Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-01-13

HIGHWA YMAN
ROBS WOMAN
THIEF CAPTURED, BUT is AL
LOWED TO GO
STOLEN PURSE FOUND NEAR
SCENE OF ROBBERY
Woman is Followed from Postoffice by
Two Men, Who Grab Her
Pocketbook snd Es-
cape

Two highwaymen who followed Mrs. e.
B. Best of SIG South Flower street from
the general postoffice at Seventh street
and Grand avenue to her home, robbed
the woman last night shortly after
o'clock just as she turned from the side
walk to enter the dooryard of her house.
Ten minutes later the highwayman who
had snatched her purse was arrested a
block away by a conductor of the belt
line railw Ay, but because of the fact that
no purse was found on him and the vic
tim of his robbery could not positively
identify the man, he was turned loose
before the arrival of the police and es-
capped.
Mrs. Best went to the postoffice last
night to mall a money order. AS she
transacted her business at the stamp
window she opened her purse and dis
played a small sum of money. Imme-
diately back of her and lounging near
a desk were two men.
As she left the postoffice the men fol-
lowed, keeping twenty to thirty feet In
the rear. 1t was not until she had
reached Flower and Seventh that she
noticed that she was being followed.
Naturally Mrs. Best was frightened
and hurried her steps. AS she increased
her pace so did the men and when she
arrived at her home and turned to pass
into the gate the men made rush, one
passing on each side of her.
Thief Grabs Purse
AS the fellow on the inside reached
her he iostled Mrs. Best roughly and
reaching out his hand grabbed her hand
bag, tearing 1t from her hand and break
ing the handle.
"AIl right, pal I've got it, cried the
robber and dashed up the street, going
north The second man turned and ran
which they
had come.
Mrs. Best almost tainted from fright,
hut recovered herself in a moment ana
ran after the man with her purse crying
stop that man-stop thief!'
Almost at the corner of Fifth street
belt line car No. 775 came along ana
Conductor M. j. Greedy leaned from tne
rear platform and saw the thiet ana ms
pursuer without waiting to check the
speed of the car he sprang from the
platform and ran after the man, catch-
ing him on the north crossing.
Thrusting a revolver into his race ne
ordered him TO halt and the man stopped
with the gasping cry, Don't shoot!
Greedy held the man under the muzzie
of his revolver until the woman arrived
and with her one or two citizens who
had Joined in the chase.
Let's Robber Go
The man was searched and no purse
was found on him and he protested MS
Innocence volubly. 81 didn't do 1t, lady
honest | didn't. I was running because
/ saw a man ahead Of me running ana
| thought | could catch him.
Mrs. Best looked closely at the man,
hut she was uncertain in her identlhca-
tion. II cannot say positively this is
the man." she said, and with that Greely
remarked "All right" and turning ran
for his car, jumped aboard and gave
his motorman the signal to go ahead'
Needless to say the man who mad peen
stoned walked away and by the time
the police patrol wagon, which had been
telephoned for, arrived with two OFFICERS
aboard he had vanished.
70. r. Peet of 450 South Flower street.
one of the two men who had taken up
IN, chase, walked back toward Mrs.
Rests home with her and 100 feet from
where the man had been stopped he saw
a dark object lying on the ground and
STOPPING picked up a woman's purse
which proved to lie the one which Mrs
Best had been robbed of. Its contents
v re intact.
7 fhe notice have a description of the men
nd hone to be able to locate and arrest
hem although the chances are very
small under the circumstances.