Category Archives: Caryl Chessman

Matt Weinstock – March 31, 1960

Posted on March 31, 2010 by lmharnisch

Seat of Judgment      A man I know was notified a few days ago that his auto insurance had been canceled.  Indignant, he demanded to know why.  He was told that the insurance company had checked his driving record and … Continue reading →

Posted in Caryl Chessman, Columnists, Matt Weinstock | 1 Comment

Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, March 31, 1960

Posted on March 31, 2010 by lmharnisch

Major Family Tragedy of Our Atomic Times       There's sadness in the face of Jackson McVey.  Lined into his forehead and around his mouth, it never completely disappears, even when he smiles.       It's a sadness not without … Continue reading →

Posted in Caryl Chessman, Columnists, health, Paul Coates | 1 Comment

Support for Capital Punishment Drops to 51%, Poll Finds

Posted on March 23, 2010 by lmharnisch

March 23, 1960: The Caryl Chessman case has underscored the worldwide debate over capital punishment, the Gallup Poll says. Americans support state executions 51% to 36%, with 13% undecided, the poll found, a decline from 68% support in 1953. 

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, March 21 1960

Posted on March 21, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Journalism Lesson From a Dixie Editor     My mother didn't exactly cancel her subscription to The Mirror News.     What she did, she called me up — collect — from her flat in the Bronx just before Christmas last … Continue reading →

Posted in Caryl Chessman, Columnists, Countdown to Watts, Front Pages, Paul Coates, Science, Transportation | Leave a comment

Matt Weinstock, March 16, 1960

Posted on March 16, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Mileage Test     I've had misgivings about freeways for a long time. But not the way you might think.  I've merely been suspicious of the comparative mileage.     This is to report that I have confirmed my suspicion.  I … Continue reading →

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Get Perking: Coffee Hits 15 Cents a Cup

Posted on March 15, 2010 by lmharnisch

Catch a snooze on the Freeway Flyer!  March 15, 1960: Coffee goes to 15 cents a cup, which would be $1.07 today, adjusted for inflation. Not quite the price of a venti caramel brulee at Starbucks. On the jump: “I … Continue reading →

Posted in Caryl Chessman, Food and Drink, Transportation | Leave a comment

Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, March 10, 1960

Posted on March 10, 2010 by lmharnisch

The book Coates is talking about is, of course, "Black Like Me." DARING THE 'HATE STARE' A White Man Turns Negro (This is the first of two exclusive columns on the remarkable story of a white author who turned "Negro" … Continue reading →

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Lawmakers Defeat Attempt to Ban Death Penalty

Posted on March 10, 2010 by lmharnisch

“I’ve Got to Live With Myself!”   March 10, 1960: The Senate Judiciary Committee kills Gov. Pat Brown’s effort to repeal the death penalty. Although Caryl Chessman is the pressing issue in the question of capital punishment, his name is … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Caryl Chessman, Comics, Film, Hollywood, JFK, LAPD, Richard Nixon, Sports | Leave a comment

Matt Weinstock, March 8, 1960

Posted on March 8, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Nervous Cat's Tale     As the animal regulation department's files prove, life in our vast jungle compound is fraught with peril.  It is not uncommon for people to be frightened, by roving pythons or straying wildebeests and to be … Continue reading →

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Screen Actors Guild Goes on Strike

Posted on March 7, 2010 by lmharnisch

   March 7, 1960: The Screen Actors Guild goes on strike over residuals on movies made after 1948 that are broadcast on TV.  “The Magnificent Seven” and “Ocean’s Eleven” are unaffected.

Posted in broadcasting, Caryl Chessman, Comics, Dodgers, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Immigration, Sports, Television | Leave a comment

Matt Weinstock, March 4, 1960

Posted on March 4, 2010 by lmharnisch

To Mars in a Tub       The reason the Russians are beating us into space is no mystery to Sam Lobell of S Westmoreland Ave.  In a word — bathtubs.  Others may cite graphs and statistics showing Russian emphasis … Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, March 4, 1960

Posted on March 4, 2010 by lmharnisch

Yes, the Mirror ran photos of the entire jury in the Finch case.  Mash Notes and Comment       (Press Release) " 'Some people have said I'm stingy,' says J. Paul Getty, who at 67 is probably the richest private … Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, March 3, 1960

Posted on March 3, 2010 by lmharnisch

Let Us Consider Case of Robert Martinez        Robert Martinez, I met by degrees.     There was the first letter from him six weeks ago.  In spelling that was hampered by the fact that he never got beyond the eighth … Continue reading →

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Chessman to Die May 2

Posted on March 3, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Charlie Neal, right, is on the receiving end as four aspirants try out for the Dodger shortstop starting position. They are, from left, Don Zimmer, Bob Aspromonte, Bobby Lillis and Maury Wills. March 3, 1960: James Kendrick, top, reenacts … Continue reading →

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Officer’s Shot Saves Partner’s Life

Posted on February 26, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Feb. 26, 1960: Gov. Pat Brown will answer questions about granting a reprieve to Caryl Chessman … and on skid row, Officer V.P. Farmer shoots an ex-convict who is holding a gun to the head of Officer Ernest Searles … Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, Feb. 25, 1960

Posted on February 25, 2010 by lmharnisch

  On Man's Ingratitude to Man, With 20% Off     Sammy is 46 years old, a newsboy, a coffee-addicted graduate of Judge Clifton's drunk court, and — by his own admission — nobody's angel.     For 30 of his years … Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, Feb. 24, 1960

Posted on February 24, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Strange Slaying Case at Last Confessed       There should come a time in a reporter's  life when there's nothing left to shock him — when he's witnessed enough of the stark drama of human behavior to build up … Continue reading →

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Jarvis Urges Recall of Gov. Brown

Posted on February 24, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Vice President Richard Nixon greets admirers in South Bend, Ind., while visiting Notre Dame to receive its Patriotism Award. Caryl Chessman and the Finch trial. A good day for news. And the historic Southern Pacific depot on Alameda burns … Continue reading →

Posted in #Jazz, Caryl Chessman, Dodgers, Politics, Richard Nixon, Sports | 1 Comment

Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, Feb. 23, 1960

Posted on February 23, 2010 by lmharnisch

    Democracy Guards Everyone's Rights       A few days before Gov. Brown's reprieve of Caryl Chessman, the Mexico City newspaper Novedades carried the front-page headline:         Puede Salvar La Vida de Chessman     Un Testigo Deseubierta por … Continue reading →

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Times Calls for Chessman’s Execution

Posted on February 23, 2010 by lmharnisch

  The Times calls the gas chamber “a sanitary disposal mechanism that a civilized society is constrained to set up to shield itself from the contamination of criminal psychopaths.”   Feb. 23, 1960: The Times runs letters in response to … Continue reading →

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