Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-30
SAN FRANCISCO MAN
PURSUED THROUGH HIS
RESEMBLANCE TO RAFFLES

A. F. Sprague, a San Francisco trav-
cling man, stopping at the Hollenbeck
hotel, had busy day yesterday trying
to convince people that he was not Mr..
Raffles. Sprague is in Los Angeles on
business trip, and so striking Is the
resemblance to the man of mystery That
he scarcely can venture out of doors
without being set upon by eager Raj
fles chasers, armed with copies OF The
Herald, and seeking to annex the $1,000
reward.
After being stopped several times on
the street early in the morning Sprague
went to the Santa Fe station to take
a train for Anaheim. Henry j. Becker,
the baggageman, was the first to pick
him as the much wanted man. He
seized him by the arm, properly
equipped with a Herald and a paid up
subscription, but his method of saluta-
tion was wrong, and Sprague, who was
enjoying the situation, regretfully told
him he could not claim the reward on
this account. During the parley with
Becker the news spread ;.bout the sta
tion that Raffles had arrived and there
was a scurrying to the news stand for
the purchase Of Heralds. Every copy
had been sold early in the morning
and while Mr.. Sprague was waiting for
his train the neighborhood was In a
scramble for the much sought sheet.
Miss Elsie Kahler had brought Her.
aid with her. when she left home that
morning, but she, too, failed in the
proper salutation.
Crowd Is Disappointed
Mr.. Sprague was waiting for the
train to Anaheim, and just as he board
ed it, standing on the back platform as
it left, crowd of boys arrived with
their arms full of Heralds, which they
had secured three blocks down the
street. There was wild chase, but
the train had too big a start and
Sprague waved a farev' I'll to the disap-
pointed crowd.
The train crew had been told that
Raffles was on board and several of the
passengers were for stopping the train
and taking him back to The Herald
office. Henry ]. Bergman Of Anaheim
wired ahead when the train stopped to
his brother that Raffles was on board
and asked him to- meet him with a
Herald in his hand. The news spread
ever made a more conspicuous entry
| into a village. With considerable diff
fculty, after his enjoyment of the stu
alton had begun to wane, he impressed
upon his captors that he was not Mr..
Raffles.
Trouble Pursues Him
His troubles began again when he
returned to Los angeles last night, and
finally he appealed to The Herald in
desperation for an affidavit stating that
he was not Mr.. Raffles.
"I can't turn around" said Sprague,
"without somebody flashing Herald
on me and informing me that I'm the
mysterious Mr.. Raffles. Half the people
/ meet begin to dig down in their
pockets for paper. don't believe
there's a man, woman or child in Los
Angeles that don't carry a Herald
somewhere around their clothes"
Some annoyance has been caused to
citizens by being repeatedly taken for
Mr. Raffles, and The Herald wishes to
inform those who have gotten into trou-
bic through resemblance to the mys-
terious man that a rec ular printed let
ter has been prepared for their especial
benefit, which will protect them from
further annoyance. A copy of this may
be had at The Herald office.