Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-29
How Miss Flora Duncan Caused
a Burglars Capture.
"Texas," the Lone House Robber, at
Last Under Arrest.
The Long List of House breaking Events
Charged to Him-A Plucky Young
woman's Chase After Him
at Pico Heights.

ropDetle6 al occurred In the day time.
When the fret affair Of this kind was
reported, on July Sd, laet, Chief Glass
concluded that new kind Of operator
had struck the city.
The fret clew, though rather vague,
that the police department received
was from the ladies in the family of
Supervisor Davis, arou nd whose prem
ises man was seen lurking. They de.
scribed the man as slender, tall, with
dark hair. sack coat of dark material,
and black felt hat.
The next clew was obtained from J.
A. Hazard of RoHamond street. On the
day of the robbery, Mr.. and Mrs. Hazard
walked across the street, where he wait
ed for his wife. He noticed man sus-
piciously looking at the house, and
watching Mrs. Hazard as she locked the
door and walked out. At that moment
the fellow saw Mr.. Hazard and hurried
ly walked away. When they returned
later in the afternoon they found that
the supposed tramp was a burglar and
had stolen number of articles of Jew
elry.
Mr.. Hazard reported the matter to
Chief of Police Glass, and described
the man.
About noon on last Sunday the quiet
neighborhood of Pico Heights was
thrown into condemnation. As Mr.. and
Mrs. j. W. Thomas returned home from
church they found their house had been
robbed. They at once gave the alarm.
Miss Flora Duncan, a neighbor, who
bad noticed the man around the prem
ises, now ran after him; the fellow
quickened his pace, but she still pur-
sued the villain. The entire neighbor.
hood joined in the chase, includ-
ing an excited email boy on q
horse with an old-fashioned horse pis-
tol. The burglar, owing to Miss Dun
cans efforts, finally surrendered. He
was taken to house and triced up with
ropes, and telephone message was sent
to the poll ce department.. The patrol
wagon was dispatched to the scene,
where perhaps 500 excited people had
assembled. At the central police sta
tion he gave the name of Robert Will
liams. He stated that he came from
Texas about three months ago.
On entering the city prison Williams
remarked, You will never get me
across the bay"
Up to this time l6 robberies had been
committed, all in the daytime, and
while the members of the family were
absent. Detectives Auble and Benson
were detailed on the case, and have
found that in the 16 robberles about 500
articles Of jewelrv and silverware were
stolen, aggregating value of perhaps
$500. They have succeeded in recover
ing all except about $500 worth.
On the 9th of last July, the residence
of j. M. Schnitker, near Figueroa; and
Jefferson streets, was robbed of ~ arti-
cles of jewelry. A few moments after
this burglary several workmen saw Will
liams walking down the road. Williams,
thinking that the men had discovered
the robbery and were looking for him,
put the Jewels in an oyster can and hid
it under bush in the hedge road. In
the excitement of the moment he did
not mentally mark the spot, and before
his arrest, he returned three times
and searched for the oyster can of Jewels,
but failed to locate it. On last
Thursday Mr.. Schnitker visited the Of
fee of Chief of Police Glass, and the
burglar Williams happened" to be in
the office at the time, where he was
being questioned by the chief. Finally
Mr.. Schnitker asked the chief, "Who
stole my jewelry?" "That's the man !"
replied the chief, pointing to Williams,
scarcely believe that such young fellow
burglar remarked: "Well, as don't
expect to see the light for years, and
cannot now have the jewelry myself, it
&c hot ho IL
have it rather than let it lay
there in the dirt and rust"
and offered to go out and help 'turn it
up" Captain Roberts and Detectives
Auble and Benson, with the prisoner,
went to the vicinity Thursday after
noon, and after long search found the
oyster can OF jewelry, which was taken
to the chiefs Office and placed in the
care OF Clerk Moffatt, with the other 10
envelopes of jewelry which had been
recovered by Detectives Auble and Ben
son. On being further questioned after
his return. the burglar finally said to
Chief Glass. well, this is the way /
made the money" and then, pointing to
coniscated faro layout on the wall,
said, And that's the way have lost
it."
The other robberies reported are:
The residence of FL. L. Thomas, Main
and Thirty-sixth street.
William McKeever, ,707 West Sixteenth
street.
I. T. Richardson, Soto street, Boyle
Heights.
DR.. Traphagen, No. 13O East Twenty
fifth street.
II. Sullivan, Adams street.
Mrs. @. H. Montague, Adams street.
Mrs. E. Greenbaum, 1917 Cherry
street.
W. Perris, No. sol West irty-first
street.
J.. Z. Turner, 1921 Toberman street.
Charles G. Spring, 17l2 Bridge street.
DIR. B. F. Kierulf, 122 East Second
street.
Mrs. M. G. Allen, 14l7 Star street.
DIR. d. A. Eastman, 1874 West Eleventh
street.
DR.. F. M. Palmer, 1927 Toberman.
In some instances nothing was recov-
ered-not trace of the valuables being
left. In other cases the jewelry was
wholly and partly recovered.
On the report of Detectives Auble and
Benson, Clerk Moffatt issued Is search
warrants, each warrant describing the
Jewels lost in each houee. The detec-
tives traced the stolen jewels to little
jewelry repairing shop on North Will
mington street, between Requena and
Commercial street, kept by John Cos
tillo. He was arrested and subsequently
placed in the county jail, under bond
OF $4,000.