Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-03
BAREFOOT BURGLAR
IS WELL GUARDED
THREE ARMED MEN WATCH
HIM CONSTANTLY
Negro Who Attempted to Break Jail
Is on Trial on Charges of Conn.,
hitting Many Rob-
berries


utations as expert gun fighters are
more than local j. @. Fleenor, the giant
negro barefoot burglar charged with
committing fifty-one robberies, is on
trial before a jury in Judge Smiths
department of the superior court.
The significance Of the number of
gun fighters in attendance was readily
appreciated yesterday in court when it
became known that Fleenor was the
negro who lead tho attempted jail
break at the county jail some weeks
ago and who with his bare hands
twisted and broke the huge steel locks
in the jail.
When the negro was told to prepare
for court yesterday morning he did
so with extreme care, putting on
neat black suit, white fancy vest and
some jewelry. He is as black as the
ace of spades and one of the ugliest
men that has ever been in custody in
Los Angeles, and his careful adornment
did not help his appearance.
Fleenor grinned when the officers
told him that it was time for him to
go to court. Deputy Sheriff Jack
Henry, bailiff Of the criminal depart
ment put on heavy pair of hand
cuffs and started the giant negro for
the street. At the door of the jail
Deputy Sheriff Crowley Joined them
and the negro walked between them.
Once during his trip to the court room
Fleenor looked behind him, and he
grinned as he saw Sheriff Hammel
walking along within few feet of him.
The sheriff held his right hand in his
coat pocket and Fieeror understood
Negro Behaves Well
In court he behaved himself in the
best possible manner, but all the same
one officer cat directly behind him,
while another stood in the passage
that the negro would have had to take
to gain his freedom.
At the noon recess Deputy Henry
cuffed F'leenor and started him for the
jail. At that time Fleenor took occa-
sion to glance about him as he reached
the clear street between the court
house and the Jail. His evident sus-
picion proved correct, for there within
few feet of him Martin Aguirre, the
jailor, former warden of San Quentin
penitentiary and ON of the surest
shots in the southwest, was following
along with a pe-uli-.r expression on
his face that suggested morgues and
inquests and things of that sort, and
Fleenor hurried on to the jail. The
same thing was repeated during the
four trips made to and from the jail
yesterday.
Fleenor yesterday wes being tried on
a charge Of having stolen a number Of
watches and rings from Harry Cook.
Fleenor confessed to the robberies fol-
lowing his arrest by Detectives Jones
and Boyd and then retracted and re-
fused to plead guilty. He was tried
on the complaint of Cook yesterday
and former fire chief Tom Strohm to-
day will give evidence in a second
charge made against Fleenor in which
the negro is alleged to have robbed
the Strohm residence.
Has HercuIean Strength
Since Fleenor's Incarceration in the
county Jail he has been carefully
watched. Ten days after he was put
in the county Jail he wrenched bar
off the plumbing in his cell and with
that managed to get his hand and arm
through the bars of his cell cage and
wrench off heavy steel lock. After
that he liberated another man in his
cell and then went to an adjoining cell,
where he wrenched off another lock and
liberated Stackpole, on life sentence
for the MURDER of Joel Scheck.
The men were Interrupted while try
ing to tear out the window frame and
one of the Jail guards fired on them,
the bullet striking the negro in the
forehead and glancinC off, leaving a
small cut. The next day the negro
was chained in his cell, Stackpole was
sent to San Quentin oenitentiary pend
ing his appeal and the third man
pleaded guilty to burglary and was
sentenced to eight years.
Fleenor, however, is fighting for his
liberty.
Yesterday in reference to his con-
fession, he alleged through his attor-
ney that he had been "whiskied" by
the detectives. Both detectives stated
that on the occasions they hat taken
the negro from the Jail to one or the
other of the places for Identification
on his earnest request they had bought
him a drink of whisky, but that he
never received more than one small
drink. The case will be continued to-
day the same strict watch being kept
on the negro giant