Category Archives: Crime and Courts

Oct. 5, 1947: Santa Monica Police Link Killing of Teenage Girl to Earlier Stabbing of Teenage Girl

Posted on October 5, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. It was a response to Kim Cooper’s post on the stabbings of Lillian Dominguez and Barbara Jean Morse. I’m really glad you picked this one, Kim, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide | Tagged #Santa Monica, 1947, Barbara Jean Morse, black dahlia, cold cases, homicide, Lillian Dominguez | Comments Off

Oct. 3, 1947: Full House – Burglar Slips In on Mystery Writer’s Poker Game

Posted on October 3, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. Reddest face in town yesterday belonged to Charles Bennett, writer of screen mysteries in which the brilliant detective always catches the crook. Seems that he had … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | Tagged 1947, burglaries, comics, crime and courts, film, hollywood, lapd | Comments Off

Oct. 2, 1907: Patient Dies After Chiropractor Treats Spine With Mallet and Drill

Posted on October 2, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. Oct. 2, 1907 Los Angeles If you have back problems, you might try this method, used by “Dr.” Thomas H. Storey, an unlicensed chiropractor : Have the patient lie down with his … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1909, Crime and Courts, Medicine | Tagged 1907, chiropractors, crime and courts | Comments Off

Feb. 29, 1932: Body Found in Closet of Vacant Home

Posted on September 30, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. Nailed up in the closet of an unoccupied house at 2318 Pontius Ave.., West Los Angeles, the body of Tomas Moreno, 43-year-old Japanese, was discovered yesterday … Continue reading →

Posted in 1932, Cold Cases, Comics, Crime and Courts, Homicide | Tagged 1932, cold cases, crime and courts, homicide, lapd | Comments Off

Sept. 26, 1907: Disharmony for Conductor of Long Beach Band

Posted on September 26, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. Sept. 26, 1907 Long Beach Marco Vessella, conductor of Long Beach’s Royal Italian Band, has had nothing but trouble with Special Officer W.D. Cason after firing him from his job as ticket … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Crime and Courts, Music, Pasadena | Tagged 1907, crime and courts. Marco Vessella, Long Beach, Music | Comments Off

Sept. 22, 1907: No Divorce, Judge Says, You Knew He Was a Bellboy When You Married Him!

Posted on September 22, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. Sept. 22, 1907 Los Angeles She was 34 and a successful businesswoman. He was a 19-year-old bellboy at the Hollenbeck Hotel. Emma and George Lloyd were married and for a time were … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Crime and Courts | Tagged 1907, bellboys, crime and courts, divorce | Comments Off

Sept. 21, 1947: Los Angeles Leads U.S. in Burglaries, Ranks 3rd in Killings After New York, Chicago

Posted on September 21, 2018 by lmharnisch

Posted in 1947, Comics, Crime and Courts, LAPD | Tagged 1947, comics, crime and courts, lapd | Comments Off

Sept. 20, 1947: Marie ‘The Body’ McDonald Marries Karl the Shoe Man

Posted on September 20, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. Marie (The Body) McDonald, 23-year-old film actress, last night was married to Harry Karl, 33, shoe merchant, in a quiet civil ceremony at the home of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood | Tagged #Kidnapping, 1947, film, hollywood, Marie 'The Body' McDonald | Comments Off

Sept. 16, 1947: Stanley Beltz, Colorful Lockheed Test Pilot

Posted on September 16, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. Low flying charges have been filed by the Civil Aeronautics Administration against Stanley Beltz, Lockheed test pilot, who reportedly took a four-engined Constellation down to 200 … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Aviation, Crime and Courts, Suicide | Tagged #Lockheed, 1947, aviation, crime and courts, Quiet Birdmen, Stanley Beltz, Suicide | Comments Off

Brian De Palma’s ‘The Black Dahlia’

Posted on September 14, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. Further note: Rotten Tomatoes, gives this film 32% on the Tomatometer. “The Black Dahlia,” directed by Brian De Palma, screenplay by Josh Friedman based on the novel by James Ellroy. Starring Josh … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, Zoot Suit | Tagged 1947, 2006, black dahlia, Brian De Palma, cold cases, crime and courts, lapd | 3 Comments

