Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-27
CAR CREW HELD
UP AND ROBBED
BY MASKED men
|. A. RAILWAY MEN RELIEVED
OF S21.85
ROBBERY OCCURS AT FlFTY-sEc-
oND AND PACIFIC
Conductor Has Trolley Pole Ready to
Change When Highwayman Points
Pistol at Him-Motorman
Loses Change
r H. MELLON, motorman, and J..
A. Woodward, conductor, in

II. MELLON, motorman, ana j.
A. Woodward, conductor, in
y" charge of car 152 of the Los An
geles railway, were held up and robbed
at Fifty-second street and Pacific
boulevard at 740 o'clock last night by
two masked highwaymen, who secured
$21.S5.
The car had reached the end of the
line and Conductor Woodward was in
the act of changing the trolley pole for
the return trip to town, when two men
walked up to the car. One of the des-
peradoes pointed q revolver at the
head of the conductor, while the other
leveled pistol at the motorman. Both
men were masked with a cloth which
completely covered their faces, with
holes cut for their eyes.
They ordered the carmen to throw
up their hands, and when the order
was obeyed the taller Of the two men
cut the change belt from the waist Of
the conductor and dropped it into his
pocket At the same time the other
robber was searching the motorman
and secured $1.S5 in change from him.
Conductor Woodward, as near as he
could tell, had $40 in change in his
belt.
After the robbers had secured what
money the two railway men had they
told their victims to start their car
back to town, and they kept their pis-
tolls pointed at them until after the car
had speeded up and left the end of the
line.
When last seen the men had turned
away from the track and were walking
west on Fifty-second street at a rapid
gait. AS soon as the conductor could
get to a telephone he sent word of the
robbery to the train dispatcher of the
road and reported the matter to the
police.
Although the robbery occurred out
side of the city limits, Lieutenant Will
liam Murray detailed Motorcycle Po-
liceman Coe to make an investigation
and try to secure a trace of the rob-
bers. Under Sheriff C. e. Dishman
also took part in the search, but
neither officer was able to get any
trace of the men.
From the description given of the
two men by the car crew it is not be-
lieved they are the highwaymen who
hcve been engaged in robbing stores.
but they are believed to be two men
who, emboldened by the success of
other highwaymen, have started out
to reap what harvest they can.
Chief of Police Kern and Captain
Paul Flammer of the detective de-
partment have redoubled their efforts
to run down these men and the 9TH
ers who have been engaged in the
hold-up business, and large force of
motorcycle OfncefS ana pldll ciolHeS
men were sent out last night to patrol
the streets in an effort to find them.
Two More Hodups Occur
Two masked men, who from their
general appearance are the same who
robbed the Los Angeles railway car at
Fifty-second street, attempted TO hold
up and rob ]. e. DeBray of 1856 East
Thirty-third street at Thirty-third
street and Compton avenue at 10;30
last night. The men leveled pistols at
DeBray and ordered him to throw UP
his hands, but he ran and finally out
distanced the men, who pursued him
for two blocks.
b. Mertal, an employe of the Los An
geles aqueduct. was knocked down and
robbed at Buena Vista and Ord streets
last night by two men who came be-
hind him and struck him over the head
with a blackjack, knocking him sense
less
When Mertal regained consciousness
his pockets were turned inside out and
all his money. amounting to $50 was
gone. He was taken to the receiving
hospital, where Drs Garrett and Cook
sewed up several lacerated wounds in
his scalp.