The herald., 1895-10-04
THE WAR GOES BRAVELY ON
Another Turn in the Larrabee-
Levering Imbroglio
ANOTHER COMPLAINT ISSUED
The Electric Railroad Superintendent t
Charged With Perjury
Preliminary Examination In the San Gabriel
Embezzlement Case-J. w. Davis Ac-
quilted Of Perjury Court Notes

The district attorney yesterday issued
complaint against W. D. Larrabee, charg-
ing HIM with perjury. The complaining
witness is ]. H. Levering. Mr.. LARA.
bee, who is the superintendent of the Los
Angeles and Pasadena electric roads,
some days ago swore out complaints
against Levering and several teamsters
working under his direction. charging
them with grand larceny. stealing a num-
Der OF steel rails and bolts, the property
OF the railroad company which he repre-
sents. On this complaint a warrant was
issued and lowering was arrested, spend
ing one night in Jail, his employees be-
ing allowed to go on their own recogni-
zance. The following day lowering and
his men were taken before Township jus
tice Young, arraigned and held to an
swe-. Later in the day, however , the
charges against all the parties were dis
missed and they were discharged. Lar
rabee subsequently brought civil suit t,
recover the property in dispute.
Since that time lowering has persist
emily and diligently hung about the dis
trict attorneys office, insisting that
complaint should issue against Larrabee
for perjury, in that be swore falsely
when he made the complaint against him
and his employees charging them with
grand larceny. Yesterday this com plant
was issued, Larrabee was arrested and
taken before Township Justice Young,
who released him on his own recogni-
ance.
The case Is n peculiar one, and 1t is
more than probable that if an investga-
ton had been made in the first instance,
the district attorney would have refused
a complaint, and the matter would have
been settled in the civil court, where it
finally landed, and where it properly be-
longsd. The alleged larceny by lowering
consisted IN the removal of some eighty
steel rails from a piece of private prop
erty on which they were laid, by the
direction of the owner OF the land, who
thought she owned the iron and sold it.
The old foot hill road had been granted
a right of way through this property by
the owner at the time. who held it I'M
der contract to purchase. Failing to
complete his contract the land reverted
back to the original owner, enriched by
the railroad ZION ana ties. The iron lay
on the ground for months rusting away,
ana as there ola not seem TO De any Ike
lihood cf the railroad ever starting up
the owner sold the rails and hired Lever
ing to remove them and deliver tbem to
the purchaser. Larrabee, on ascertaining
that lowering was moving the rails. the
whole operation having taken place in
daylight. posted off in hot haste to the
district attorneys office. where he told
the story of the theft of the railroad.
Without any corroborative evidence COM
plants were sworn to against lowering
and enough John Does to cover the man,
Der OF employees, warrants were issued
and officers sent out to arrest the wagon
train. The outfit was found on the ROAD.
and lowering was taken in, the officer
taking the res possibility of allowing the
employees to go on their own recogni-
zance. The subsequent action taken is
given above.
This is, in brief, story of the whole
transaction. Had wen few questions
been asked. Mr.. Larrabee would, doubt
less, have been referred to his private at
torney, with the information that it was
a matter for the civil courts, as the Grim
inal machinery of the county could not
be usd for settling civil business. But
this was not done, and before the whole
affair is finally settled, some hundred
dollars of the peoples money will have
been spert,