The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-23
RESISTED ROBBERS
WITH BAD RESULTS
One Passenger Was Killed and
Three Were Wounded in
Battle.
ATTACKED NEAR LOS ANGELES
Believed One of the Three Masked
Highwaymen Was Wounded
Shot Unfortunately Into
Crowded Car.

Los Angeles. Cal. March 22.-Thret
masked robbers attempted to hold up a car
on the Los Angeles Pacific electric line run
ming between Los Angeles and Santa Mon
lea 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 crowded car.
One passenger was killed and three
wounded.
The dead:
II. A. GRISwoLD Of Manson. Ia.
Wounded
J. c. CUNNINGHAM of Los Angeles. promi-
nent trunk manufacturer. shot through the left
thigh. thigh bone broken: serious.
ELLIS PEARSON OF ssw;elIe. OF the Soldiers
Home the electric line. shot through the lef,
leg.
DOCTOR C H BowLEs of Los Angeles. shot
through left hand.
1t is believed that one of the robbers was
badly wounded.
Mr.. Griswold was a wealthy citizen of
Manson. la. He came here several months
ago for the benefit of his mothers health.
The holdup occurred at the head OF a
deep cut The robbers had placed a steel
rail on the track.
obstruction when the car was several hun
bred yards from It 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 passengers occupying open
seats to put up their hands and when one
of them did not comply he fired a shot.
FIGHTING BEGAN.
Henderson then opened fire on the rob-
Der shooting as fast as he could pull the
trigger The robber turned his gun upon
Henderson. but as he did so. he was seer
to bend over and cry out as II in pain.
Then Strengthening up he began shooting
st the passengers huddled in the front
seats One of his bullets struck Ellis Pear
son in the left leg.
Henderson continued firing ard the rob-
Der was seen to fall. While this was 60
ing on on the outside of the car a tragedy
was being enacted in the inside. The 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 Tor their valuables.
the shooting began on the outside OF the
car. Then the other two robbers began
shooting right and left into the crowd OF
passengers. --, -=..t . ,a.t ...sz-
DEAD IN MOTHERS LAP.
Grlswold 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
ana 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 al his
side.
Doctor c. H. Bowles was near the front
door and at the command OF the robbers he
raised his hands. When he had them in the
air. one OF the bullets from a robbers re-
Nolver struck his left hand and shattered
the bones.
After emptying their revolvers. the rob-
bers backed out of the door and sprang
from the car and disappeared. The car
proceeded with all possible speed to Saw
telle. the nearest point where medical aid
could be secured. Griswold expired before
the car had gone a 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.
MOTHER FRANTIC.
His mother was covered with his blood
and was almost insane from fright and
grief. The bullet which killed him grazed
the cheek Of Mics Anna Funk, who was
was taken off the car and conveyed to his
home. Other wounded persons were taken to
Santa Monica and given surgical attention.
As soon as the shooting was over Hender-
son, who had fired at the robbers, sprang
from the car and started to run. He ran
across a vineyard and struck wire fence.
being knocked down. While in that position
he saw two OF the robbers run 70 road
near by and climb into a buggy and drive
toward this city.
Every available officer was sent to the
scene as soon as the news of the robbery
reached the city, but no trace of the robbers
in
10 the shooting. practically no description
OF the men was secured except that one was
unusually tall and the other two of lower
stature.
The general manager of the company
stated tonight that the company will offer
a reward Of $1,000 for the capture of each OF
the robbers. The highwaymen secured moth
ing whatever from the passengers
That many more were not killed or wound
ed is little short Of miraculous Inside the
car were thirty or more passengers and
there were more than ten shots fired. Bull
lets were found imbedded In the woodwork
in many places when the car reached this
city.