The San Mateo Times, Wednesday July 5, 1949

A 20-minute chase last night through the 96 rooms and miles of corridors and hallways of the vacant Carolands mansion was necessary to round up three carloads of county teenaged youths who had been reported creating a disturbance by neighbors living a quarter of a mile away.

Arriving at the scene, Officer Ernest Lena of Hillsborough reported the youths, all San Mateo high schools students, attempted to barricade themselves in the million dollar mansion to escape arrest. Lena said the youths lived up and down the Peninsula from Redwood City to San Bruno.

Lena said three youths on watch at the large entrance way, attempted to slam two large wrought iron doors to prevent his entry. Although he jammed the barrel of a shotgun between the two story-high doors, he was prevented from entering when the barrel was smashed off as the doors closed.

Answering a radio call for help, Burlingame officers arrived at the scene to assist Lena in apprehending the gang, which was composed of four girls and 16 boys ranging in age from 14 to 19.

Entering the home, police said they discovered the youths had been swinging from a three-story high center court from fire hoses strung over balconies. Other youths had sailed several dozen paper plates from the third story balcony to the ground floor below and hurled old bottles down marble stairways.

The gang had also been using the elevators in the four-story high home, although they have been declared unsafe, police said.

All of the 20 youths were brought to Hillsborough police station where they were held until their parents could be notified, Police Chief Walter J. Wisnom said. All have been cited to appear in court next Saturday.

According to Wisnom, the mansion has long been a source of complaints caused by juveniles entering it. It was built in 1913 and 1914 by Harriet Pullman Carolan, heir to the Pullman car fortune.