Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-31
Ruess confronting keosh on Chalk hill


y y y y - = .
T. To Whom 1t May Concern: :.
\ This is to certify that reports !
j. that l have circulated in the past !
i about my having bought Hart !
i ford car, and it having fallen to !
4 pieces are deliberate lies. never =
i had a Hartford car, nor did l !
T. ever hear anything of one break !
!. ing to pieces, and statements L Z
4. made to the contrary heretofore !
+ = now brand as deliberate lies. !
T. j. T. KEOGH. !
+ 4 + i :. i i X 4 = + X !. !. !. \
The above remarkable document was
signed yesterday noon, on the top OF
picturesque chalk HILL" by Joseph Z.
Keogh, a rental real estate and loan
dealer, with business apartments IN
room PIP Delta building, 426 south
Spring street, the impelling force which
caused Keogh to brand himself as
falsifier being a little band of deter
mined men, led by William r. Ruess,
the automobile dealer and including
such well known figures in the auto
mobile trade as Leon T. Shelter Ralph
J. LeaVitt, Ralph G. Hanlin and
Charles Cowan, representing, respec-
lively. the Pope Hartford REQ and
Kisselkar, Locomobile and Rambler
agencies in this city Included in the
party, in addition to these dealers, were
Murray Page and William Curtis, who
acted as drivers, and two newspaper
men.
Keogh is said to be an aggravated
type If the "joy rider" who has made
life miserable for half dozen automo-
bile dealers in Los Angeles during the
past two months, if only half of what
is charged against him is only half
true.
Because of what is said to have been
an over-developed propensity to i'm
pose on dealers, the dealers conceived
the idea of turning the tables on
Keogh, and, instead of giving him
what should prove to be 10y ride
at their expense, they determined to
give him a sorrow walk which
would serve as lesson to him.
AS a result of the turning of tables,
Keogh was compelled, after signing
the above confession of lack of YER
acity on his part, to confront walk
of about twenty miles back to the city
from where he was left on chalk hill'
along deserted roads in the foothills of
the San Fernando valley, from ankle
to knee deep - a soft and clinging
adobe mud.
Keogh Pleads
Keogh pleaded piteously with his
erstwhile automobile friends to not
leave him to walk this interminable
distance alone, but to bring him back
to the city, where he would make res
titution for everything he had done,
pay every Collar b. had cost them,
and prove to them that everything was
all right.
But his automobile friends were as
heard hearted toward his cries for
mercy as they had been easy hereto
fore, and with broad outlaws they set
their motors going and speeded back
to town. The last seen of Keogh he
was vending his weary way down the
lonesome foothill road, picking his foot
steps in the driest portions of the adobe
mud, and should have succeeded In
reaching Los Angeles somewhere be-
fore midnight.
Keogh's actions, as explained by the
various dealers mentioned above, and
regarding which they all agree, leave
little room for speculation regarding
his motive. The facts in a general way
were explained by Ruess, after he had
induced Keogh to sign his name to the
statement.
Ruess Tells the Story
"Some time after the recent automo-
bile show was over Keogh telephoned
me from his office in the Delta block, -
said Ruess, land asked me if l was
wild Bill Ruess. l told him that some
people called me by that name. Then
he said that he wanted to buy Pope
Hartford car and to come around with
my demonstrating car. L didn't go, Tor
those things get too common with me.
A few days later Curtis, my salesman,
called me on the phone and said that
/ had been overlooking a sale and to
come to the Delta block at once and 10
Keogh's office.
went there with my demonstrating
car and took Keogh up NeWhall grade
the same afternoon. Keogh told me he
was much pleased with the car and
that he would give me a $1,000 check as
a deposit in the morning. The next
morning he phoned that he was called
to Beaumont and would be back on the
night train. Curtis and l went to the
train to meet him and he did not come.
The next morning he phoned and said
that things had gone badly with his
father at Beaumont, and for me not
to go any further with the alterations
/ was making on his car to meet his
order. 1 had changed wheels for him.
had put on a glass front, speedometer
and a lot of extras, but told him that
that made no difference if he was In
trouble. Then he told me that he
would still take the car that he would
be delayed for a few days with the
payment, but that I could depend on
him. A few days later Mr.. Harding
wanted the car but 1 felt that Keogh
had the first call on it, and l lost the
sale. Harding buying a Cadillac in
stead.
''The next thing heard was a lot of
stories that someone around Victorville
had bought a Pope-Hartford and that
il had all fallen to pieces in a few
weeks. / tried every way to run this
story down. but could get no line on
who was telling this lie about my car.
Things Begin crystaIIizine
Monday afternoon 1 heard that
Keogh was about to buy a Locomobile
from Leavitt, and 1 had hardly heard
this before Shelter called me up and
asked me If l ever heard about a Pope
Hartford breaking to pieces near Vic
torville. / told him 1 had heard that
the story was being told, but could