The San Francisco call., 1901-10-30
NINE BURGLARS
CAUGHT IN TRAP
Chief Of Police Hodgkins
Holds Six at Bay
in Corral.
Entire Gang Of Eastern
Crooks Are Captured by
Three Brave Men.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
LIS Broadway Oct %

capture tnaC mas ever DcGil IlldQ6 III YAK
land was this afternoon at clock, when
Chief of Police Hodgkins, assisted only
by Detective George Kyle and his own
brother, Willard hodgklns, who Is not
member of the Police Department, cap
tu-ed an entire gang of nine men who
have been burglarizing the homes of Oak
land for the last few nights. For twenty
minutes Chief of Police Hodgkins alone
held at bay six of the men, while Detec-
tive Kyle chased and captured two, who
made break to escape, and Willard
Hodgkins captured another who had got
away at the moment of the first attack.
Kyle got his two men, young. Hodgkins
got his man and these three were herd
ed into the corral where the Chief re-
volver in hand, was keeping the other
six cowed. The nine were then loaded
into the patroI wagon and taken to the
City Prison, where tney are now on the
small book.
For the last few nights small burglaries
have been reported at ponce headQuar-
ters These always occurred at nIght,
and generally in houses where the people
were away. Goods and money were Ia
ken, and 1t seemed as il the thieves were
willing to take almost anything that
came under their sight.
Many Burglaries Committed.
The boldest bIrglaries were committed
last right, when several places were en-
tered and a large quantity or goods
taken. The most important or these cases
was the robbery of the residence OF Her
mann Bendel, one OF the members OF the
firm of Tillmann & Benoei. who lives on
the corner OF Fourth and Alice streets.
broken into and several hundred dollars
worth of jewelry and valuable dress
goods taken. Trunks were broken open
and everything of value taken, while the
rest of the contents was scattered about
the room.
the corner of Franklin and Eighth streets.
was entered ard SIS worth of valuable
tools taken.
Dickensons saloon, in West Oakland,
was broken into and TWO revolVers and
The house of Emery c. Thurber, at 81
Sixth street, was entered while the fam
lily was away for the evening. and
large quantity of goods was taken out
and piled upon the sidewalk. The thieves
were in the act of removing their plunder
when Z. ]. Desmond came along and the
men ran. Desmond pursued them, but
water front.
All told, there have been eight burgla-
ries in three days. and the Police De-
partment began to feel worried.
Detective Kyle was put to work upon
the case to-day. and little later Chief OF
Police Hodgkins whose detective work
has been most effective and attracted at
tention to the Oakland department. took
his brother Willard and began to do
little work himself. These three men met
III the lower part Ol TIC CITY WutIc lllc
gang seemed to have their headquarters.
and after some hard work they discov-
cred traces of the gang.
The Gang Is Located.
1t was found that some men, strangers
to Oakland and not very savory of ap
a building in the very center of the block
bounded by Second, Third, Jackson and
Madison streets. The rooms. were In a
building IN the rear of some old barns
a nd
as to be invisible FROM any street, and
extremely difficult to !ind.
Chief Hodgkins made his way over
fences and through lots until he reached
a small court or yard behind the building
that had been rented by the gang. In
this court were nine men, who were
wholly unsuspicious that the police were
around. Three of the men were prepar
ing to leave, by different routes. There
was no time to call for reinforcements,
for by the time the alarm could be sound
ed some If not all of the men would be
able to get away. There was only one
thing to do and that was to move in
stantly and take the chances of three men
with nerve capturing nine men, all' of
whom were desperate and armed
Without a moments hesitation Chief
Hodgkins motioned to his brother, who
formed a step with his hands and with
the old athletic trick tossed him upon
the roof of a low one-story building that
overhung the court where the men were
standing. 1t was the work of an instant
of another instant for the Chief to jump
into the midst of the gang, revolver in
hand.
Chief Hodgkins' Brave Act.
1t seemed as if he had dropped from
the sky, and most of the men were too
astOniShed to resist or run.
'I'll kill the first man that moves"
said the Chief.
But despite this threat the three men
who had already prepared to leave con-
l,%s- It,A
more activity. Two got through broken
fence and one went through small alley-
way in another direction.
Chief HodgkinS with his revolver COW
cred the other six and announced his de-
termination of killing the first man who
stirred. He had them so completely COW
cred that no one dared to take the
Meanwhile the man who had ESCAPED
alone tried to run, but was pursued by
Willard Hodgkins. The young man was
and finally overhauIed his man. IT, The Tfeffge feie
low started to draw revolver, but young
Hodgkins made a jump and before the
man knew what had happened he had him
him back to the corral where the other
six were held by the Chief.
The two men made their escape toward
the railroad trestle which crosses the arm
rest. By the time that Kyle reached the
trestle the men were well out upon n
anu Hedueu toward East oakland Kyte
took possession of the buggy of the Chief
of Police, which was near there. and
drove up to the Eighth-street bridge and
over to East Oakland. There he annear-
ed at the end of the trestle toward Which
the men were heading. AS soon as the
men saw him they turned back toward
where they started. hoping to get hack
before Kyle could again go the long dis
tance around by the Eighth-street hyidge
Kyle was equal to the emergency. and
picking up a citizen whom cllriositv ha5
brought to the scene, he stationed hin,
at the East Oakland end of the trestin
with a revolver and instructions to sboot
the men if they attempted to return ,Tbe
men could not see whether the guard at
the end was the detective or NOT and &c
none of the policemen were in ,Injforn,
the citizen did very well.
Three Fugitives Captured.
Kyle jumped into the buggy again .na
drove at the top of the speed of tho da
partment horse back to where he stort
ed He got there before the men ana re-
mained in concealment until thew waro
near enough to look into the muzzle ne
his revolver. Kyle handcuffed his ,,e ~,
and conducted them back to the corral eii
AS soon as Willard Hodgkins and Ev+,
returned with their men a telephone mss
sage was sent to the City Hail. ana mar,