The San Francisco call., 1908-04-22
CHILD GRAPPlES
WITH BURGLARS
IN HER HOME
Nine Year Old Eda Scatena
! Causes Two Thieves to
Take to Flight
Tries to Hold One of Them and
Is Roughly Handled by
the Culprit
Robbers Leave Behind Part of
Loot, but Escape With a
Rich Booty

To little year old Eda Scatena,
daughter of Martin Scatena of 146o
Union street, belongs the credit of
saving her father the loss of possibly
several thousand dollars at the hands
of two burglars, who ransacked the
family home on Monday afternoon.
Entering the house to find the thieves
making preparations to carry away
quantity of valuable silverware, she
frightened them away with her
screams for help, at the same time ex-
erting all her childish strength in an
effort to hold one of the men until as
sistance could arrive.
As it was, the two burglars made
away with jewelry and valuable heir
looms of which the estimated value is
from $1,000 to $1,000, but they failed
to secure all the loot, which but for
her timely arrival would have fallen
into their hands.
Detective Steve Bunner OF the police
department has been working on the
case since Monday and every effort has
been made to keep the facts OF the
burglary from becoming public
Two men, representing themselves to
be rat catchers employed BY the health
| officials. visited the house on Saturday
and made q careful inspection and
search OF the premises. Their actions
were suspicious, and the police are
working on the theory that they are
the same men who committed the rob-
berry Monday afternoon
SURPRISES THE BURGLARS
Entrance to the house. which is at
the corner OF Van Ness avenue and
Union street, was made through q win
dow facing the avenue while all the
family Were away from home Little
Eda, returning from school at $3.50
o'clock, found the house locked, but
entered with q key which had been left
hidden for her. When she Ealked into
the dining room she found two men
busily engaged in removing the family
silver from q sideboard and preparing
to pack 1t in suitcases- Screaming for
help, she rushed toward them, start
| ling them from their task, and caught
one of the burglars by the coat as he
arose, frightened and surprised. A sec
ond later rough hand was clapped
over her mouth, but, stin struggling,
she maintained her hold on the mans
coat as he dragged her across the
room
valuabIes which they had already
spread out in the room, the men
grasped their suitcases and rushed for
the rear door OF the house. dragging
Eda with them. At the door they broke
her hold. and. throwing her into q
corner of the kitchen, hurried out and
slammed the door behind them.
MANY JEWELS TAKEN
| While much was left behind by the
burglars in their sudden flight. the
robbery was still big one. The whole
house was ransacked; corners OF car
pets were taken up, drawers pulled out
and receptacIes OF all kinds searched.
Among the 1ewelry stolen were three
diamond rings. diamond brooch, a
pair of diamond and amethyst earrings,
4 of 5far
thyst and pearl pin, three gold watches
and chains, q bracelet set with nine
diamonds and five sapphires and a toi-
let set OF carved ivory and sterling sill
yer.
/ Many of these things were heirlooms
brought over from Italy and were of
intrinsic value far exceeding their ac-
tuaI worth. Several articles of cloth
| Ing also were taken by the thieves.
/ Another robbery OF a similar nature
took place in the same neighborhood a
| half hour after the burglars were
frightened away from the Scatena
home, and is believed by the police to
have been done by, the same men, Ar
mando Cerruti returned to his home in
Powell street between Greenwich and
Lombard at o'clock. and heard a noise
as he approached the door. He ran
half block up the street to borrow a
revolver, and when he returned found
that the house had been robbed and
that the burglars had escaped He has
been married for only few weeks, and
many of his wife's wedding presents
were stolen, as were her watch and $50
in money, the whole loot amounting in
value to about $500.
Captain A. A Morris. who took the