Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1883-02-23
burglars caueht aBurgllng.n

Yesterday morning proved to be I
most inauspicious era in the lives O
three young men in this city. From al
that could be cleaned, Charles Grenen
gen, Ed. Hern and ]. G. Burns yester
day took their first step in career o.
crimewhich is likely to end in the pen
itentiary or with six feet Of hemp. They
were arrested for burglary yesterday
and the circumstances surrounding the
arrest are such that the trio's chances
of escape from severe punishment ap
pear to be beautifully small. The facts,
in substance, are as follows About two
o'clock yesterday morning officers
Fletcher and Willing were standing on
the corner of Requena and Main streets,
which was on their beat. The city was
wrapped in that Stiffness which belongs
to the wee small hours preceding the
breaking Of day. Everything was as
quiet and still along Main street as the
timid could desire. The officers little
dreamed of what the next few minutes
would bring forth. All at once they
saw party of three men emerge from a
drinking saloon near the spot where
they were standing. As the trio APP
preached. the police noticed that one Of
them affected being very drunk and stag
CARED violently, almost jostling officer
Fletcher as he passed. Their move.
ments aroused the suspicion and the
vigilance of the officers and after they
had proceeded short distance down
Main street, officer Willing hurried
down Requena street to Los Angeles
street. He was soon joined by officer
Fletcher and the two commenced an ex-
animation Of tho entrances along Los
Angeles street. About the middle of
the block. they found door leading
into an alley standing open and into
this alley they cautiously entered. 1t
led to~the back parts of the stores of
Messrs. Widney, and of others on Main
street. They distinctly heard some per.
sons moving about in the adjoining
yard and were beginning to fear they
would have to climb the high fence
intervening and perhaps lose their prey,
when officer Fletcher saw man within
a few feet of him. This one too saw the
policeman and made desperate attempt
to scale the fence. Twice he jumped
and twice fell back, the last time falling
into the clutches Of officer Fletcher. The
balance of the gang hearing the distur-
bance took to their heels before the
policemen could get to see them. The
man caught turned out to be Charles
Grenengen. one Of the gang OF three
who had passed the patrol not long
before. After falling their prize the
policemen returned to the scene and there
picked up jimmy and cold chisel of
the finest quality, having the name of C.
Declez on their handles, from whom
they are supposed to have been stolen.
They also found the hat of one OF those
who had escaped. An inspection showed
hat the would-be burglars must have
Just commenced breaking into the store
Of the Messrs. Widney when so incon-
tinently interrupted by the vigilant guar
iians of the peace. Yesterday the entire
'orce were given description OF the
Two Others of the trio and instructed to
arrest them ON sight. Chief OF Police
King and Officer Frolich succeeded in
capturing the pair in Sonoratown. Their
names are respectively Ed. Hern and j.
3. Burns. Hern has been employed as
\ clerk in the liquor house of the late
A. Mckenzie. Burns has been waiter
1t the Occidental Restaurant and Gren-
sngen has been employed also as waiter
IN several restaurants in the city. The
Ihree were taken before City Justice
Morgan and their examination set for
tomorrow morning.