Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-31
MOTORMAN HAS
VISION OF CRIME
AS A RESULT POLICE ARE
RUSHED TO RAILROAD CUT
MACY STREET VIADUCT SECTION
THOROUGHLY SEARCHED
Suspicious Characters Frequently
Seen at Night Cause Street
Car Men to Become
Nervous

"B'rrrrrrr," sounded the telephone
bell.
2 "Police headquarters, responded the
desk sergeant as he placed the receiver
to his ear.
This is the train dispatcher at the
Pacific Electric station" came the
sounds of a voice in excited accents.
There is a gang of holdups in the cut
just beyond the Macy street viaduct,
where the South Pasadena cars branch
off from the main line. A trainman
just notified me that he could plainly
see them in hiding and that one of
them is a negro. Please hurry and you
may not only save robbery but may
be able to capture several desperadoeS.'
For a minute all was commotion at
police headquarters. The captain was
notified and hurriedly sent for all the
officers who were lounging around the
Frst street station. In q brief period
of time a squad of policemen was on
the way to the scene of probable
train robbery.
Arriving at the place mentioned by
the train dispatcher the officers made
a thorough search until about midnight
but nothing was found to substantiate
the fears of the Pacific Electric official
and it was presumed by the police the
thugs had fed.
Railroad Men ApprehensiVe
For several days last week suspicious
characters have been seen loafng
around the switch in the cut. Train
crews have seen them and have made
frequent reports to their superiors, but
little attention has been paid to the
apprehensions of the railroad men.
The incident related took place last
Friday night about 10 o'clock and the
results have been guarded carefully by
the department of public safety
Wednesday night about o'clock the
crew of a car coming from South Pasa-
dena into the city observed two men
standing near the switch. When the
car stopped to allow the conductor to
throw the switch, one of the suspicious
looking men went to the front and one
to the rear end of the car. The con-
ductor said he thought he was to be
held up surely, but he did not falter in
his duty. The two strangers Inspected
the car thoroughly and after one re-
marked HE is not in there" both dis
appeared in the darkness.
Thursday night about o'clock two
rouEh-IoOking men were again seen at
the switch, but they made no attempt
to molest any of the cars or crews.
Friday morning the police were noti-
fed of the incidents of the two nights
previous and it was determined to send
some officers in an endeavor to arrest
the supposed bandits.
Accordingly, at 8 o'clock Friday
evening, a sergeant detective and
negro patrolman in citizens dress were
detailed on the case. They went to the
place where the suspicious characters
had been reported to have been seen
and laid in wait for their quarry.
Visions of HoIdups
About 10 o'clock a motorman, slow
ing down his car on an inbound trip so
it would not climb the frog of the
switch. saw by the reflection of his
headlight, the head of a negro who was
peering over the bank. Visions of
hoIdups quickly flashed through the
mind of the motorman and at full
speed he ran his car through the cut.
When he reached a telephone he noti-
fed the train dispatcher and several
other car crews of the presence OF
thugs In the cut.
1t was at this time that the Pacific
Electric director of cars notified police
headquarters and caused the officers
detailed on the case to have dreams of
appre hending real desperadoes and
possible promotion for bravery.
When the South Pasadena crew,
which had been responsible for the first
detail of police sent to the scene
passed through the cut about midnight,
the lnotorman and conductor was sur
prised to see the territory near the
switch fairly alive with policemen,
street car men and others. Four cars
were stalled at the junction so the
crews could be of assistance when the
Eighwaymen should be captured.
When the second squad of officers
reached headquarters after their siren
uous efforts they learned the first de-
tail of officers had a negro policeman
in it's membership and he it was who
had been seen peering over the en-
bankment by the over-timorous mo-
torman.
It-was agreed all around the secret
of the nights adventure or search for
a tangible Robin Hoods band should
be guarded carefully, especially as
the police involved in the episode in
sisted, from those blamed newspaper
men,"