Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-02
CHAFFEE'
RESIDENCE
is ROBBED
Daring Thief Secures
Highly Valued
Jewels
Family Was at Dinner
While House was
Burglarized
Military Hero Had Just Returned
from Pasadena, Where He Had
Military Hero Had Just Returned
from Pasadena, Where He Had
Been Honorary Grand
Marshal

In one Of the most remarkably daring
robberies in the history of Los Ange-
les porch climbers entered the home of
Gen. Adna r. Chaffee at 2316 South
Figueroa street last night while the
family was at dinner and secured Jew
els and relics of almost priceless value
The gold and gems in the stolen trim
kets would amount to somewhere in
the neighborhood of $1,000, but all of
the articles taken by the robbers were
gifts presented to Mrs. Chaffee and her
daughter during their trips about the
world.
A magnificent Egyptian necklace, pre-
sented to Mrs. Chaffee during a recent
visit to Africa, was among the articles
taken, and its loss is regretted by ev-
cry member of the family.
The work of the robbers for its dis
patch and daring is without equal in
the reports of the burglaries perpetrat-
ed in Los Angeles. At about $50 o'clock
two men were seen to drive down an
alley in the rear of the Chaffee home,
but no attention was paid to them.
They were in an ordinary express wag-
on, and as they passed shed in the
rear of fashionable home on Figueroa
street one of them climbed on the shed
and secured a ladder which had evil
IDENTIFY been placed there at some previ-
.fspus time by them. The ladder was of
the kird used by painters for small
Jobs diminishing and was remarkably
light.
Thief Drags Ladder
There is no fence in the rear of the
Chaffee home and it required but a
moment for one of the men to sneak
across the thirty or forty feet of back
yard, dragging the ladder after him,
until he gained the southwest corner
of the home.
The Chaffee residence, rented by the
general upon his arrival in Los Ange-
les several months ago, is one of the
finest on that block and one of its chief
attractions is its shrubbery. Heavy
vines cover the southwest section of
the house and a porch shade of heavy
awning effectively screened that corner
of the building from any of the in
mates who might happen to be in the
parlors.
Gen. Chaffee, his wife. daughter and
two family servants had just returned
from Pasadena, where Gen. Chaffee had
served as honorary grand marshal of
the tournament parade and the family
was at dinner in a room to the south
east of the building when the robbery
occurred. The thief must have passed
directly under the dining room window
both i'm gaining the southwest corner of
the house and in making his escape.
Maid Sees Thief
1--WE were dining when we first
learned of the robbery" said Gen. Chat
fee last night i'm an interview to The
Herald lone of the maids gave the
alarm. She had been to Pasadena with
us and while one of the girls was serv-
ing the meal the other went upstairs
to straighten out various articles of ap-
parel. AS she started to enter the front
room used by my daughter she saw the
shadow of some one as it fitted behind
A screen in the room and at the same
moment the elecrc light button clicked,
plunging the apartment into darkness.
The movement was so peculiar that the
girl came downstairs, and when she
saw that all the members of the house
were at the meal she gave the alarm.
but by the time l reached the room
there was no one there and the robber
had made an effective escape.
"Thc ladder used by him was still
resting against the edge of the porch
and he must have been hard pressed in
getting away before we gained the up
per floor.
"He had crawled across the roof of
the porch and had raised the window,
which was unlatched. The front room
occupied by my daughter had been
carefully searched the bureau drawers
drawn out and the contents strewn
about the room and every article of
jewelry on the place taken Across the
hall in the second front room, Mrs.
Stlson was staying as our guest, and
the thief managed to take her handbag
containing about $50.
HE then went to my room, toward
the southeast corner of the building,
occupied by myself and my wife. He
took her jewel casket and her lorgnette.
In the Jewel box was the Egyptian
necklace and various articles of jewelry
picked up in different parts of the
world and priceless to her as gifts and
relics besides their actual value.
Believes Burglar Expert
"rhe robber overlooked nothing and
from his work should say that he
was an expert
Special Officers Jack Hendrickson of
Chester place heard OF the Chaffee rob-
berry and immediately went to the place.
although II was not on his beat, but
there was no trace of the robbers and
the man who entered the house evil
IDENTIFY made quick dash to his COM
rade waiting with the wagon I'm the
alley and made his escape. According
TO Hendrickson the robbery was evil
IDENTIFY committed by the same men
who have recently terrorized the West
lake section by their clever depreda-
tions. and close watch will be kent
on the Chester place neighborhood in
hopes of another visit from the much
wanted robbers