Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-04
MURDERERLS
CAPTURED BY
PA7ROLMAN
OFFICER HAS DESPERATE
CONFLICT
THUG TRIES TO KILL HIS
cAPToR
Poiceman's Hand Is Torn by Revolver
Hammer-Subdues Fugitive
b. Terrific Blows on
Head
.contlnued from Page one.'


he asked, and made motion to arise.
IT then jerked his hand out of his
pocket and saw that the first finger
was gone.
Mitchell jumped UP and grabbed me
and we, clinched. / got him to the floor,
but he sprang up. Just as he did so
/ struck him in the face with my fist
and he fell to his knees but he was up
in an instant, and this time with re-
volver in his right hand
Roll on Floor
sJ erasped the weapon by the barrel
and tried to wrest 1t from Mitchell, but
his grip was too firm. He tried re-
peatedly to turn the muzzle toward my
body, and 1t was a hard task to Keep
him from doing so. / finally ran my
hand down the barrel and got my
thumb behind the trigger. My whole
thumb was inserted, and this probably
saved my life.
1--WE were down on the floor again,
rolling about. He pulled the trigger
repeatedly, but my thumb kept the re-
volver from being discharged. We
finally got to our feet and L called to
the men in the room to come to my as
sistance, telling them the man had
revolver
81 still held the revolver with my left
hand. while grasping Mitchells left arm
with my right hand.
'Then a man, who proved later to be
l w D. Murray, came up behind Mitchell
and struck him on the head with bill
Hard ball and as he turned to see who
had struck him 1 hit him in the face
with my right hand and he went down.
His cauture after that was easy
Makes Confession
Mitchell was taken to the police sta
tion and cIoseted in Captain Planners
office, where h, was examined. He
confessed his identity, and gave the Of
ficers facts which they refused to make
public.
Following the examination a state
ment was issued by Captain Flammer
and Prosecuting Attorney Fleming in
which they declared the men who killed
Patrolman Lyons were in the city jail.
Their statement follows
1--WE have theSpersons who committed
the robbery at Fourteenth street and
Central avenue last Saturday night. and
who killed Police Officer p. H. Lyons.
t''The defendants are, Rolla Robe and
Harry Mitchell
AFTER consultation with Prosecuting
Attorney o.. ]. Fleming we have~decided
that the evidence in our possession will
not be given to the public until it is
presented in court.
p. e. FLAMMER,
Captain of Detectives"
complaints against the above de-
PENDANTS will be issued tomorrow morn
ing, December 4. E. ]. FLEMING
Prosecuting Attorney"
Explaining his refusal to give out any
information regarding the statements
made by Mitchell, Prosecuting Attorney
Fleming said:
''The ends of justice will not be sub
served by giving what we have learned
to the public. My experience as a pros
ecuting officer has been that we have
had great difficulty in our trial of cases
when the facts in our possession were
known outside.
+ Certain of Conviction
However. l will say that 1 am certain
these men will be convicted. intend
to rush these cases as rapidly as pos
sible, always taking into consideration
the rights of the defendants, and ...ey
will be given the right of way over all
other cases.
II think the people of Los Angeles will
say when this thing is ended that YER
diets in these cases will have been more
quickly rendered than in any trial OF
recent years.
MitchelIs movements since his arrival
in Los Angeles were investigated yes.
terday after his arrest. He reached the
city about five weeks ago and secured a
room at 93s South Broadway. 1t was
at this place he met with an accident |
that caused him to later lose his finger, |
q mark of Identification on which the |
police have depended mostly as Il clew |
to the man. While examining a revolver |
in his room the weapon was accidentally |
discharged, the bullet making its way |