Anastasia Island – 11/20/58: When Rascal’s Bingo Hall was bombed last Saturday night from a dynamite apparently hidden in a pick-up truck parked nearby, two innocent bystanders were the occupants Room 2 of the popular A1A Court. The motel is adjacent to the gaming establishment on Beach Road. The occupants, who declined to give their names or if they were visiting St. Augustine, said they were watching television when the bomb exploded.
“We were lucky to get out alive,” the young women said. “The station had just gone off and the National Anthem was playing when the roof came in.”
Sherriff Hansen Tick said there were no suspects in the case at this time.
In spite of the damage resulting from the explosion, Rascal’s sill plans to hold the annual Loot-to-Boot Championship this weekend according to Rascal’s manager, Horace “Cycle” Wells.
“We provide good clean games of chance here four nights a week and once a year we have Loot-to-Boot Family Day, and this year will be no exception,” said Wells.
Asked about the bombing, Wells declined to comment.