Black Dahlia: EBay Avenger

Posted on September 10, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. OK, I’ve had my fun with Ellroy’s copies of the “Avenger” books. The hardback stands at $38 and the paperback at $29. Despite my minimum bids, there is always the risk that … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Uncategorized | Tagged #EBay, #James Ellroy, 1947, black dahlia, Black Dahlia Avenger, cold cases, lapd, Steve Hodel | Comments Off

Sept. 8, 1907: Actor Guilty of ‘Mashing’ Young Woman

Posted on September 8, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. Sept. 8, 1907 Los Angeles Jack Foster, a handsome, blond actor who is the toast of the vaudeville circuit, noticed a young lady standing at 3rd Street and Main after a show. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Crime and Courts, LAPD | Tagged #Vaudeville, 1907, crime and courts, drama, mashing, stage, Theater | 1 Comment

James Ellroy: ‘Don’t Anybody Say the Name Steve Hodel’

Posted on September 7, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. An incredibly curious thing happened yesterday. I’ve been taping segments for an “America’s Most Wanted” episode on the Black Dahlia and the producer called to see if they could get some shots … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Uncategorized | Tagged #James Ellroy, 1947, black dahlia, Brian Carr, lapd | 5 Comments

Black Dahlia: Steve Hodel, James Ellroy and EBay: Outbid!

Posted on September 6, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. Gosh, I upped my bid on James Ellroy’s copies of “Black Dahlia Avenger” (the hardback and paperback) but was outbid. Darn. I’m going to do my best to get them over $25, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Uncategorized | Tagged #EBay, #James Ellroy, 1947, black dahlia, Steve Hodel | Comments Off

Black Dahlia: More Steve Hodel, James Ellroy and EBay

Posted on September 5, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. I couldn’t stand the thought of James Ellroy’s copies of “Black Dahlia Avenger” going for so little on EBay. After all, don’t people know the book has been optioned by New Line … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Uncategorized | Tagged #EBay, #James Ellroy, 1947, 2006, Steve Hodel | Comments Off

Sept. 5, 1907: Young Cecil Moore Explores L.A., One Step Ahead of the Law

Posted on September 5, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. Sept. 5, 1907 Los Angeles Poor old Mrs. Moore was ill, so instead of paying the grocer his monthly bill, she put a $10 gold piece in an envelope and told her … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Streetcars | Tagged 1907, crime and courts, juvenile delinquents, lapd | Comments Off

Black Dahlia Avenger: From Steve Hodel to James Ellroy to EBay

Posted on September 4, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. My goodness, one never knows what will turn up on Ebay. This morning I found a copy of “Black Dahlia Avenger” inscribed by Steve Hodel to James Ellroy, who wrote the introduction … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Uncategorized | Tagged #EBay, #James Ellroy, 1947, 2006, black dahlia, lapd, Steve Hodel | Comments Off

September 1, 1947: 1,000 World War II Veterans Now in LAPD Uniforms

Posted on September 1, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. They are building a new, young, military Police Department for Los Angeles these days with the men who helped to win the war on foreign battlefields … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Crime and Courts, LAPD, World War II | Tagged 1947, crime and courts, lapd, World War II | Comments Off

Aug. 31, 1907: The Year in Liquor — 20 Gallons of Beer for Every Man, Woman and Child in U.S.

Posted on August 31, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. Aug. 31, 1907 Los Angeles The ugly statistics should dishearten even the most ardent temperance worker. According to federal tax data for the last fiscal year, distillers produced 20 gallons of beer … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Crime and Courts, Food and Drink | Tagged #prohibition, 1907, alcohol, temperance, tobacco, WCTU | Comments Off

Aug. 29, 1947: Headless Skeleton Found in Burlap Sack in Chantry Flats

Posted on August 29, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. The discovery by camper John Beener of 3743 E. 7th St. only became more puzzling. Investigation revealed that the deceased, an elderly woman about 5-foot-2, had … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts | Tagged 1947, cold cases, crime and courts, San Gabriel Valley, Sierra Madre | Comments Off