The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-23
WITH READY GUNS
ROBBERS SOUGHT TO ROB CAR
PASSENGERS.
WERE MET WITH BULLETS
ROBBERS AND PASSENGERS WERE
HURT IN MELEE.

Three Masked Men Placed an OBJ
structiOn in the Way of n Cali
fornia Electric Car-when 1t
Stopped They Ordered "Hnnds
Up"-One Hand Held a Pistol as 1t
RespOnded-In the Firing That
Followed "A Man who Was Killed
Fell Into His Mothers Lap.
Los Angeles, Cal, March 22.-Three
masked robbers attempted to hold up
car on the Los Angeles Pacific Elec-
trio Line, running between Los An
geles and Santa Monico, about a mile
west of the city limits last night, ard
after a pistol duel between c. w. Hen
derson, one of the passengers, and one
of the robbers, the other two highway
men began shooting right and left
through the crowded car.
One passenger was killed and three
wounded.
The dead:
H. A. Griswold of Mason, Ia.
The wounded:
j. c. Cunningham of Los Angeles.
shot through the left thigh, 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 rob-
bers was badly wounded.
Mr.. Griswold was a wealthy citizen
of Mason, Ia. He came here several
months ago with his mother for the
benefit OF her health.
The hold-up occurred at the head of
deep cut. The robbers had placed a
steel rail, a large bench and a cement
barrel on the track.
Chas. Curry, the motorman. saw the
obstruction when the car was several
hundred yards from it and at once
turned off the current and ran slowly.
Passenger Began Firing.
The moment the car struck. three
| men wearing masks sprang from the
| weeds alongside the track. One board
| ed the front end of the car and the
other two the rear end. The first one
commanded the passengers to put up
their hands, and VIXEN one of them
| did not comply, he fired a shot Hen
| derson then opened fire on the rob-
bers.
The rohber turned his gun upon Hen.
| derson, but as he did so he was seer
| to bend over and cry out as If in pain
| Then Strengthening up he began shoot
! ing at the passengers on the front
| seats. One of his bullets struck Ellis
! Pearson in the left leg. Henderson
| continued firing, and the robber was
| seen to fall.
| The rnhhnrS v11bo hod 1.
| rear door commanded the passengers
| to put up their hands, and most OF
them did so. Before the robbers could
| search the passengers the shooting be-
gan on the outside of the car Their
the. other two robbers began shooting
| right and left among the passengers
Griswold was seated about the mid
! die of the car, with his back toward
| the robbers. At the command hands
up" he tried to hide his watch. and
| one of the robbers, thinking he was
about to draw gun, fired pointblanh
| at him. The bullet struck him in the
| back of the neck, and he fell over into
the lap of his aged mother who was
| at his side.
Got Bullet Through His Hand.
DIR. c. B. Bowles was near the front
| door, and at the command of the rob-
| bers he raised his hands. When he
| had them in the air one of the bull.
| let's from a robbers revolver struck
! his left hand and shattered the bones
After emptying their revolver the
robbers backed out of the door, sprane
off the car and disappeared. The cal
ran rapidly to Sawtelle, the neares
| point, where medical aid could be Sc.
| cured. Griswold expired before the cal
| had gone a mile. He did not speaI
| after he was shot. and when his body
| was lifted from the car at Santa Moni.
co his watch was found under him or
| the seat. His mother was covered
with his blood and was almost insane
with fright and grief
| Henderson, who had fired at the
robbers, sprang from the car and rar
across a vineyard. He saw two OIL
| the robbers climb into buggy ant
| drive toward this city.
| officers were sent to the scene, but nc
| trace of the robbers was found. Owing
| to the confusion practically no de-
| scription of the men was secured.
The general manager said that the
company would offer a reward of ST.
600 for the capture of each of the rob-
| bers.
| The highwaymen secured nothing
| from the passengers. Inside the cal
were thirty or more passengers, and
! more than ten shots were fired. Bull
lets were found imbedded in the wood
work in many places when the car
| III it,