Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-26
Public Will Stand Good
Chance to Get
$1,000
Some Have It Figured Out to Catch
Him One Minute After Mid
night, but Raffes Says
"Plffe"
BY THE MYSTERIOUS MIR. RAFFLEs
George Harris DonOhue)

This is the day-and tonight is the
night.
You can now dig up your gum shoes
and dark lanterns, polish up your crys-
tai lenses and get your popguns in good
working order, for at the mystic stroke
of the midnight chime the game old
chase for the mysterious Mr.. Raffles
will be on and it will then be up to the
merry wags of this village to figure ON
spending $1,000.
After three days preliminary instruc-
tion, during which time I have taken
more chances than I ever attempted
before, and in which have outlined in
detail all about this game, I am about
to undertake the odd little effort of
battling the wisest professional and
amateur sleuths you can boast of in
your land of hearts desire.
During the past three days I have
b encountered scores of wise men and
women-many of them from the east
at that-all of whom have handed me
large chunks of mournful advice rela-
tive to the actual element of chance I
am taking in jollying the good people
of this new tangled western metropolis
Gets Much Advice
All this advice has been carefully lis
tened to. I have been compelled to go
the limit on that score, just as a mat
ter of courtesy, but now that the time
limit is almost up will take this little
opportunity of calling all further ad-
vice off, as 1t grows wearisome after
the same story has been repeated sew
eral score times.
What's the use in advising a tight
rope walker to be careful when he starts
TO give an exhibition Of his skill? If
he couldn't walk the rope he would not
be silly enough to get UP there and
break his neck.
Same thing aplies to me. What's the
use of eternally advising me to exercise
care and caution? If l wasn't by habit
necessarily careful and at all times eX-
tremely cautious I would never have
lasted as long as 1 have in this peculiar
little game Of mine.
am here to take a chance with the
wisest of the wise. Some of the very
wisest have been good enough to tell
me that I will not last in this town
twenty-four hours. Think of that
noW-think-of-that.
Chances are 1 will be with you for
several days at least. You all look
fairly easy to me, particularly after
the strenuous series of experiences /
have just been through with the anna
teur and professional sleuths of New
York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburg
and New Orleans.
Get Ready for Action
To those who have carefully planned
my capture for one minute past II
O'Clock tonight, all 1 can say is. ''Peace
be with you" To the three particular
ly bright young men who declared in
my hearing while in the rotunda of
the Hotel Angelus yesterday afternoon
their intention of getting me before the
game was a minute old let me give
them these few valuable pointers.
Don't waste time and effort, as neith-
or one of the three could catch me in
ten years. Keep your eyes close on
the clock and when the hands point to
within a few minutes to midnight GET
READY for QUICK action, ON MY
PART, as l am apt to spring some-
thing on you with which you are un-
familiar
You want to understand am not in |
Los Angeles for my health, as at the |
present time / am troubled with moth |
ing more serious than to get another
look at the BllJterlng Whlte way
around Forty-second and Broadway. |
Neither am 1 a tourist, so you all will
figure that l am here on a business
proposition, in compliance with a chal-
lenge issued by the management of the |
Los Angeles Herald to demonstrate the |
ease with which l could evade capture
In this city.
Tests Entire City
The Los Angeles Herald, after fol-
lowing my work in the east and south |
very carefully, seem to have the idea |
that the people of this city are about |
the cleverest in the country. 1 am go
ing to put the whole town to the test.
II you can win over me you. Will be !
doing something never before accom-
plished ~ those on my trail in any
other city whore l have presented this
game.
This does not mean that have never
been captured. AS a matter Of fact l
am always captured, otherwise would
still be in the first town where / start
ed the game. The only way have
been run to cover however, is through
my own carelessness, when the game /