Category Archives: #courts

Boy, 6, Gets a Toy Sword – Mayhem Ensues

  Oct. 27, 1909: Master Trimble goes hunting Indians on South Main, armed with his new sword.

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A Kinder, Simpler Time Dept.: Your Roller Derby

  Oct. 26, 1953: It’s ladies night at the roller derby! And a group of teenagers attacks a former boxer after the girl sitting next to him at a theater claims he molested her.

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The ‘Unwritten Law’ on Homicide

Halloween with R.F. Outcault’s Buster Brown. Oct. 26, 1919: The “unwritten law,” that a husband was justified in killing any man who romanced his wife, appears frequently in The Times and was cited as a defense for decades – often … Continue reading

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Doctor Dumped Severed Body Into Creek, Chauffeur Says

  Labor activists in Indianapolis set off four precisely timed bombs targeting a contractor using non-union workers. One bomb destroyed a barn at his home, two bombs wrecked buildings under construction and the fourth damaged a building at his plant. … Continue reading

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Editor Threatens Rival Newsman With a Gun

  Oct. 23, 1909: The editor of the Antelope Valley Gazette is cleared on charges of pulling a gun on the editor of the Antelope Valley Ledger. It’s a nasty dispute involving a woman with a horsewhip who has bad … Continue reading

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Delay for Caryl Chessman

Oct. 22, 1959: President Eisenhower transfers German rocket scientists led by Wernher von Braun from Army jurisdiction to NASA. Luau anyone? The Dodgers submitted a map for their Chavez Ravine ballpark and some of the features were downright headline grabbers. … Continue reading

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As Undercover Agent, Housewife Spied on Communists

Oct. 21, 1959: Moiselle Clinger describes spying on Communists for the FBI. Truck driver Gordon Powell says he robbed a bank after losing work because of the steel strike. A new appeal seeks to block the execution of Caryl Chessman. … Continue reading

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Who Can Be an American Citizen?

Oct. 21, 1909: Johanna Engleman of Santa Monica still hopes to be a juror, but no attorney wants her on a case because the decision might be reversed. After all, she may not be qualified to serve as a juror! … Continue reading

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Quints Born in Texas

Oct. 20, 1959: Former Secretary of State and Defense Gen. George C. Marshall is buried at Arlington. Former President Truman says: "I sincerely hope that when it comes my time to cross the great river, Gen. Marshall will place me … Continue reading

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Caryl Chessman Wins Delay

  Oct. 21, 1959: Caryl Chessman gets a stay of execution.

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President Asks Court to Halt Steel Strike

Oct. 20, 1959: No clemency for Caryl Chessman, governor says … Calling it a sad day for America, President Eisenhower tells the Justice Department to seek a federal injunction to halt a strike by the United Steelworkers of America.    … Continue reading

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Man Sues for Divorce, Claims Wife Had Affair With Stepson

  Above, the woman at the center of the divorce case, Helen Elwood Stokes, Oct. 25, 1919. Oct. 20, 1919: W.E.D. “Weddie” Stokes Jr. says he had an affair with his stepmother. She later brought a $1-million lawsuit against him … Continue reading

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Woman May Be Seated as Juror

Oct. 20, 1909: Johanna Engleman may become California’s first woman juror. I’ll try to find a more legible copy of this story. Johanna Engleman of Santa Monica almost became the state’s first woman juror, but was removed by a peremptory … Continue reading

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Judge Bars Gambling on Ships

June 5, 1939: A full-page ad for the S.S. Rex. Oct. 19, 1939: A judge grants a preliminary injunction barring gambling on ships beyond the three-mile limit.

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Doctor Charged With Illegally Prescribing Drugs

  Dr. G.W. Finch is arrested on charges of illegally prescribing morphine to drug addicts.

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Residents Flee Big Tujunga Fire, Oct. 16, 1959

Oct. 16, 1959: Mae West is censored … and Gov. Pat Brown hints that he may show mercy to Caryl Chessman. Audrey Hepburn in “The Nun’s Story.” Local freeways would need "major surgery" to handle the traffic from Dodger fans … Continue reading

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‘Eel Boy’ Escapes From Police

Oct. 16, 1919: Don "Eel Boy" Clauser escapes again! This time he was showing Glendale officers where he had freed some horses when he made a "running high dive into the brush alongside the road."

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A Postscript on the Black Sox

 Aug. 13-14, 1969, catching up with the Black Sox.   Aug. 14, 1969, an interview with Gandil. "Chick Gandil was as tough as they come. He was 31 years old and stood 6 feet, 2 inches tall; a broad, powerful … Continue reading

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Magnetic Healer Lures Away Husband

  Oct. 15, 1909: A wife sues her husband for divorce, charging that he was drawn away by a “magnetic healer.”

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Forest Service Worker Admits Setting Fatal Fire

This is how we did fire maps 50 years ago. The map is hard to read, but compare it with the one we did for the Station fire.   Oct. 14, 1959: The Times brings out an extra on the … Continue reading

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