The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-07
VADIM DEMENS' CRIMES.
The Bold Cucamonga Robber
"a Son of an Angels
City Capitalist.
CAPTURED THROUGH STRATEGY.
Full Confession Made When Placed
Behind the Bars at San
BernarGino.

SAN BERNARDINO CAL. Sept. GA
Los Angeles High School boy, Is years old,
began career as a highwayman last Sat-
urday at the west end of this county, and
ended it to-day behind the bars of the
County Jail. His name is Vadim Demens.
He is feet 2, an athlete and the star
player of the Los Angeles High School
football team. His father is worth hall
million dollars. He was for many years Sec
ond vice-president and general manager OF
the Orange Belt Railway in Florida, owned
by the Drexels of New York. Fear of the
yellow fever drove him to Southern Cali
fornia few years ago and he got rich in
real estate.
The boy is wild and had come under his
fathers displeasure. School closed the
first week in June and he was sent to work
on his fathers fruit ranch at North Cuca-
monga in this county. He kept at it until
last week, when he was seized by desire
to visit Florida and determined to get the
money to travel on by robbery.
Saturday night, having stolen revolver,
young Demens held up D. Kilgore, the
Santa Fe agent at North Cucamonga. The
agent was called to the door of his office
about $50 o'clock, and as he opened the
door and stepped outside he was con-
fronted by Demens, who, holding a big
revolver at the agents mead, ordered him
to throw up his hands. Kilgore was so
badly frightened that instead of doing so
he turned and ran, meantime yelling at
the top of his voice. Demens fired as the
agent turned, the bullet whizzing past
Kilgore's head and going through win
dow. The robber himself was frightened
at the outcry and disappeared in the dark
ness.
Tuesday morning Demens held up a
.grocery-store at Ioamosa, a village four
miles from this scene of his former opera
/ ton. The storekeeper, William Johns,
was awakened about o'clock by some one
pounding at the back door of his store and
calling upon him to get up aud sell some
groceries. Johns at once got up, and after
hastily dressing went to the back door
and opened it, to be confronted by
tall man wearing mask and holding
revolver almost against the grocery
mans face. The order was given for him
to throw up his hands, and at the same
time shot was fired, the bullet passing so
close to John Is face that the powder burned
it. But instead of throwing up his hands
John fell forward and Demens grappled
with him, beating him over the head with
the revolver and inficting some very seri-
Gus injuries. Again he was frightened
away, and left without booty.
By as clever strategy as has been per-
formed in Southern California for some
time, Fred Pourade of this city, a special
officer of the Santa Fe, ran Demens down
in Los Angeles and secured the revolver,
the clothing, hat and mask which the
young desperate had worn during the
hold-ups.
Late this afternoon Demens made full
confession to the District Attorney. He
hopes to get off with sentence to the Re-
form School. After his arrest he sent the
following message to ibis father:
My Dear Father: have done a great wrong.
suppose you have heard about the hold-ups
at Cucumonga. 1 am in the hands of the San
Bernardino officers. Why did have a quarrel
with you! do not care what becomes of me.
1t is the shame on all you folks. Why did
not behave myself Come Immediately 10 San
Bernardino. VADIM.