The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-01
CHOKED BY A THIEF.
A WOman's Desperate Struggle
With R0bber.

Monetta Gerroll. tall. muscular Italian
woman, recently had hand to : hand
struggle with desperate robber which. ac-
cording to the Cincinnati Enquirer, had
thrilling denouement
The woman's nerve and strength of limb
foied the attempt Of big cOlOred man to
take a considerable sum of money from her,
and the timely arrival of patrolman, Jack
Canan, forced the robber TO relinquish the
desperate struggle.
The man escaped by plunging through
second story window, carrying away the
sash. He landed in an alleyway, scrambled
to his feet and made his escape.
The woman is the wife of a fruit-vender
who has little store at PIC Plum street,
and he occupies the two front rooms in the
second floor If tie dingy brick building,
with his wife and several small children.
Mrs. Gerroll was busy with her household
work i'll the front room. Her children
were playing on the floor, and the voices Of
the persons in the rear rooms could be
plainly heard. 1t seemed the most iuIprob-
able time and place possible for daring
attempt at robbery.
According to the fashion of the women of
her country, Mrs. Gerroli wore a leather
purse seWed TO the side Of her dress skirt,
where she carried her valuables The per-
sonal articles were of little worth, consist
ing OF a lew small trinketS, but as the
woman seems 10 have held the position of
treasurer in her husbands fruit business
there was sufficient money in the purse to
make it a valuable booty for Iobber. 1t
contained about $50 in bills and about a
dozen $40 gold pieces.
A knock at the door attracted the
Woman's attention. She supposed the person
who sought entrance was some of the other
occupants Of the house, and size called to
the knOcker to come in. A big mulatto
pushed open the door. The woman looked
at him inQuiriugiy, but before she could
speak he seized ner by the throat aud bore
her to the floor She tried to scream. but
could not utter q sound. She could struggle
very vigorously, however, and the children,
frightened half 10 death, did the screaming.
The colOTed man seized the purse with one
hand, graSping the wOman's throat with the
other. He tried 10 tear the purse from the
w0man's dress, but 1t was too firmly sewed.
Finally Mrs. GerToll managed to release
herself from the sut1ocating grasp upon her
throat as she rolled and struggled with the
TObber. She fought him with renewed
vgOr, and was turning the tide Of victory
in her own favor when the interruption
came.
Tue screams of the children had been
taken up by every female in the house, al
though most of them had not the least idea
what they were screaming for. PatrOlman
Calnan heard the racket and thought the
house was on fire. He rushed upstairs and
into the room where the woman was strug-
Cling with the rob0er. When she saw the
policeman the woman promptly released
her hold ON the colOred man and went into
Mysteries. The II bier caught sight of the
fficeT at the same moment aud did not hes
itate second. lie plunged through the
side window with a crash that could be
heard for half a block, and struck the
muddy ground OF the alley amid the CHATTER
of broken glass He ran through the net
work of alleys in the neighborhOOd and had
made his escape before the officer could
come down the Iickety stairway.
In the pockets Of clothing discarded by a
burglar in Indiana were found translation
of Caesars Commentaries and problem In
algebra.