Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-29
SOCIETY GIRL
HYGHWA YMAN
POLICE CONVINCED HoLpuP WAS
ON A BET
RosRER AFTER EXCITEMENT,
NOT MONEY
Was Satisfied with Few Dollars,
Whereas She Might Have Had
Several Hundred Dollars Had
She Wanted Loot

That a young woman, probably a So
ciety leader in Los Angeles, held up and
robbed car No, IS on the Redondo- Ingle-
wood line Tuesday night in order to win
a bet. is the general opinion among the
detectives and police officers who have
been working on the case
This opinion was arrived at only after
the ground had been carefully gone over
and all the passengers who were on the
car questioned.
The officers say that no man daring
enough TO commit robbery of the nature
of the one Tuesday night would be so
nervous during the commission of the
crime, or would be satisfied with such
a small amount of money from among
60 many passengers,
The revolver which was used was
Colts automatic pistol, and to those
who were near enough to observe it, APP
peared to be new one, and it is thought
1t was purchased for the express pur-
pose of holding up the car with it.
Handkerchief Is Dainty
The handkerchief which was used as
a mask by the robber. together with the
false mustache, both Of which were lost
while the robber was escaping, are held
by the police.
The handkerchief is an expensive linen
one and has never been washed. 1t is
thought this also was purchasd by the
robber for the nights work. The mus
tache appears to have been used several
times. as the wax which is used to hold
1t to the lip Is worn down, but 1t is
thought this was done while the robber
was practiclng for the holdup.
All yesterday detectives visited the
stores in Los Angeles where articles OF
this nature are sold, but none of the
dealers was able to identify 1t as one
which had been in their shops.
According to Motorman ]. Burke and
Conductor T. T. Holman, the crew in
charge of the car at the time of the
robbery. as we'll as the passengers who
were questioned by the detectives yeeter-
day. the robber answered the description
of a woman more than that of man.
The hand which held the revolver was
much smaller than that of the average
man, and was white and plump. Inc
fingers were shapely and tapered to we'll
manicured nails.
The robber was slender and appeared
70 weigh about no pounds and was only
about 5 feet inches tall. Those who
observed the face of the robber say the
skin was soft, and showed no signs OF
being used to razor
Voice Sweet and Soft
When the thief spoke the voice was
musical and low and at no time DID II
become coarse or rough
OFFICERS who have been connected with
the department for many years at last
called attention to the several known
instances where women have pulled on
Jobs of this nature, generally for the
purpose. of winning some wager.
s.I,oot appeared to be the last thing
This robber wanted" said one detective
YESTERDAY. ''and to me it seems the rob-
berry was committed for some other pur-
pose.
Il believe the job was done by woman
and she is a woman of wealth and re-
finement but with craving for excite
ment.
.iThe fact that she carried revolver
which cannot be duplicated for less than
500 causes me to believe this, while the
fact that the handkerchief which was
found after the robbery cost at least
rs cents. goes even farther to convince
me that my theory is correct
Not After Money
"Had the robber been out after loot
I do not believe the actions woulo nave
been the same. No highwayman woulo
have been satisfied with SIS or $40 from
a car full of people, but would have
insisted on each passenger digging deeper.
out of a car with as many persons as
the robbed car had robber would PROB
ably have got more than 500 as nsual
thing, and one of the passengers on the
car Tuesday night had twice that mucn
in one OF his pockets.
s'Io me it appears the robbery has all
the earmarks Of a stunt put up by some
Young woman to win bet from some
acquaintance, and it is probable a party
of her friends were not far away when
she alighted from the car. When the
robber is captured, if we are successful
in our search, think the people will hnd
that the one who put up the job was a
society belle and that she was prompted
to do it by either wish for excitement
or To win a wager"