Imperial Valley press., 1932-02-04
BRAVE JANITOR STAYS BANDIT
ROBBING LOCAL POST OFFICE


hospital in the patrol car, Self
begged the officers to shoot him.
He died at 5 O'Clock.
Checks Taken
A police investigation in the
post office showed that Self had
thoroughly ransacked the package
room, opening packages and regis
tered mail He had taken one
check signed by Postmaster Jenk-
ins. and a number of blank checks.
Police advanced the theory he in
tended to forge jenkins name to
several checks.
In preliminary attempt to
identify the burglar, police found
the name. j E. Self" in the
lining of his coat. A search of re-
Gently received circulars brought
out the information the burglar
was Alvin Self. Tattoo marks, scars
and a photograph were identical.
Self was sentenced to Florence
penitentiary March 26, 1881, for
robbery, and escaped January
20, 1882.
Identity fTONen
Positive identification OF Self
was made by Charles ResenqueSt,
fingerprint expert of the police de-
partment, upon a comparison of
fingerprints taken from the dead
man and those of Alvin Self, sent
from Florence some time ago on
the special request of the finger
print expert that he be furnished
with prints, photographs and de-
scriptionS of escaped convicts.
Justifiable homicide was the ver-
dict of a coroner's jury this morn
ing. The jury returned the fol-
lowing verdict, commencing Perk-
ins for his act:
I'VE, the jury. find that Alvin
Self came to his death on the 4th
day of February, 1882, in this
county, at the hands of Mearon
Perkins, with a As Colts. in self
defense and while said Alvin Self
was robbing the Ell Centre post
office, said shooting occurring in
the El Centro post office, Ell
Centro, Calf We, the jury, find
said shooting was justifiable, and
Mearon Perkins is hereby COM
mended for his act"
Spurred on by Sells death, Off
GERS today were searching for two
partners who escaped from the
Florence penitentiary at the same
time as did Self, and who were
thought to be with him.
Frank P. McCaslin, Ell Centre po-
lice chief, and Fred Elliott, deputy
sheriff, this morning went to
Westmorland in the hope of find
ing the men there, but had no
luck. The men sought are known
as Jack Hunter and William Hill.
Perkins Is Hero
The aftermath of this mornings
affair found Perkins a hero among
his acquaintanceS, and post office
officials busy sorting and repack-
ing the dozens OF packages torn
open by Self in his haste. Fortu-
nately many of the boxes and
packages contained merchandise
for local stores, and an invoice was
included.
Perkins has been working about
the post office here for the past
five year, he said On every hand
he was receiving Communications
today for his bravery in attacking
the burglar, and A. H. Keller o.
the Bank OF America has started
a fund of appreciation to be given
him, according to Postmaster
jenkins. The postmaster expressed
his personal appreciation by say
ing he thought some reward is
certainly due the janitor
Perkins himself assumed no
great credit for his feat. saying
Self was responsible because the
burglar gave him time to get up
his nerve by talking. He did not
mention the rabbits foot hanging
from a watch chain across his
chest.
He was scared" when Self first
pointed the gun at him, Perkins
said, but when the burglar insisted
on talking, and seemed to want to
get some information from him,
he had time to think the situation
over and recall some courage.
When he first entered the post
office this morning, he was sing
ing, Perkins said He left again
without noticing anything wrong,
and went to a service station on
the corner. He was thinking some
one might think he was trying to
rob the service station, but de-
cided to tell them where he
worked if they asked, the janitor
added.
He then returned to the post
office, and was met by Self.
Perkins has three children, Mel
vim, 16; Zelma, 18, and Alma, 20.
They live with the janitor and his
wife. He has been in Imperial