The herald., 1896-12-04
FOOTPADS AGAIN AT WORK
II. N. Leach Held up and Robbed on
Buena Vista Street Bridge
Relieved of His Watch and Money at the
Muzzle of a Revolver-Two Sus-
poets Under Arrest.

Hod-ups are of nightly occurrence in the
city just at present. and the footpads seem
to operate in utter fearlessness of the
officers of the law. working in thickly pop
uiated sections of the city and on the main
thorcughfares At 6:l5 last evening Harry
NJ Leach. machinist residing at $40 North
Siche street. was compelled at the point Of
a revolver to deliver his money ana watch
TO a couple of robbers on the Buena Vista
street bridge.
Mr. Leach was on his way home from
work mounted on his bicycle. When two
thirds of the way over the bridge he was
stopped by two well-dressed young fellows
one of whom stuck a gun under his nose
and commanded hands up. The other man
defty went through Leach's pockets while
ne stood helpless. getting some sS In cash
and a silver watch.
While the men were going through him
Leach says an electric car passed by over
the bridge withing fifteen feet of where he
was standing yet he dared not make an
outcry with the muzzle of the revolver in
such dangerous proximity to his body.
Alternating all he had the highwaymen
backed off a short distance. then turned
and ran. disappearing quickly in the dark
ness.
Proceeding to the East Side police station
Leach told of what had happened and de-
! scribed the men. 1t was too dark for MIN TO
distinguish their features, but both were
young we'll dressed and of medium height.
| One had on soft felt white hat the other
a dark derby. Acting on this description
| Sergeant McKeag went to the scene and
shortly afterward found two young fellows
under the approach Of the bridge:
| AS the officer came up they ran, but were
| halted and arrested. In general appearance
| they answered the description Of the rob
bers even to the whiteh at worn by one o
them. On being searched at the station
| nothing discriminating was found. but they
| were locked up pending further invest1ga
tion. Leach was shown the prisoners but
failed to identify either of them positively
enough to swear that they were his assail-
ants. Unless further. evidence is found
| they will probably be released this morning
| Mr.. Leach is well-known on the Eas.
| Side. being a candidate for councilman
from the First ward on the Socialist Labor
ticket. That he was held up and robbed
there is no doubt, but the prospects for the
| apprehension of the footpads are not very
bright.
SANDBAGGED AND ROBBED.
Lying unconscious on the sidewalk or
Fifth street a block abovet he Arcade de-
| pot at 1:35 last night. George j. Hall. a
mining man of Cherokee. near San Juan,
was found by f. l.. Hall. an eastern news
paper man. who picked UP the sufferer
| partially recuscitated him and led him tc
the polices tation. Hall was bleeding from
a confused wound back of the right ear
| looking as though inflicted with with a
slung shot and had been relieved of all his
| NHludDltS.
After having his lacerated scalp sewed up
and bandaged in the receiving hospital
| Hall told his story. He arrived in the city
| on Wednesday afternoon and is stopping
| at the Natick house Last evening about
| o'clock he went down TO the Arcade de-
! pot to ascertain the time of departure of a
| train for Tehachepi While there q
stranger accosted him and invited him to
| have drink. which was not refused.
| A few minutes later Hall started up town
| but had gone only about block when he
| was felled from behind by blow struck by
an unseen hand. How long he laid where
| he dropped Hall did not know, but from
| his statement it must have been from
| about 9 o'clock until discovered at II :S5.
When he came to he found that his gold
watch, worth about $40. and S17.20 in cash
| all he had on his person. was missing.
| No one was in sight when the newspaper
man stumbled over his body and there is
absolutely no clue to the perpetrators of
the deed. A description OF tl.~stranger
with whom he took the drink was furnish
ed to the police and he will be looked up by
| the detectives.