The San Francisco call., 1905-02-24
HIS NEPHEWS
The BURGLARS
Grocer, a Victim of Thefts.
Traps His Own Relatives
by a Clever Contriyance
WORKS BELL AND LIGHT
Keeps Vigil Over Store and
Is Rewarded After Two
Weeks of Watch by Night
Oakland Office San Francisco Cali.

Oakland Office San Francisco Call.
1915 Broadway, Feb. %.
j. w. Reed, grocer at 1912 Clay
street, set trap for burglars and bag
ged a pair of them in the shop early
this morning. To his amazement the
captured birds of night proved to be
Reeds nephews, Jesse and Lloyd Rus
sell, rs and 21 years old, respectively.
The brothers were sent to the City
Prison. The uncle has not decided
whether he will prosecute the young
men.
The pair were caught by the success
full operation of clever mechanical con-
trivances which Reed employed to trap
the thieves, who q months had been
helping themselves to his money and
goods. The cash drawer in the Office
had been the objective point of attack.
Money left in the till disappeared over
night with regularity. The grocer with
some ingenuity fixed up his trap. He
connected the rear basement door Of
the store with an electric attachment
Upon the opening of the door this ap-
paratus would start bell ringing in
small room over the rear of the
store where Reed kept vigil after busi-
ness hours. To that hiding place was
also run an electrical connection to all
of the lights in the store. BY pulley
device Reed could turn on the lights
without leaving his place of Conceal
ment.
After waiting patiently for two
weeks Reed was aroused soon after 2
o'clock this morning by the burr-r-r-r
of the bell. The awakened shopkeeper
grabbed his pistol, set the lights going
and rushed to the store. He had
startled the two men, whom he plainly
saw standing among the piles of
groceries, evidently alarmed by the
sudden fare of lights
Reed fired two Shots at the intruders,
who ran to the basement, trying to es-
cape by the rear door through which
they had entered. But the grocer
headed off the trapped men and as they
started to run UP the back stairs he
covered them with his pistol, shouting:
Don't come up here or I'll kill you
BOTH
Don't shoot" came the plea from
the cornered pair. Don't shoot; we
will not move"
Hold up your hands and go up
stairs into the store" demanded the de-
termined grocer The brothers obeyed
orders. Reed entered the warerooms
and telephoned to the police, all the
while keeping his prisoners under range
of the pistol Captain of Police w. j.
Petersen and sPatroiman Walters hur-
ried to the grocery and quickly re-
lieved Reed of his captives. The grocer
did not recognize his nephews until one
of them addressed him as uncle" after
the police arrived.
At the City Prison skeleton keys were
found on Jesse Russell. He has been
in trouble with the police before. In
1899 Russell was arrested on a charge
of selling a horse and buggy he had
hired from Gates stable. Russell was
freed on a writ of habeas corpus.
Lloyd Russell had been in his uncle's
employ but was discharged some time
ago. He was familiar with the store
and his uncle's business routine.
The thefts at Reeds had been in
vestigated by the detectives for weeks.
They reported that the burglaries were
undoubtedly committed by some one
who well knew the ins and outs of
the place. In police parlance they were
inside" jobs.