Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-28
Sends Most Impudent
Challenge to
Chief
Daring Deed Committed
Within Sight Of
Pedestrians
Good Description of Robber Furnished ID
Police, but Bandit Escapes, Leav-
ing No CIew-Wanted Nearly
Everywhere

BLACK Jack" daring crook and the
man the police in every large city on
the continent have vainly searched for
during the last fifteen years, Is again
at work in Los Angeles, and at
o'clock last night held up and robbed
car No. 266 on the Sixth and Hobart
streets line, and then served formal
mer that he was in Los Angeles and
would carry on his depredations here.
The robbery last night was one of
the most daring in the annals of crime
in Los Angeles. There were no pas
sengers on the car at the time, but on
the walks on each side of the street
were many pedestrians and the acts of
the robber were plainly visible to them.
Conductor j. o. Hemp of the car
was the only one who vas molested,
the robber falling to go near the mo-
torman, j. " Bemquist. After commit
ting the robbery the holdup man
calmly left the car, but still stood with
drawn revolver until it had passed
nearly block beyond him.
Robs "Jlgeer" Car
The car which was robbed was the
digger car which runs from Sixth and
Rampant streets to Fourth and West
ern. 1t makes no trips to the barn
during the day and about $50, all the
fares collected from passengers dur
ing the day, was taken by the robber.
According to the story told the police
by Conductor Hemp, who is well known
among his comrades as Big Hemp,
the car left it's stand at Sixth and
Rampant streets a few minutes before
s o'clock. When it approached Hobart
street the motorman saw man stand
ing near the rails awaiting it. The sup
posed passenger allowed the front plat
fern to pass him, but swung himself
up the rear steps.
Conductor Hemp was sitting in the
interior of the car reading a newspaper
a; the time. He did not notice the pas
senger until the rear door was thrown
open and he turned to find himself
gazing into the muzZle of a revolver.
Throw up your hands and be good"
commanded the robber, and Hemp lost
no time in obeying the order.
With the greatest unconcern the rob-
Der went through the pockets Of his
victim. A gold watch was taken from
Hemp's vest pocket and then the hold
up man went into the conductors coat
pockets and abstracted all the gold and
silver he (could find. He did not touch
the small register the conductor car
ried to hold change, but simply looked
at it and then turned as if to leave the
car.
Sends Message to Chief
AS he passed through the door the
robber turned and said:
"Say, conductor, you tell Flammer
that Black Jack is here again. He
might like to know it. And you drive
this car right ahead, see. No stopping
tr get off now" and while the aston
ished conductor gazed after his retreat
ing form the daring highwayman
sprang down the rear steps of the car.
For several minutes Hemp stood in
the car too astonished to move. He
then hurried to the motorman and told
of his experience. Gazing back the two
men could see the form of the robber
standing by the tracks and watching
the car. AS they looked he turned and
walked down cross street
The car was brought to stop imme-
diately. The conductor fastened to a
telephone and called up the headquar-
ters of the company and related his
experience. He was instructed to notify
the police at once. He did so and~with-
In a few minutes Detectives Ben Nc
Cam and Louis Rico were detailed on
the case and headed for the scene of
the holdup.
For several hours the detectives
searched the neighborhood, but were
unable to gain any trace of the bold
thief. Several persons informed the Of
flcers that they had seen man of his
description fastening from the scene
of the holdup, but none was able to
tell which direction the man had gone.
Police Have Description
Word was then sent to policemen in
all narts of Los Angeles to bring in
every suspicious appearing character
they found around their beats, but
none of them was able to find any one
answering in even the remotest way
the description of the thief.
According to the description fur
nished the police the man was appar-
emily about 80 years of age. He
weighed about 140l pounds and was
about feet z inches tall. He was
dressed in blue suit and wore dark
brown hat. He was smooth shaven and
had blue eyes.
This description tallies closely with
that of the famous "Black Jack, Z"
whose daring deeds have in the past
paralyzed the police departments of
many cities. Rewards have been Of
fered for his apprehension, but so far
he has never been arrested.
Two years ago man answering the
same description and who was claimed
to be the noted outlaw, visited Los An
geles for about three months. During
his stay here several daring robberies