Photograph by Tony Rivetti Jr. / Universal PicturesAbove, Colm Feore as Police Chief James Davis, “Changeling,” set in 1928. Los Angeles Times file photoAbove, Police Chief James Davis, 1926. Northcott signs confession. I don’t care much for the press passes … Continue reading
The “Enigma Boy” who fooled police into believing that he was Walter Collins is identified as Arthur Hutchins Jr. of Iowa. Read Part I of The Times reports on the story that formed the basis of “Changeling.” Enigma Boy identified. … Continue reading
Police Capt. Jones and LAPD officers search the lake in Lincoln Park for the body of Walter Collins, Los Angeles Times, April 6, 1928. The boy claiming to be Walter Collins poses with Christine Collins, Aug. 18, 1928 Several regular … Continue reading
Image: Los Angeles Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats Program for “Zoot Suit” Credit: Jose Legaspi In Part 5, we looked at the story of Joe Dacy Coleman, “patient zero” in the Zoot Suit Riots, which led to a report at the … Continue reading
Photo: Letter allegedly by Lord Byron that was revealed as a fake. Morristown, N.J., National Historical Park SPOTLIGHT Cara Buckley of the New York Times writes about the closing of New York’s famed Chelsea Hotel. Bruce Japsen of the Chicago … Continue reading
Jean Fouquet, Le Passage du Rubicon (détail), département des Arts graphiques, musée du Louvre MUSEUMS Souren Melikian of the New York Times reviews “Enluminures: Moyen Âge et Renaissance,” at the Louvre through Oct. 10. The basic idea was to reveal … Continue reading
Photo: A. Victor Segno sends out a “success wave” (artist’s concept). A. Victor Segno is probably our favorite Los Angeles charlatan. He made money by getting people to mail him a dollar a month in return for sending out a … Continue reading
William Floyd Zamastilwas convicted in federal court in Tucson on Thursday of kidnapping and killing Leesa Jo Shaner on May 29, 1973. Her remains were found Sept. 16, 1973, buried on the grounds of Ft. Huachuca, Ariz., a remote military … Continue reading
NEWS [Updated at 7:25 a.m. The archives of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks reveal an account of an attempted rape by a white neighbor who employed her as a housekeeper. Associated Press via Washington Post.] Historian Barry Landau and assistant … Continue reading
Photo: “Dear Friend Hitler.” Tripti Lahiri writes in the Wall Street Journal about “Dear Friend Hitler.” Based on the previews, the movie is “Gandhi” meets “Downfall“ meets “The Sound of Music,” in Hindi with an all-Indian cast. A less charitable … Continue reading
Stanford Avenue and 33rd Street via Google maps’ street view. Stanford Avenue and 33rd Street is one of those little pockets of old houses in Los Angeles that looks like it hasn’t changed much since 1934, when two men in … Continue reading
Image: Manhattan c. 1626. Credit: New England Historic Genealogical Society via the New York Times. SPOTLIGHT Alison Leigh Cowan takes a look at the history of the Van Dusen family in Sunday’s New York Times. Andrew Van Dusen learned that … Continue reading
orman Frederick Gagnon looks like an excellent suspect in the unsolved killing of two El Segundo police officers last year. In an incident quite similar to the El Segundo case, Charles H. May and a female companion (The Times, fortunately, … Continue reading
July 22, 1957Los Angeles Note: This is a post from 2007. We’re heading west on Rosecrans Avenue. It’s early Monday morning, a few moments after 1:30 a.m., and the streets are dark. There’s nobody out but a few drunks and … Continue reading
An example of what is sometimes known as a “Biscailuz badge” has been listed on EBay. These are presentation badges that weren’t intended for deputies, but were only given to celebrities and other notables by Los Angeles County Sheriff Eugene … Continue reading
Photo: Pier Angeli and friend with a reminder on Daylight Saving Time, 1958 I decided to import my old lmharnisch blog, devoted mainly to dissecting “The Black Dahlia Files” by Donald “Fake Document” Wolfe. Now there are posts going back … Continue reading
I have procrastinated about looking at Bill James’ “Popular Crime” because, as curious as it may seem, I don’t care much for “true” crime books. Even when they are well done (which is almost never) the subject matter is depressing … Continue reading
July 15, 1941: Defense attorney Samuel Rummel (shot to death Dec. 11, 1950) breaks a door and seizes a dictograph wired to a microphone in his office in the William Fox Building, 608 S. Hill. Rummel was defending Deputy Charles … Continue reading
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Here’s a better look at the courthouse at Temple and Broadway, where Wednesday’s photo of Broadway was probably taken. In what I call “seismic Darwinism,” the courthouse was demolished after being damaged in the Long Beach quake. The Hall of … Continue reading
Photo: Los Angeles Public Library. Credit: LAPL FEATUREDA celebration will be held at the downtown library on Monday at 9:30 a.m. as the L.A. library system restores Monday service at all branches. Sunday closures are continuing, however. Saturday will be … Continue reading
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