The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-08-05
Wanted Feed for His Team, and
Lots of II
BEDBURY IN THE TOLLS
A Midnight Rid: to The Palms and
Back Again
Stole Sixty Sacks OF Grain From q Ranch
and Brought II to Town-A Quick
Capture and Conviction

A self-confessed thief, Charles o.
Bedbury. now languishes in the city Jail,
having been caught and convicted of
petty larceny in less than sixteen hours
after the commission of the crime. Bed
bury is teamster having his own team
and wagon. and lives in barn in the
block bounded by Winston, Fourth, San
Pedro and Los Angeles streets. He has
been in hard luck lately, had but little
money and his horses must be fed, so he
resolved to get something for them to
eat and get enough to last for a time
while he was at it.
Accordingly he hitched up late Mon
day night, having already prepared his
wagon for a load by fastening a hay
rack to it. Then ae drove off in the dark
ness and late at night pulled up along
side stack of 600 bags of barley on the
ranch of George Mclaughlin, near The
Palms. The threshers had just COM
pleted their work and left the sacks of
grain neatly piled up in the field in ten
rows of sixty each
Bedbury was not hoggish, but he
wanted all he could carry, so loaded up
his wagon with sixty sacks, one entire
row. doubtless thinking ths> the pile
appearing undisturbed the loss would
not be so quickly noticed. Then he drove
off for town. In the morning Mr.. Nc
Laughlin happened along and immedi-
ately discovered the theft of the grain.
The deep imprint of the wagon wheels
was left in the soft ground of the field
and these he followed until they merged
into the highroad and headed toward
the city. He then mounted a horse and
stuck to the trail.
The rack that Bedbury had on his wa
gon was loose and full of nails. some of
which made holes in the barley sacks
and allowed the grain to fall to the
ground. BY these scattered grains Me
Laughlin traced his barley to the cor
ner of Washington and Figueroa streets.
He found that a man with a load of
sixty sacks of barley had stopped at the
Farmers mill on Wesley avenue and de-
sired to have his grain rolled for feed.
but. thinking their price too high, had
pushed on. Then Mclaughlin came to
police headquarters and reported the
facts. Detective Goodman was detailed
on the case and went to Washin gton and
Figueroa streets. where the trail had
been lost.
Slowly and carefully the wagon was
traced to the Atlas mills, where it was
found that Bedbury had left his grain to
be crushed and would return for il,
later in the day. Coming back to the
police station a warrant for his arrest
was sworn out and given TO Detective
Auble to serve, as Goodman had re-
NAMED at the mill to watch for the
return of the thief .luble laid in wait
for the culprit until $50, when Bedbury
showed up and claimed his barley. The
bill for crushing came TO So, of which
Bedbury paid $3.50. all. he had, and was
to leave some OF the grain as security
until he paid the balance. He COM
menced TO load up his wagon and was
arrested.
The prisoner was taken imrI ediately
into the police court before Justice Nor
rison. where the complaint was read.
to which he entered plea Of guilty.The
circumstances of the affair were related
by the detectives. the trial was over and
Bedbury re-nanded to jail under $500
bonds, or 500 cash bail. to appear for
sentence today Mr.. Mclaughlin will
get his barley back, all crushed ready
for feed and hauled to market without
cost, except to Bedbury, and to him it
will probably prove z dear experience.