Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-12-24
MERCHANT SHOT
DOWN in STORE
BY HIGHWAYMEN
FRANK G. J0HANNSEN TWICE
PIERCED BY BULLETS
Temple Street Groceryman Compelled
to Hand Over Receipts of Store,
Although Wounded in
Mouth and ARM

Frank G. Johannsen. head of the Jo-
hannsen Grocery company at 500 West
Temple street, was shot twice at e.45
o'clock last night by two highwayTnen
who held up and robbed his stope q
$11O. Johannsen was hit once IN the
mouth, and the second TING in the
right forearm, as he ATTEMPTED to raise
revolver to defend ab4inself and his
property against the robbers.
Mr.. Johannse54 with his clerk, Frank
Rasch, ana Sydney Robertson q Gus
toners We're in the store atethe time
of tlfe robbery. While Raseh was wait
ing on Robertson the pr0prietor of the
store was standing idly near his cash
register.
Two mem ~suddenly appeared in the
doorway Both wearing masks over the
lower part of their faces and holding
blue automatic pistols in their hands,
which they pointed at the men in the
store.
The leading man, who was the taller
of the two, Ieveled his pistol at Jo-
hannsen'S head and ordered him TO
throw up Shis hands. Instead of COM
dropped to The floor and reached for a
revolver which he had under his coun-
ter. with the attention of shooting one
of the robbersf possible.
AS he started to rise to his feet
with the revolverip his hand the tallest
robber fired pointNblanlS at him, cry
ing with string ofAoaths, Drop that
gun, you -. a.
The bullet struck Johannsen in the
mouth, tearing it's way Though his lip,
smashing out all his front teeth anu
shattering his palateaand jaNbone.
Hit a Second Tfmel
Johannsen staggered back, but still
raised his revolve1eto shoot, aiad as ne
did so the robber fired again, tbeNbullet
passing through Johannsen's ann par
alyzing it and compelling him to drop
his revolver to the floor
"Try that again and viii Kill YOU =
yelled the robber, and then lie oruereu
Johannsen to go and get his money,
seeming to know that it had been takelA
from the cash register short time pc
fore and hidden in the icebox. Unable
TO resist further the grocer walked TO
the icebox, removed his days receipts
amounting to $l10, and turned the
money over to the bandit.
Meantime the second man had run
Rasch, the clerk, and Robertson, the
customer, to the rear of the store, anu
while he held his pistol on them with
one hand searched their pockets TOT
valuables. From young Rasch the man
| took a. five-dollar gold piece, which,
on the representation that 1t was ali
| he had for Christmas, he gave back
| Ia him Robertson had nothing in his
/ nocl,ets. and as soon as he could Sllo
away from the pistol leVeied III nus
! direction ran out of the door OF tIle
] store and across the street to his nome
/ at 519 Temple street. There he at once
| called up the police ana hotlileo them
of the robbery.
| The two bandits had left, however
before his message reached the police
/ and when the automobile ambulance
! and four motorcycle policemen reacheu
/ the place they disappeared.
Johannsen was taken to the recelV-
ing hospital, where DIR. g. Ii. Garrett
dressed his wounds and sent nm nome
The wounded man, after he had de-
iivered his money to the robbers, was
/ searched by the tall man, but the
/ search was hurried and he missed q
diamond stud and gold watch, worth
| several hundred dollars.
The description given the police by
Johannsen tallies with that of the rob-
bers who have been holding up stores
and saloons in Los Angeles the past
month, and the police have no doubt
that they are the same men,
/ A
hoff. an employe of the Hauser Pack
ing company. who lives at Sic South
Mott street, was held up at Fourth
and Mott streets while he was on his
way to work by a man armed with a
five-foot length of gaspipe.
Two More Held Up
The man demanded his money and
followed the order instantly with a
blow with the gaspipe. Nothoff lodged,
but the pipe struck him across the left
shoulder, almost paralyzing him on
that side and knocking him to his
knees. AS the fellow raised the pipe
to strike him a second blow Nothoff
seized the pipe, clung to it with all his
strength and finally wrested it from his
grasp. The robber then turned and
ran, escaping in the darkness. Not
hoff went to the central station, where
he reported the assault and after his
Injuries had been attended to by the
police surgeons, returned to his home.
Mrs. L. A. Wallace of 1409% VIM
field street was robbed of a handbag
containing $23 and a gold watch at
the corner of Eleventh and Hope
streets at 1890 o'clock last night by
two men who ran up behind her and
grabbed the bag from her hand. Be
fore she could give the alarm the men