Category Archives: #courts

Voices — Martin Aguirre

Posted on October 8, 2010 by lmharnisch

      Meet Martin Aguirre, one of the most fascinating figures I have come across in quite a while. He was a bailiff in courtroom of Judge George Hutton in the Clarence Darrow trial, and led a most interesting … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Obituaries | 2 Comments

Violent Brawl Averted in Darrow Trial

Posted on October 5, 2010 by lmharnisch

June 25, 1912: And here we have the battle of the inkwell in the trial of Clarence Darrow. Dist. Atty. John D. Fredericks loses his temper and tries to throw a four- or five-pound inkwell at defense attorney Horace Appel … Continue reading →

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Pages of History

Posted on October 4, 2010 by lmharnisch

Los Angeles Times file photo Clarence Darrow addresses the jury in one of his two trials on charges of trying to bribe jurors in the McNamara brothers’ case. For the last week, I have been reading the transcripts of People … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1910 L.A. Times bombing, Pages of History | 1 Comment

The Joys of Research

Posted on October 2, 2010 by lmharnisch

The denominations and serial numbers of bills used as evidence in the Clarence Darrow jury tampering case: $1,000, A 6335; $500, C 60895; $500, C 72583; $500, C 62865; $500, C 20406; $500, C 23172; $500, C 61827. Check your … Continue reading →

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Clarence Darrow at the Higgins Building

Posted on September 30, 2010 by lmharnisch

Los Angeles Times file photo Landmark alert! Clarence Darrow had an office on the ninth floor of the Higgins Building, in the southwest corner, on the west side of the hall.  –People vs. Clarence Darrow, Page 721.

Posted in #courts, 1910 L.A. Times bombing, Architecture | 3 Comments

Google and History

Posted on September 29, 2010 by lmharnisch

Clarence Darrow, the lead defense attorney for the McNamara brothers in The Times bombing,  vs. Gloria Allred in Google searches for the last 12 months.

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San Francisco Labor Leaders Accuse The Times of Libel

Posted on September 4, 2010 by lmharnisch

July 19, 1910: "Jailbird" … "pinhead" …  A typical Times editorial about labor. Sept. 4, 1910: San Francisco labor leaders file a libel suit against Times Editor and General Manager Gen. Harrison Gray Otis and Assistant Manager Harry Chandler. It’s … Continue reading →

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The Well-Informed Public, 1911

Posted on September 3, 2010 by lmharnisch

Los Angeles Times file photo 1911: James B. McNamara’s defense team leaves the courthouse. At left, Samuel Gompers, famous head of the American Federation of Labor, is eating a snack and holding a cigar. The fellow on the right is … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1910 L.A. Times bombing, Homicide | 1 Comment

Pages of History

Posted on August 31, 2010 by lmharnisch

Isn’t this a great cover? I love the lettering. I’m going through the transcripts of jury selection in the McNamara trial, which is dull, tedious,  fascinating work. It’s difficult to convey the experience of having a 1911 typewritten manuscript – … Continue reading →

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On Assignment

Posted on August 29, 2010 by lmharnisch

Los Angeles Times file photo Clarence Darrow addresses jurors during his trial on charges of jury tampering. have spent the last few days at the Huntington Library going through transcripts of the trial of James B. McNamara in the 1910 … Continue reading →

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San Francisco Labor Leaders Visit Los Angeles

Posted on August 24, 2010 by lmharnisch

Aug. 25, 1910: In vastly different ways, The Times and the Herald report the arrival of San Francisco labor leaders. The Times said: "The worthies registered at the Hayward, and almost immediately the big boss who pulls the strings which … Continue reading →

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On Assignment

Posted on August 20, 2010 by lmharnisch

Los Angeles Times file photo The trial of Clarence Darrow. Do you recognize the young Jerry Giesler to Darrow’s left?  riends … I have spent this week at the Huntington Library going through material on the 1910 bombing of the … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1910 L.A. Times bombing | 2 Comments

On Assignment

Posted on August 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

Los Angeles Times file photo Clarence Darrow addresses the jury during his 1912 trial in Los Angeles on charges of attempting to bribe jurors while defending the McNamara brothers in the 1910 bombing of The Times. [Update: This photo was … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1910 L.A. Times bombing, Photography | 3 Comments

Paul Coates, Aug. 12, 1960

Posted on August 12, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Aug. 12, 1960: Paul Coates examines the implications of a Columbia University professor’s demand to be paid for translating a letter written in Uzbeki. Also on the jump, a column by Carter Barber on a Navy inquiry into the … Continue reading →

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Striker Sentenced for Violating Picketing Law

Posted on August 11, 2010 by lmharnisch

A woman runs off with a man who has no legs? Somebody at The Times had a grim sense of humor. Aug. 11, 1910: A judge sentences E.P. Kreamer to a $50 [$1,136.94 USD 2009] fine or 50 days in … Continue reading →

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Burned Bones Indicate Grim Fate of Missing Family

Posted on August 5, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Aug. 4, 1910: The San Francisco Call. Isn’t that a great font? And two kinds of “Ms.” Aug. 4-5, 1910: The Kendall family disappears from a ranch outside Santa Rosa and investigators find grisly evidence that they were slaughtered. … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Countdown to Watts, Homicide, Religion | 2 Comments

L.A. Makes Theater Censor Billboards for Play

Posted on August 3, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Aug. 3, 1910: Remember that beer is a health drink – like “liquid bread.” On the jump, the manager of the Grand Operahouse is arrested for violating the city’s billboard laws over posters for “Queen of the Highway.” Accompanied … Continue reading →

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The Case of ‘Tiger Man’ Figueroa

Posted on July 21, 2010 by lmharnisch

   Above, George E. “Tiger Man” Figueroa, as portrayed in a courtroom sketch by The Times. At right, Figueroa’s recent bride, Sarah, who was badly beaten and shot in the head.   July 21, 1910: The Times publishes the sensational … Continue reading →

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Earl Rogers and L.A.’s Picketing Ban

Posted on July 19, 2010 by lmharnisch

Los Angeles Times file photo Attorney Earl Rogers, who drafted L.A.’s ban on picketing and defended Clarence Darrow on charges of attempting to bribe jurors in the trial of the McNamara brothers in The Times bombing.    July 16-19, 1910: … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1910 L.A. Times bombing, City Hall, LAPD | 1 Comment

Ohio Mob Lynches Private Detective

Posted on July 9, 2010 by lmharnisch

July 9, 1910: Charles Etherington, one of several detectives sent to Newark by the Ohio Anti-Saloon League, is lynched in the public square by a mob of men and women after the former police chief, who owned the Last Chance … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Homicide | Comments Off on Ohio Mob Lynches Private Detective