Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-02
FIGHTS FOR LIFE
WITH BURGLAR
HAND-T0-HAND CONFLICT ON
EAST ADAMS STREET
Twenty-Year-oId Youth Finally Ar
rested Police Lay Fifteen
BurgIarIes at His
Door

While his wife aroused the neighbor-
hood with piercing screams for help
r. e. Ellithorp, employed in the elec-
trical department of the Los Angeles
Railway company, fought a desperate
hand-to-hand battle for his life with
an armed burglar I'm their home at S14
East Adams street at $40 o'slock last
night.
Had II not been for the timely in
reference of d. f. Horsfall, a lumber
dealer of Prairie Du Chen, Wis, who
arrived on the scene after the men had
fought foE five minues, it is likely that
Ellithorp would have been killed and
the burglar would have escaped. Hors-
fall entered the house while the men
were attempting to turn the burglar $
gun on each other, and not knowing at
the time which man was the intruder
tore the weapon from their grasp, and
covered them both until assistance
came.
MIR and Mrs. Ellithorp had Just re-
turned from an automobile ride, and at
$3.50 o'clock reached the front steps or
their home when they noticed light
flickering in the front bedroom VIM
dow. The wife remarked to her nus
band that he must have left the light
burning, and he opened the front door
and walked upstairs to the front room.
it was dark, and cropping through the
hallway he reached the door OF tne
room. Although half open, he noticed
that someone held it on the other side,
and cried out in a frightened tone TO
his wife downstairs.
Wife Gives Alarm
III
was wrong, ran screaming into the
street. and her husband, imagining an
Intruder had attacked her, ran hur-
riedly downstairs. AS he reached the
first floor he heard a thud behind him.
and turning quickly looked into the
muzzIe of a revolver. He darted into
a small closet off the hallway and the
stranger followed him, thrustng the
gun in his face, although the front
door remained open and he could easily
have made his escape,
In the dark, Ellithorp seized the par
rel of the gun and forced 1t over the
head of the thug and the struggle Tor
it's possession began. Out into the
hallway into the dining-room they
rocked and swayed. overturning furni-
ture and breaking dishes in their strug-
gle.
again to force the gun down and turn
ii on him, but Ellithorp fought with
desperation and kept the burglar at
bay
The timely arrival of 1Iorsfall and an
army of neighbors quelled the rob-
hers ardor and he gave in completely.
I'm up against it," he said, as he
stepped into the light.
Robber Young Man
1t was a young man under 20 years
old. dressed Immediately in a gray
suit and with polished shoes, looking
more like high school student than
a burglar, that was disclosed by the
electricity.
After an hours wait, an officer on a
motorcycle appeared on the scene and
.handcuffed the prisoner. A few min
uates later, Lieutenant A. w. Murray,
in charge of the University station. ar
rived
At the station, the young ran gave
his name as Fred Murray from San
Francisco. He said he was born in
the east and that his parents are dead.
He stated he roomed at SO91s South
Grand avenue. On a search of his room
the police found eleven watches and
quantities of jewelry and plunder.
From these they already have con-
nected him with fifteen robberies. He
is believed by the police to be a hard
ened criminal although he scarcely
looks 20 years old and has all the APP
pearance Of refinement.