Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-12-17
THREE HELD UP
BY HIGHWAYMAN
"L0NG AND SHORT MAN" WALK
INTO GROCERY STORE
RANsAcK CASH REGISTER AND
RIFLE SAFE
Victims Marched Into Private OFFICE
and Searched RemorseIesly, Rabbi
Offering Vain Appeal for
Immunity

Abraham Finkenstein, head of the
firm of Finkenstein Bros, grocers at
718 to 724 Sunset boulevard; Rev. Moses
A. Alter, rabbi of the Congregation
Beth Israel of 709 North Figueroa
street, and Benjamin H. Hammel, a
tailor living at CAB North Hill street,
were held up and robbed in the Fink
enstein grocery at 1850 o'clock last
night by the tall and short" highway
men. The robbers secured $103 and a
gold watch.
Mr. FinkenStein was standing behind
his counter taking an order from Mr..
Alter, and Mr.. Hammel was waiting
near by, when two men, one about s
feet in height and the other 5 feet 6
inches, both dressed in dark clothing
and masked, walked in and leveled
pistols at the party, ordering them to
throw I'D their hands.
The three men complied with the or
der, and the short man then told them
to go to the rear Of the store. There he
forced them into a small office parti-
toned off from the store and held an
automatic pistol to their heads while
the long man walked behind the coun-
ter and opened the cash register, from
which he took SAT in gold and silver.
He then went to the end Of the counter.
where a safe was standing, and finding
box.
After placing the money in his pock-
cts the long man walked back to the
office and made a deliberate search of
the three prisoners.
From Rev. Mr.. Alter he secured 50
and from Mr.. Finkenstein he took a
gold watch. Hammel was fortunate
enough to have no money with him.
Mr.. Alter saved from the robbers a
solitaire diamond stud valued at $240,
presented to him by members of his
congregation, which he wore in his
shirt front, by the simple method of
pulling his vest up over it as he raised
his hands in the air at the robbers
command. The man searched his vest
for money and valuableS but did not
discover the diamond.
During the robbery not word was
spoken except an appeal from Mr.. AL
ter not to rob him, The robber replied
with an exclamation of contempt, and
made his search the more thorough,
The short man addressed his compan-
ion either as ED" or Red" and asked
If he had got all they had. He was
replied to in the affirmative, and both
men then turned to walk from the
store, warning their victims to keep
quiet.
Sons Give the Alarm
AS they did so Harry and Louis
Finkenstein, young sons of the propri-
etor of the grocery. came in the front
door, and seeing the men with pistols
and masks, ran screaming from the
store.
Both robbers at once took to their
| heels and ran rapidly down the street
going toward the center of the city, but
| turned off through vacant lot before
going more than two blocks.
Both Mr.. FinRenstein and Mr.. Altel
gave the police excellent descriptions o.
the robbers, as to their size and the
kind of clothing worn, but as theil
faces were almost completely covered
by masks made of handkerchiefs, they
could tell nothing further.
The long man was dressed in a blacH
sack suit, black shoes and black derby
| hat. His hair was a reddish brown
and it is believed he had mustache
The short man was dressed in darh
| trousers and a dark checked mackin'
! tosh coat, which came below his knees
and was buttoned tightly around his
neck. He wore a soft black hat with
the brim turned down all around
Robbed in Glendale
James Agard, living on Cypress ave
nue. in West Glendale, was held up and
robbed near his home shortly after
O'Clock last night by an unmasked and
unarmed man. who demanded his
money under threats of killing him II
he failed to comply. The robber Sc
cured So and then ran away. dtsap-
pearing in the darkness before Mr.
Agard could give the alarm.