The herald., 1897-03-26
THE FORESTERS' FUNDS
AN ENTERPRISING BURGLAR
AND HIS WORK
Desks of the Officials of the 7. o. F.
Broken Open and Robbed-Hard
Work and Little Plumber

Tne independent Order Oh fOreSterS
has its state headquarters in this city,
the principal officers being We'll known
residents. The order is also very large
ly represented here, comprising many
courts. one of which, Court Los Angeles.
No 422, has q membership Of nearly
700 AL members Of this order are in
sured on the assessment plan, and nat
uraMy the sum paid to financial secre-
tary Of court like Los Angeles No. 422
is often quite large.
This was doubtless understood by one
OF the numerous professional burglars
who are spending the winter in Los
Angeles and incidentally doing little
crib-crack cking to pay expenses. This
smooth gentleman of the jimmy had
doubtless observed the large number of
dollars that were paid dRily to r. w.
Wismer, financial secretary of Court Los
Angeles, at his office on the third floor
of the Los Angeles National bank block,
corner First and Spring streets, and
he wanted them.
The results, which are now given pub
licity for the first time to The Herald
exclusively. have been kept quiet by
the police detectives but the facts
would not'keep any longer, and they were
unearthed yesterday.
On the afternoon of Saturday, Feb
ruary 18th. MIR. Wismer left his office at
1880 o'clock. locking his desk and the
doors, as usual. Upon returning about
three hours later he was astounded with
the discovery that his desk had been
pried open in some manner and all the
valuable contents taken. These con-
sisted of a scash tray containing 500 and
a number of postage stamps. The sur
prise as to the manner in which the
bold burglar gained entrance to the Of
flee was over when 1t was found that
a window In the hallway, over the stairs,
was open, and the marks of a mans
hand were plainly seen on the dusty
sill. This window was fully ten feet
above the stairs, but the burglar had
managed to reach it by climbing door
hung in the stairway. The desk was
evidently broken open with a fiat jim
my or chise.
The next break made by this burglar
for Forester funds was made at the
High Court office in the Phillips block
on the night of March 18th. The lock on
the Office door was picked, evidently
with a pair of pliers. The desk of High
Secretary w. H. Perry was broken open
and the contents ransacked. The bur-
glar secured about SO in postage
stamps of the denominations of ones,
twes. fives and tens. But he also took
something Of far more value to Mr.. Per-
ry in the form of the new and elegant
grand cross of merit. badge of honor
recently presented to him by the SUI
preme court. Its intrinsic value was
$50 or $50, but to the owner it possessed
q personal value much higher.
And the fiend of the Foresters. still
pursued them. Thinking that II he could
find a snug little sum in change during
the daytime at Mr.. Wismer's office, he
might strike a gold mine at night, the
burglar made another raid on Tuesday
night, sometime between IL o'clock and
morning. Although he met with some
difficulty in making an entrance to the
hall and desk. and was poorly paid for
his pains, he did the work in regulation
style. He fire tried the window, but 1t
was securely fastened and, although he
tried to pry 1t up with his jimmy, failed
to raise 1t. Then an attempt was made
to pry open the main door of the hall,
with no better results. Finally he punch
ed few holes through the panel of the
door. and with huge claspknife made
an opening large enoughoto admit slis
hand and enable him to spring the tolt.
The visitor must have had very small
hand, as several gentlemen who ex-
amined the opening in the door were un
able to get their hands through the
hole. The burglar broke the blade of his
knife while at work and afterwards
dropped 1t inside, where it was found.
1t had a large blade and horn handle.
The cracksman found more difficulty
in forcing Mr.. Wismer's desk this time,
and was obliged to split the front while
prying 1t open. But he did not find much
treasure, although he overhauled every
drawer and pigeon hole. His booty for
the nights job consisted of $1.32 in pos
tage stamps. 70 cents in silver, 81 cents
in copper coin and newly designed
badge for the recording secretary.
Mr.. Wismer has decided that for the
present at least he will not leave pos
tage stamp or a copper coin in his desk
while absent, as the burglarious gem
tleman is evidently determined to keep
up his hunt for the funds of the For
esters.