Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-23
ROBBERS RAID STREET CAR
Shoot Right and Left Among Crowd Of
Covering Passengers.
IOWA MAN FALLS DYING IN MOTHERS LAP
Merry Traveller Repels Attack with
Revolver, Thus Precipitating Gem
ernl FusiIade, saving Conn
paniOns' vaIuables.

LOS ANGELES, Cal, March 22.-Later
details concerning the street car holdup
last night show that after a pistol duel
between c. w. Henderson, one Of the pas
sengers, and one OF the robbers, the other
two highwaymen began shooting right and
left through the crowded car.
One passenger was killed and three
wounded.
The dead:
H. A. GRIswoLD Of Manson, Ia
The wounded:
J. C. Cunningham Of Los Angeles, thigh
bone broken; serious.
Ellis Pearson of sawtelle, shot through
left leg.
DR.. c. H. Bowles Of Los Angeles, shot
through left hand
1t is believed that one Of the robbers
was badly wounded.
Mr. Griswold came here several months
ago for the benefit of his mothers health.
Car Strikes Obstruction.
The holdup occurred at the head of
deep cut. The robbers had placed a steel
rail, large bench and a cement barrel
on the track. Charles Curry, the motor
man, saw the obstruction when the car
was several hundred yards from IL and at
once turned of the current and ran slowly
to the place. The moment the car struck
three men wearing masks over their faces
sprang from the weeds alongside the track.
One boarded the front end of the car and
the other two the rear end. The first man
commanded the passengers occupying the
open seats to put up their hands and when
one Of them did not comply he fired a
shot. Henderson then opened fire on the
robber, shooting as fast as he could pull
the trigger.
The robber turned his gun upon Hem
derson, hut as he did SO he was seen to
bend over and cry out as IL in pain. Then
Strengthening up he began shooting at the
passengers huddled in the front seats.
One Of his bullets struck Ellis Pearson in
the left leg. Henderson continued firing
and the robber was seen to fall.
While this was going on the two robbers
who had entered the rear door commanded
the passengers to raise their hands and
most Of them did so, but before they were
searched the shooting began on the out
side. Then the other two robbers began
shooting right and left into the crowd Of
passengers.
Falls Dying in Mothers Lap.
Griswold was seated about the middle
OF the car with his back turned toward the
robbers. At the command, Hands up!"
he tried to secrete his watch under his
legs and one Of the robbers, thinking he
was about to draw a gun, fred point blank
at him. The bullet struck him in the back
OF the neck and he fell over into the Ian
OF his aged mother, who was seated at his
side.
DR.. G. H. Bowles was near the front door
and at the word OF command raised his
hands. When he had them in the air one
OF the bullets from a robbers revolver
struck his left hand and shattered the
bones. After emptying their revolvers the
robbers backed out of the door, sprang of
the car and disappeared, '.st.s, s.s.t e
The car proceeded with all possible speed
to Sawtelle, the nearest point where med
ical aid could be secured
Griswoid expired before the car had gone
mile He never spoke after he was shot
and when his body was lifted from the
car at Santa Monica his watch was found
under him on the seat His mother was
covered with his blood and was almost in
sane from fright and grief The bullet
which killed him grazed the cheek OF Miss
| Anna Funk, who was travelling with him.
At sawtelle Pearson was taken off the
car and conveyed to his home. The other
wounded persons were taken to Santa
Monica and given surgical attention.
AS soon as the shooting was over Hen
derson sprang from the car and started to
run. He ran across a vineyard and struck
a wire fence, being knocked down. While in
that position he saw two of the robbers
run to road nearby and climb into a
buggy and drive toward Los Angeles.
Every available officer was sent to the
scene but no trace of the robbers was
found. owing to the confusion incident to
the shooting no description was received
except that one was an unusually tall and
the other two of lower stature.
The general manager of the company to-
night offered a reward of $1,000 for the
capture Of each of the robbers. The high
waymen secured nothing whatever from the
| passengers.
| Inside the car were thirty or more pas
| sengers and there were more than ter
shots fred. Bullets were found imbedded
| in the woodwork in many places wher
| the car reached this city.