Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-15
PRAISES MEN
WHO KILLED
CAR BANDIT
INQUEST HELD OVER BODY OF
CHARLES scHAFER
CONDUCTOR TELLS STORY OF
FIGHT WITH Ro7RE3
J. c. Greer, r. ]. Gillespie and R. o.
Williams Commended for Their
Heroic Actions by Members
of Coroner's Jury


Jury. find the deceased, Charles Schafer,
came to his death by gunshot wounds
in the neck. heart and abdomen, inflicted
by J. c. Greer and R. c. Gillespie in self
defense while being held up on Redondo
car near Athens, Los Angeles county.
This was the verdict rendered by the
Jury called by the coroner to hold an In
ouest over the body of the street car
bandit. who was slain while holding up
car No 100 on the Los Angeles-Redondo
line Saturday night
The verdict goes on to say:
aAnd we hereby commend J. c. Greer
r. ]. Gillespie and R. o. Williams Tor
their bravery"
The members of the jury were: A. E.
BRAIN. foreman; A. F. Priest, c. Rens-
berger. A. b. Gareelon, George w. Tut
tie and S. s. Smith -,,
Mr.. and Mrs Davidson and Mr.. Will
Hams were not present TO testify at the
inquest.
The first witness called by Coroner
T,anterman was ]. c. Greer of Redondo-
the conductor who shot Schafer.
Tells Of Shooting
81 was conductor on the Los Angeles
Redondo company's car the night of sat
urdav. January II, when the hold-up oc-
Cured near Athens said Mr.. Greer.
s.rrhe first l saw of the man was when he
stepped inside the car and turned Two
guns on me. I had been sitting OUTSIDE
in the second seat from the front and at
Rosecrans stepped inside the car. VIII
Hams was sitting just behind me.
.sThe first idea 1 had of anything ex-
traordinary was when 1 turned to find the
hold-up m facing me. 1 thought 1t was
a Joke of one of the passengers, at hrs',
but a second look at the mans determ-
ined face showed me it was a real mold
up. .o,s
him my money was In my left hand coat
pocket He shouted to me an lnstan'
later. as | reached toward my pocket
Damn YOU, hands up. My right pocket
contained keys, but the left one he emp
tied of all but thirty cents of the tWo
dollars As he emptied my pockets, ne
turned his side toward Williams and the
latter grabbed him. Three shots were
AIRED I pulled my gun, Williams jerked
him back, and I shot the robber twice
in the breast, and then a third time.
Woman Present
"My motorman, H. E. Aiken, then came
inside the car. Mrs. Davidson ran To-
ward the rear end. ! told her not &c
80, 1es chat everything was all right by
that time. At Slauson avenue l tele-
nhoned the police and officers met us al
second and Broadway, and returned Il
Redondo on the car.
"At the first shot the robber dropped
his hands and souted Mercy, I'm shot,
and sank down. Williams cried out a
the same time, I'm shot.
"rrhe powder burns on the bandits fac
were made by his own gun. l neve
touched him. his knee held him as M
sank down. A minute and half aftel
INV second shot, he was dead don
know his name / don't think the young
hoy who talked with him and VINO go
off at Gardena before the accident nap
nened. knew him, for I'd seen the boy OF
nv car several times before. He suffered
a broken arm playing football.
I Gillespie of 534 South Broadway
who claims he fired the first shots in th'
encounter, was next examined, ana tol'
of two people getting on the same cal
as he was on, going toward ReuoIluo
early that evening. one of them with
broken arm. Gillespie returned from he
dondo on the 1910 car that night, naVlnt
been to a dance.
Saw Highwayman
He saw the same two people the maj
and the boy with a broken arm, get OF
the car returning. As it was Wlh1y II
moved TO a seat opposite them
IT saw only Mr.. and Mrs. Davidson,
f.u1esnIe continued, and shut my eyes
don't know what made me open then
again. for no one told me to hold up M
hands. But / did So to ind everybody
conductor included, inside the car stano
mo with their hands up, while a maj
with a mask was searching the conductor
leveled my gun at the robber from oe
hind the back of the seat in front Oh m
and shot twice, changing my posltlo
slightly the second time. Then the scul
40 began. saw someone getting OF
bafless frcm the front, and gave chase'
This was a frightened German boy an
+he entire room burst out laughlh
when Gillispie told of asking him, upo
meeting. him later, why he hadn't stoppe
when he told him and the boy had re
nlied II want to stop-legs no stop.
This how was released by the police, a
after an hours examination he ma
nroved his innocence of any crime.
Dr George w Campbell of 119 Sout
Rovle avenue next testified He held a
aufopsy over the remains at Bresee Bros
january r. the day after the shooting o'
cnrred. and told the nature of the thre
e1,nslot wounds in the body OF the dea
Ross Iivingood, 42s West Second stree
los Angeles, conductor on the Los Al
geles and Redondo line for two year
mast. identified the gun taken from n
bandit as enc taken from him at the hoi'
{, in of his car at Eastlake park some tin
nrevious He also identified the oea
man as the one who had held him up
CITY ATTORNEY TO TEST