Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-07
HighwaymenOperate
a Block from
City Jail
>Nervy Methods Employed
but Only Small Sum
Is Secured
Driver for Dairy Faces Four Holdup
Men, Each Of Whom Carries
an Ugly Looking
Revolver

Within a stones throw of the police
station and so near that yell would
have been heard by dozen officers,
four masked highwaymen, armed with
heavy revolvers held up and robbed ].
II. Caff1n, driver for the Belle Vernon
Farms company, just before sunrise
yesterday morning.
The robbery took place on Hill street
near First, just around the corner from
the police station and city Jail. The
nerve of the holdups in committing the
robbery there can hardly be understood
by the police, as patrolmen are continu-
ally passing that corner on their way to
and from the police station.
The amount of money obtained by the
four robbers was small, paltry $1.25
but according to Caffin they exhibited
nerve worthy of a greater reward.
Caffin was making his morning
rounds, delivering milk to customers
in the neighborhood. He had just ar
rived beneath the heavy pepper trees
which shade the walk there when he
saw a man step out from the shadow
of the trees and grasp one of his horses
by the bride
Four Men Confront Him
Let go of that horse shouted Caf1n,
not understanding the robbers purpose,
but he turned in astonishment when he
heard voice at his right say:
Let go of nothing. Throw up your
hands"
Caffin promptly obeyed the command,
but at the same time turned to look at
the speaker. AS he did so he found
himself gazing down the barrel of a
large revolver. Caffin turned to the left
with the intention of springing to the
pavement from that side of the wagon,
but there he was met by third man.
also armed with large revolver. who
poked its muzzle into the drivers face
and commanded him in hoarse tones to
take things easy.
Caffin by thiss time was prepared to
see almost any number of men, and
conse Iuently was not surprised when a
fourth appeared at the side of the
wagon and told the driver to keep his
hands up. His pockets were then rified,
with the result stated.
During all this time Caffin had not
spoken.
Offers Good Advice
The fourth man went through his
pockets, taking all the money he could
find. When he had finished the work
he spoke in low tone to his compan-
ions and then, turning to Caffin, said:
"You drive right ahead. young man,
and keep on showing good sense by not
making any noise and you will be all
right. If you try to come back toward
the police station you will get yours"
IT was so surprised at the manner in
which the men~held me up that / could
say nothing" said Caffin soon after the
holdup. IT watched them all the time
they We're robbing me, and they ap-
peared like old hands at the game. If
there had only been one or two of them
I would have risked a fight, despite
their revolvers, but four men are too
many for one man to handle.
Men Are Merry
1.-THE fact that the men held me up in
the place they did certainly shows their
nerve We were but a short distance
from the station, and I know If / had
shouted the officers would have heard
me. had good reason for not doing so,
: however and do not feel that I care to
get into the practice of looking down
gun barrels held in the hands of holdup
men.
Each of the robbers wore a mask,
and all were roughly dressed. Three of
them were large men, while the fourth
was somewhat smaller. 1t was in the
shadow of shade trees and 1 could not
get a good look at two of the men, but
the other two were smooth shaVen.
would not know the men If saw them
again. but / think l would recognize
the voice of the one who spoke last to
me-"
The nerve shown by the robbers has
mystified the police completely, and
they say they have no clew as to the
identity of the thieves.