Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-25
TWO MEN ROBBED
BY BRUTAL THUGS
REAL ESTATE DEALER HELD
UP IN FROST BUILDING
CLIENT IS NEARLY KILLED
Masked Robbers, Enter the Office Of
c. A. Thomas, Take His Money
and Assault and Rob
A. D. Lent


While seated in his office in the Frost
building about s o'clock last night c.
A. Thomas, a well known real estate
dealer, was held up and robbed by two
masked men armed with revolvers. E.
ID. Lent, one of Thomas patrons, who
entered the place while the thieves
were doing their work, was also robbed
and in addition received terrible beat
Ing for refusing to hold up his hands.
The bandits secured over $lOO from
Thomas while Lent was robbed of $40
which he had in his pocket.
Thomas has been in the real estate
business for some time at room 504
Frost building and enjoys a large pat
ronage among the working classes,
who pay for their property on the in
stallment plan. 1t was for the pur-
pose of receiving a couple of payments
that Thomas kept his office open after
the usual hour last night.
He was seated at his desk working
over the books when the door was
opened and some one walked into the
room. Thomas did not turn around
Immediately, thinking that it was some
customer who could wait minute
When he did look up the real estate
dealer found himself confronted by two
masked men armed with revolvers.
When one of the men gave the COM
mand, "hands up" Thomas was not
backward in comploying. He was
marched to a corner of the room and
made to turn his face to the wall with
his hands high above his head One of
the robbers kept the end of the barrel
of his revolver pressed against the
back of Thomas head, while the other
started toward the cash drawer
Second Victim Enters
1t was at this stage of the proceed
ings that Lent came into the office He
is a machinist employed by the South
ern Pacific and lives at I'LL East
Eighth street and had come down
town for the purpose of paying Thomas
an installment on some property which
he Is purchasing. Lent had $40 of the
money for the installment in his pocket.
When they heard Lent enter the room
both robbers covered him with their
revovers Then the one who had
started for the cash register before
his entrance walked over toward Lent
and commanded him to throw up his
hands.
Lent was not in a hurry to do so
and made a break as though to hit the
man behind the mask. The fellow
raised his revolver and struck the
young machinist a terrible blow be-
hind the ear. Instead of falling to the
floor Lent grappled with the robber and
fought with him all over the room, but
another blow on the back of the head
felled him and he lay unconscious.
Then the bandits proceeded with
the business of the evening. The one
who had struck Lent down went
through the PROSTATE mans pockets,
taking $40. but leaving a watch and
jewelry. After transferring the money
to his own pocket The robber went over
to the cash register and rif1ed it of its
contents, getting about $125 in all
When they had obtained the money
the pair quietly told Thomas to re-
main where he was and to make no
outcry under penalty of death. They
then left the office and ran down the
stairs and out of the building.
Calls for Police
No sooner had they left the room
than Thomas disregarded the warning
to remain quiet, hurried down the steps
in frantic endeavor to locate police
man. BY the time he had reached
the hallway, however, the robbers had
disappeared.
Thomas notified the police and then
bent his attentions to the care of Lent,
who was still unconscious. The in
jured man was bleeding freely and the
clinched with the robber, was covered
with blood.
Lent was removed to the receiving
hospital, where his injuries were
dressed by the surgeon in attendance
The first blow which the robber dealt
lists ear away, and several stitches
were take.l in the wound by the doc
tors. The cut on the back of the head,
which rendered him unconscious, was
long and deep, and required seven
stitches before 1t could be closed. Lent
is in preearlous condition. and had he
been man of weaker constitution the
receiving hospital surgeons express the
opinion that the blows would have
killed him.
Last nights hold-up is one of the
most daring that has been recorded in
local police annals. The Frost build
ing is in the heart of the city at Sec
end street and Broadway, within less
than two blocks of the police station.