Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-19
deaf MUTE" AVOIDS JURY
SERVICE
Jack the Grabber Loses One Intended
Victim, and Elusive Juryman
Heaps Insult. on
Injury

All the Jack the Rippers'' and Jack
the Slashers" of olden fame will have
to step aside and select their graves
and keep out of Los Angeles for new
kind of Jack has arrived within the
walls of the city, and thus far the
only names applied to him by indignant
citizens have been unfit for publication.
The new claimant for fame is Jack
Adams, deputy coroner under DR.. Ian
terman. Adams used to be one of Con-
stable de la Monte's most efficient men,
and he branched out under Lanterman
with colors flying. One of his chief hab-
its Is to select coroner's jury. There
Is no pay for the poor unfortunates
who are gobbled up by this Jack the
Grabber' for the jury and they protest
in loud and forceful terms.
Heretofore there has never been any
way Of escape. One of the rules has
been never pass by an undertaking es-
| tablishment, and watch out for the
grabber.
His Little Game
Adams has an interesting method of
procedure. No matter where the inquest
| is to be held-either at Pierces estab-
! lishment, at Bresee's or Orr & Hines
| the deputy takes up a position just out
side the undertaking establishment and
| hides In some niche in the wall He sees
a pedestrian approaching and he waits
until the man has passed him. The
man may be accompanied by a woman;
he may be out for an afternoon stroll;
! he may be on his way to work in the
morning; he may have an important
| business or social engagement, or he
may be hurrying home in the evening
for dinner with his bride, but Jack Ad-
ans does not appreciate any such ex-
cuSeS. He steps back of the man and
the victim turns to see a short deputy
with a big star. The deputy takes his
name despite remonstrances. He reads
the service paper and points to the in
quest room. The victim tells all his
troubles and Adams only remark is,
"The living can wait, but the dead
can't"
The victim enters the room and there
are other victims there They grin at
him and they shake hands, for II is
the sympathy of the bereaved. Adams
smiles at them and when they have
done their duty he shakes each one by
the hand and thanks them. The victims
look at him as If they wanted to hit
him and then in admiration of his
nerve they shake his hand.
Deputy Defeated
Such Is the fate of those who pass by
undertaking establishments, but Ad-
ans met with a defeat Saturday from
which it will take him a long time to
recover.
The little deputy was hiding like a
spider waiting for a fly in the door
way of the Pierce undertaking estab-
lishment to select Jurors for the Reed
inquest. A likely looking individual
approached from the south. sauntering
along in a leisurely fashion and puff
ing at a cigar
Adams stepped up to him and showed
his star and began talking. The man
at first showed intelligence but when
he heard the word jury he seemed to
lose interest. Adams talked and the
, victim began to gesticulate. He made
signs with his hands and made frantic
movements in an attempt to get the
deputy to understand that he was deaf
, and dumb.
Adams at last took note OF the mans
r desperate attempts with the sign Ian
: guage. The victim then drew a pencil
and piece of paper from his pocket and
, wrote on 1t:
81 am deaf and dumb and have done
no wrong so that l should be arrested
, Write down what you want with me-
Adams gave the victim a look OF dis
gust and motioned for him to go or
? his way,
The deaf and dumb man sauntered or
| TO the corner and waited for a car. Az