Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-05-03
A RAPIST AT BAY.
An Exciting Affair Near the
City Limits.
SHERIFF AGUIRRE WOUNDED.
The DesperadO Burned Out-He Fires
at the Officers and Makes His
Escape-The Chase.
A RAPIST AT BAY.
SHERIFF AGUIRRE WOUNDED.

Escape-The Chase.
One of the most exciting episodes thai
have happened in the criminal circles il
Los Angeles for many years has taker
place since the sun disappeared below
the horizon yesterday evening. The first
intimation of trouble was a tele
phonic dispatch received at the
Sheriff's Office about 10 O'Clock
to the effect that rape had been com
mitted at a ranch on the west end o
Adams street, and that the outrager had
entrenched himself in house and was
shooting down everyone who en-.
deavored to arrest him. Sheriff
Martin Aguirre at once summon
ed Deputies Brady, Darcy, Thornton
and Kemp, and left for the scene. A
HERALD man followed them in hack
few minntes later, but not knowing the
exact location of the affair, had nothing
left to do but to drive the full
length of Adams street. The city
limits were reached, and there were no
indications of anything wrong, bnt q
few seconds later, as the carriage was
passing along trail between two orange
groves, there came cry from the trees
OF "Hold up, or you'll be shot" The
instructions were, it is needless to
say, at once obeyed. and then q
request as to who the challengere
were, resulted in four or five individuals
appearing on the roadway, although
they evidently did not fancy their posi-
ton there, for they looked nervously up
and down. Luckily, one of the number
was we'll posted on the matter and gave
the HERALD man the following account
of the affair:
STORY OF THE CRIME.
1t appears that Captain VIM. Moore,
ex-City Surveyor, who owns 160-acre
ranch, employed, about month ago, a
French Canadian known as Jerry Creim
to work for him on the land, good deal
Of which is in barley. The Captain does
not reside there, so the four-roomed
houee Tn the place was given over
to Jerry and an American lad
who was engaged as his assistant. In
the west of the Moore place resides Mrs.
Simmons, a widow lady nearing the SOS,
and who is dependent on the county for
support. On Sunday afternoon her
calf got loose and strayed on to
the Moore ranch, so she went
after it. Jerry was sitting on the
porch of the house and she asked
him if the American boy was about, al
she wanted him to help her to catch th'
escape. The Canuck, who only speak,
broken English, said: He is in the
house; 60 in and fetch him OUT
"Mrs. Simmons went in as directed
and he, following, locked the door, and
then outraged her. She was too dis
tressed over the affair to say anything
about it at the time, but on
Tuesday she told her sad story to
one of the neighbors. IL was not
long before the outrage was generally
known and determined to bring the affair
to head, one of the residents in the
vicinity made complaint to Justice of
the Peace Sexton. That gentleman yes
terday afternoon issued a warrant for the
arrest of Creim and placed it in
the hands of Constable Drekesueh-
ler. There was no difficulty in
locating the Frenchman, for he had made
no change in his habits, evidently think.
ing that Mrs. Simmons would keep the
matter to herself. At o'clock last night
the Constable went up to the house to
make the arrest. Jerry was seated in
side, and the officer walked up to him,
and producing the warrant said, "You
are arrested"
The Frenchman made bound for a
pistol that was on a chair near by, and
the Constable, who is not man of gore,
retraated.
"Come again tomorrow" shouted the
wanted man, and as he spoke he fired
two shots, both of which missed the fee
ing Constable. The representative OF
the law did not check his wild career
until he reached the telephone office,
from whence he sent the dispatch which
was received at Martin Aguirre's head.
quarters.
AGUIRRE ARRIVES AND is SHOT.
"The Sheriff got here q little while
ago, continued the HERALD's informant
"and with his deputies at once went UP
to the house. 1t was pitch-dark. and
Aguirre, telling his aids to watch the
place and not to let anyone escape, went
into the front door. A minute or 80 later
several shots were fred and the Sheriff
came staggering out with the blood
pouring from his arm to the ground in
streams. He was taken down to Station
G in hack just now," concluded the
speaker, land the deputies are be be-
siegipg the house and firing is geing or
all the time"
THE HOUSE SET AFIRE.
Just at that moment bright light was
seen from the house in question, which
was only about one hundred yards away
and then flames burst up heavenwards
showing that the deputies had, as last
resource, fred the Frenchmen's citadel
so as to make him come out or accept
the alternative of burning te
death, fhe HERALD man, leav'
ing the hack, ran through
the orange groves on the side of the
street opposite from the burning build
ing, 80 as to see the outcome Of the af
fair. 1t was a weird scene. In the
center of group of trees the house
burned merrily away and all around coult
be seen men crouching down waiting fol
the Frenchman to come forth. 1t seemed
however, as if he had decided to bt
burned alive rather than surrender, 70
although the flames had, in a few min
utes, enshrouded the whole structure
there were no signs of life within
Every stick in the building must b
on fire, remarked some one ,and Just a
he spoke dark mass sprang from tn