The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-23
DESPERATE BANDITS
KILL STREET CAR
PASSENGER
One Man Shot to Death and
Three Wounded by Masked
Highwaymen Who Are
Baffled in Attempt to Hold
up Los Angeles Interur-
ban.


LOS ANGELES, Cal, March 22.-
Three masked robbers attempted to
hold up a car on the Los Angeles Pa
cific electric line running between Los
Angeles and Santa Monica, about a
mile west of the city limits, last night.
and after a pistol duel between C. W.
Henderson, one of the passengers, and
one of the robbers, the other two high
waymen began shooting right and
left through the car One passenger
was killed and three wounded.
The Dead:
H. A. GRISWOLD, OF Manson, Iowa.
The Wounded:
j. c. Cunningham, of Los Angeles, a
prominent trunk manufacturer shot
lnrough the LETT thigh, thigh bone broken,
Ellis Pearson, shot through left leg.
J. {. Bowles, shot through left leg and
left hand.
bers was badly wounded.
Mr. Griswold was a wealthy citizen
of Manson, Iowa. He came here sew
eral months ago for the benefit of his
mothers health. The holdup occurred
at the head of deep cut. The rob-
bers had placed a steel rail, a large
bench and cement barrel on the
track.
Charles Curry, the motorman, saw
the obstruction when the car-Nas- sey-
eral hundred yards from 1t and at once
turned off 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 pas
sengers 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 Henderson, but as he
did so he. was seen to bend over and
cry out as if in pain. Then straight
ening up he began shooting at the
passengers huddled in the front seats.
One of his bullets struck Ellis Pear
son in the left leg. Henderson con-
tinued firing and the 1robber was seen
to fall.
Tragedy Inside Car.
. While this was going on on the out
side of the car, a tragedy was being
enacted In the inside of the car Two
robbers who had entered the rear door
commanded the passengers to raise
their hands and most of them did so.
Before any attempt could be made by
the robbers to search the passengers
for their Valuables the shooting be-
gan on the outside of the car Then
the other two robbers began shoot
ing right and left into the crowd of
passengers.
Griswold was seated about the mid
die of the car, with his back turned to-
ward the robbers. At the command,
Hands upl", he tried to secrete his
watch under his legs, und one of the
robbers, thinking he was about to
draw a gun, fired. point blank 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 seated at
his side.
DR.. G. H. Bowles was at 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 bullets
from the robbers revolver struck his
left hand and shattered the bones.
After emptying their revolvers the rob-
bers backed out of the door and sprans
off the car and disappeared.
Robbers Flee Empty Handed.
The car proceeded with all possible
speed to SawteIle, the nearest point
where medical did could be secured.
Griswold had expired before the car
reached there. He never spoke after
being shot. His money and watch
were found under the seat on which he
sat. His mother was covered with his
blood. She was almost crazed with
grief and fright
The bullet which killed him grazed
the cheek of a lady passenger
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,
Henderson, who had fired at the rob-
bers snrang from the car and started
struck wire fence, being knocked
down. While in that position he saw
two of the robbers run to a road near
by and climb into buggy and drive
towards the city. Every available Off
Ger was sent to the scene as soon as
the news of the robbery reached the
city, but no trace of the robbers was
found.
Owing to the confusion incident to
the shooting, practically no descrip-
tion was obtained except that. one was
tall and the other two of medium stat
ure.
The company will offer a reward of
$1,000 for the capture Of each of the
robbers. The highwaymen secured
nothing whatever from the passen-
e