Category Archives: #courts

October 23, 1957: Matt Weinstock

Oct. 23, 1957 The lady, an Ay–Ayer, is sober again, and philosophic. Not long ago, she slipped, as A-Ayers sometimes do. Finding herself well-soused, with no money left for a cab and little sense of direction, she decided the clink … Continue reading

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Drug bust

Oct. 19, 1957 Los Angeles Perhaps you remember publicist Desmond Slattery from Paul Coates’ Aug. 22, 1957, column. In brief, he was selling crickets as pets. This time, however, his problem is roaches–or rather, a roach. Slattery and his roommate, … Continue reading

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Rock Hudson divorce

Oct. 19, 1957 There are some days when the old newspapers take my breath away. This is one of those times. An ideal couple. Wow.

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In the teeth of the evidence

  Evelyn and L. Ewing Scott during a cruise on the Queen Mary. Oct. 16-18, 1957 Los Angeles In its opening days, the Leonard Ewing Scott murder trial has focused Evelyn Scott’s eyeglasses and dentures, which were found behind the … Continue reading

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Linda Leabow update

Prodded by a reader who directed me to an ancestry website, I can fill in a few blanks about Linda Leabow, who figured in the Marie Wilson story. According to California death records, Linda L. Cairns, listed with the maiden … Continue reading

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Marie Wilson update

I went into the archives last night and pulled the photos of Marie Wilson and her family. Photograph by Don Cormer / Los Angeles TimesMarie Wilson and her son, Greg. Los Angeles Times photoMarie Wilson with Greg and Christine, Oct. … Continue reading

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Change of Heart

Oct. 16-22, 1957 Los Angeles Somewhere, perhaps in Los Angeles, is a woman who celebrated her 50th birthday on June 25, 1957, and may have no idea of the legal battle that was fought over her when she was 3 … Continue reading

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Ramblin’ man

  Oct. 11-23, 1957Los Angeles Hey there, men, feeling blue because you can’t get a date? You might try the Clifford Earl Burton method: You don’t have to be tall (he was 5-5), highly educated (he could barely read or … Continue reading

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Court beat

Oct. 10, 1957Los Angeles Oh for the life of a court beat reporter in 1957: Confidential magazine, an appeal by convicted killer Caryl Chessman and the murder trial of L. Ewing Scott, not to mention the daily grind of the … Continue reading

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Snapshot

A typical example of retouching from The Times photo archives:   Steve Fontanini / Los Angeles Times, Dec. 28, 1973From left, J. Miller Leavy of the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, with Dist. Atty. Joseph Busch and Joseph Carr, … Continue reading

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As crazy as two waltzing mice

  Oct. 9, 1957 Ventura, Calif. Renzee Louis Alameda, 36, was the quietest man on the block. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound ex-Marine, a USC graduate, was unmarried and had lived alone at 2412 Ridgeley Drive for the last 10 years. He … Continue reading

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A fifth of whiskey

Oct. 8, 1957 Los Angeles How can such smart crooks be so dumb? The short answer is: They just were. In the last few months, half a dozen seasoned pros had been involved in systematically burglarizing the homes of wealthy … Continue reading

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A miracle

Oct. 5, 1957 Louisiana The story of Alton Clifton Poret presents unusually frustrating challenges for the diligent researcher. Identified in a 1954 Times story as "a former Los Angeles Negro," Poret and Edgar Labat were sentenced to die in Louisiana’s … Continue reading

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The Money Man

  Oct. 2-3, 1957 Los Angeles OK, let’s go get a cup of coffee and talk about our friend "The Money Man." We can just drive up Central Avenue until we find some all-night place. I’m not really hungry. I … Continue reading

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Hollywood confidential

Oct. 1, 1957 Los Angeles No, I haven’t forgotten about Confidential magazine. The jury is still out.

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Mystery photo solved

The correct answer is Caryl Whittier Chessman. A very impressive showing by Duane Laible. I didn’t expect anyone to guess so quickly.    Meet the boy bandit gang, which terrorized Los Angeles with a string of robberies and shootings in … Continue reading

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Hollywood confidential

Sept. 28, 1957Los AngelesThis isn’t looking good.

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Paul V. Coates–Confidential File

Sept. 26, 1957 I talked yesterday with two men. One was fresh out of San Quentin, pardoned after nine months for a crime he didn’t commit. The second was a witness to the crime. His positive identification of the suspect … Continue reading

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Mickey Cohen arrested

Sept. 26, 1957Los Angeles Alas, the old Redwood at 234 W. 1st St. was demolished before my arrival at The Times, although it lives on in newsroom lore. One incident I’d never heard about was the arrest of Mickey Cohen … Continue reading

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Hollywood confidential

  The jury in the Confidential magazine case, sequestered at the Mayfair Hotel, is spending the day at the pool…..

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