Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-29
HUNDREDS HUNT
DAYLIGHT ROBBER
VENICE RESIDENTS TAKE PART
IN ADVENTURE
PURSUE SUPPOSED BURGLAR FOR
MILES
Puzzled Witnesses Wonder Whether
They Should Smile or Trembie.
Police Aid Make-BelIeve
Criminal In Work

men apparently were killed, but who
since have proved to be very much
alive; an exciting run and a leap for
life from the height of picturesque
bridge into the dark waters OF the
Venetian canal; a daring criminals
attempt to outwit and OUTRAGE score
or more of men, women and children,
with many other exciting features
characterized one of the strangest oc-
currences ever witnessed In. Appot
Kinney,s Venice OF America a few
mornings past.
The mysterious burglary was COM
mitted on Paloma avenue in fun view
of scores of Venetians and queerly at
tired strangers. It produced sensa-
tion and incidentally few good
Iaughs--not soon to be forgotten. Some
of the spectators still are wondering
whether they should smile or tremble.
The daring and unprecedented rob-
berry occurred about sunrise. AS 1t
afterward proved this is about the best
hour of the twenty-four for bur-
g1ary of this kind to be successfully
pulled off. In fact, these peculiar bur-
glaries must be committed to daylight.
They are never a success at night.
It was an ideal morning. The sun
was jlst peeping up in bright req
mantel of pelagic vapors and the un-
dulating hills to the eastward lay
swathed in diaphanous mists OF pur-
PIE. ~
trict and in the direction of the car
lines to Los Angeles the early morn
ing workers were hurrying along tho
silent. dew-wet thoroughfares. All OF
them were walking briskly, anxious to
reach their various places OF enter
prise, when suddenly they, attracted
by the sight Of a curious looking
crowd of strangers, gathered In front
of an apparently deserted mansion on
Palona avenue. Immediately every
one quickened his pace to reach the
gathering.
Masked Man Appears
From the upper story of the man
sion a man with dark mask over mis-
eyes was emerging furtively, looking
all about and hesitating, but apparent
Iy not observing the crowd below. A
mar, on the street with a peculiar look
ing machine seemed to be aiming at
him as though about to discharge some
newly invented weapon OF death. In
the right hand OF the burglar was
dark lantern; in his left an ugly look
ing Jimmy.
The crowd watched him without a
word. Some were smiling, others were
criticising his method of escape, but
none offered to molest him.
Suddenly, as the burglar climbed
cautiously down down the porch, two
policemen, with misfit uniforms ana
large clubs emerged from behind the
house.
All the same instant the burglar
Jumped to the ground and one of the
officers fired point blank at him. Evil
IDENTIFY the bullet missed its mark, for
the burglar turned, fired at the officer
and ran rapidly across the lot and into
the avenue.
The officer dropped in his tracks. ap-
parently lifeless. He rolled about on
the grass for a while, then stiffened
out. A few minutes later. however. ne
picked himself up, laughing, and fol-
lowed the crowd.
Burglar Escapes
Meanwhile the man with the strange
looking machine had Jumped into an
automobile and was following the bur-
glar. The latter leaped over dozen
or more fences, then came 10 one OF
the long canals.
BY this time about a score of men,
women and children, clad in their
nightclothes and otherwise grotesque-
ly attired, were on his trail.
It was a thrilling moment.
The chase led over roofs. vacant lois
and down the canal for full half
mile. One of the officers frequently
captured him, but invariably without
any apparent trouble the burglar. who
now had discarded his mask and Ian
tern, knocked him down and escaped
Finally he grabbed the officer by the
throat, and though his fingers did not
seem to tighten very closely, he choked
the officer apparently to death and
left him lying among some bushes,
while the crowd stood back and wait
ed for him to finish.
Then, when the burglar started to
run again, the crowd followed. Finally
coming to one of the high curved con-
crete bridges, the burglar waved
dramatic farewell to the multitude and
leaped into the waters of the canal.
The waters closed over him and for
a few seconds 1t looked as II he was
indeed drowned. Then the burglar
arose, climbed out of the canal and
walked slowly toward the crowd. There
was a big laugh and the policeman
whom he had left apparently dead
among the bushes came up and shook
hands with him. The man with the
funny machine jumped down from his
auto and said laughingly:
at got a good picture all the way
through, Bill. That's going to be the
best burglary stunt any of the moving
picture shows ever saw ~----
And they all got in the auto, except
the crowd, and went home.