Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-10
RECOVERED Lutte
UNVEILS ROBBERY
ARTICLE FURNISHES CLEW TO
PERPETRAT0R OF CRIME
RARE INSTRUMENT is PAWNED
FOR A DOLLAR
Bold Thief Breaks Into Private Cars
and Hauls Plumber Away in
Wagon--Arrested as
Vagrant

The recovery of an ancient lutte
valued at $500, from an East First
street pawnshop, where it had been sold
for ST. was the clew that led to the
arrest of Thomas J. Bowen, a machin-
ist who was turned over to Detectives
Cowan and Beaumont by the county
Jail authorities and locked up in the
city Jail charged with having stolen
1920 worth of theatrical costumes and
property from the Ben Greet Theatrical
company, and also with having entered
the private car of E. L. Doheny, the
millionaire oil operator, and stolen sill
verware valued at $500. Bowen had
just completed a ten days term in the
county Jail for vagrancy and was about
to be released yesterday morning when
the detectives obtained the information
that resulted in his being taken into
custody again.
The burglary which Bowen is charged
with is one of the boldest and most dar-
ing that the Los Angeles police have
had to investigate within the last rev
years. Several weeks ago, while the car
containing the theatrical effects OF the
Ben Greet company was standing on
side track near the Arcade station 1t
was entered by a man forcing open one
of the doors and rare and ancient
lutte. number of valuable costumes
and numerous other articles stolen.
Immediately after this car was robbed
the same man broke open door of the
private car of E. L. Doheny on the side
track, a short distance from the the
atrical car, and stole $50 pieces of sill
verware, valued at $500.
Wagon Used
The robbery of the two cars was dis
covered the following morning and the
detectives who made the investigation
found marks of wagon wheels leading
up to and away from the cars. The
marks of the vehicle was traced for a
short distance and lost. No further
clew could be found.
Soon after the robbery the theatrical
people, on an examination of the car,
made a list of the stolen goods and
gave a description of the articles to the
police. Later a description of the sill
verware taken from Doheny's car was
sent to the detectives
The officers detailed on the case
visited a number of pawnshops and
finally located the missing lutte in an
East First street pawnshop. The pro-
prietor of the place told the detectives
he had purchased the rare and costly
instrument. for 81. Because of the in
strument being one seldom seen the
pawnbroker took more than ordinary
interest in the man who sold it and
obtained a thorough description of him.
He described the seller of the lutte to
the officers and circulars were sent to
the various cities in this section.
The detectives traced Bowen to San
Bernardino, where they lost all track
of him. Later they learned he had gone
to Pomona, and from there probably
had boarded a train for the east.
Arrested as Vagrant
After further investigation the of
ficers learned that a man answering
Bowen's description had been arrested
more than a week ago and had been
sentenced to serve ten days in the
county jail for vagrancy. At that time
they did not know the name of the man
who had entered the cars and conf
mitted the burglaries
Yesterday morning the officers visited
the county Jail, and after looking over
the records saw Bowen's name on the
Jail register and that his time expired
that morning.
They had the man brought out, and
found he answered the description of
the person who sold the musical in
strument to the pawnbroker Bowen
was turned over to the detectives and
taken to the city Jail on charge of
burglary.
He refuses to make a statement con-
corning the case. but the police say he
is the man and they will have no
trouble in connecting him with the rob-
berry of both cars.
OF the silverware and theatrical goods
stolen only the lutte has been recovered.
Bowen will be thoroughly questioned,
and the detectives say they will sue
coed ultimately in recovering the rest
of the stolen property