on Yosemite Avenue

For The Madera Tribune

Most bars in early Madera were sane and orderly like the Peerless Saloon and Pool Hall shown here. Occasionally, however, trouble would break out as it did at the Gilt Edge in 1901.

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At the turn of the 20th century, there were over a dozen watering holes on Madera’s main street, and one of the most frequented was the Gilt Edge Saloon. Now, as a general rule, patrons of the Gilt Edge behaved themselves; at least they weren’t any more rowdy than the customers at the other bars on Yosemite Avenue.

There was one time, however, when two buddies got into a knife fight at the Gilt Edge over a card game in which they had been partners.

The donnybrook broke out on Saturday night, Dec. 1, 1901, when four men sat down to play a game of Pedro. Robert Tuggle and Sam Monahan were playing against Jim Robertson, the bartender, and his partner, Frank Littlefield.