From the Archives: Robber chased, caught
Delmar Watson, Los Angeles Mirror-News staff photographer, shot this image after getting caught in the middle of the jewelry story robbery and helping chase Hirschfield.
The Mirror-News reported the incident in the Feb. 25, 1957 edition:
Mirror-News Photographer Delmar Watson and Reporter Jack Springer found it’s possible to get TOO close to the news - they covered a robbery Saturday while it was still in progress and Watson was a shot-at victim.
Springer and Watson were five blocks from the scene of a jewelry store robbery at 6317 Hollywood Blvd. when the police radio reported a holdup. They dashed to the scene just as one robber ran out.
Springer pursued the fleeing bandit while Watson ran into the Kruse Jewelry Store to discover that Bandit No.2 was still very much in business.
Benny Hirschfield, 40, the ex-convict robber, had just herded Jack Sanford, store manager, and Patrolman J.E. Eifert into an upstairs storeroom when Watson barged in.
Hirschfield menaced Watson with his gun, but the distraction provided Officer Eifert with an opportunity to fire at Hirschfield who fled from the store. Eifert’s bullet, which missed Hirschfield, passed over Watson’s shoulder.
Hirschfield was arrested minutes later in a nearby parking lot by Officer Fred Kite and Watson was on hand to get a vivid, grade-A action shot of Kite just after he stretched the bandit on the asphalt with a tackle.
Bandit No. 1 out sprinted Springer and boarded a bus just pulling away from a stop. Springer furnished the only accurate description of the thug who escaped with $20,000 in jewelry in a shopping bag.
Daniel Watson, curator at the Watson Family Photographic Archive, says this was one of his uncle Delmar’s favorite images.
“Delmar loved to tell the story, “ says Daniel, “He went into the store during the robbery and was confronted by the robber with a gun. Delmar held his hands up - with his Speed Graphic in one hand -- to let the robbery know he was not a cop.”
“The robber had a policeman’s gun,” says Daniel.” The policeman was handcuffed to a sink upstairs.
“Those details were left out of the original story because, says Daniel, “in those days to stay in good with police, if you didn’t have to report it, you didn’t.”
Delmar in later years, according to Daniel, would say, “In this day of long lenses, and motor drives, look what I did with a 4 by 5 Speed Graphic.”
Delmar Watson passed away in 2008. His Los Angeles Times obituary is online: Child actor turned photographer.
The Mirror-News, owned by the Los Angeles Times, was closed in 1962.
An earlier version of this post appeared on Jan. 11, 2011.
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