Category Archives: Crime and Courts

Spade Cooley: ‘I’m not sure, but I think Ella Mae is dead’

Posted on April 5, 2011 by lmharnisch

      Los Angeles Times file photo   Oct. 15, 1949: Spade Cooley and his daughter Melody pose for a publicity photo aboard his yacht.     April 5, 1961: In a switch from its usual policy of keeping … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1961, Crime and Courts, Homicide, Music, Photography | 4 Comments

Found on EBay — ‘Headline Happy’

Posted on April 4, 2011 by lmharnisch

  Los Angeles Times file photo   A somewhat distressed copy of “Headline Happy” by Florabel Muir  has been listed on EBay. You may recall that Muir, above, has a terrific description of the Busgy Siegel crime scene and, yes, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950, books, Crime and Courts, Mickey Cohen, Zombie Reading List | Comments Off on Found on EBay — ‘Headline Happy’

Private Investigator Held in Extortion

Posted on March 31, 2011 by lmharnisch

        Private investigator Charles R. Chase decided to make a little extra money by squeezing an extra $900 out of a teenager who stole $100 from the  drugstore where he worked. The police set a trap and … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1931, art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Transportation | Comments Off on Private Investigator Held in Extortion

Ex-Columbia Student Blames Drugs for Shooting at Actress

Posted on March 23, 2011 by lmharnisch

            March 23, 1901: The Times has grown to an 18-page paper. One front-page story reports a shooting in the Rathskeller of the Pabst Hotel (d. 1902) at 42nd Street and Broadway in New York, … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1901, Crime and Courts, Fashion, Stage | 1 Comment

Minister Accused of Trying to Rape Danish Nanny

Posted on March 22, 2011 by lmharnisch

        March 21-22, 1891: It has been far too long since I paid a visit to 1891, when The Times was a 12-page paper with offices at 1st and Broadway. The Rev. Samuel J. Fleming of South … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1891, art and artists, Crime and Courts, Religion | 2 Comments

Man Paralyzed in Shooting Over a Can of Beer, March 21, 1981

Posted on March 21, 2011 by lmharnisch

        March 21, 1981: Times reporter Bill Farr (d. 1987) has the story of Josephus Jackson, who was partially paralyzed from being shot in the back by a liquor store clerk over a 55-cent can of beer. … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1981, art and artists, Comics, Crime and Courts | 1 Comment

Architectural Ramblings — The Sowden House

Posted on March 20, 2011 by lmharnisch

      Drawing by Charles Owens/Los Angeles Times   The Sowden House by architect Lloyd Wright at 5121 Franklin Ave. is on the market for $4.2 million. You may recall that this was the purported murder HQ of Dr. … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1947, Architecture, art and artists, books, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Nuestro Pueblo, Real Estate | 1 Comment

Voices: Warren Christopher, 1925 — 2011

Posted on March 19, 2011 by lmharnisch

“When human beings are forcibly abducted from their homes, interrogated incessantly at the pleasure of their captors and prodded with electrodes or held under water to the point of drowning — when such things are happening around the world, as they are, all who truly value human rights must speak out.”
Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Courts, LAPD, Obituaries, Politics | Comments Off on Voices: Warren Christopher, 1925 — 2011

Austrians Plan Worldwide War Against Judaism, March 16, 1921

Posted on March 16, 2011 by lmharnisch

          March 16, 1921: Edna Wallace Hopper, who about two wives ago was the wife of De Wolf Hopper, is in the city. She is reported as forming her own picture company and said yesterday that … Continue reading →

Posted in 1921, art and artists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Religion | Comments Off on Austrians Plan Worldwide War Against Judaism, March 16, 1921

Another Good Story Ruined — The Black Dahlia

Posted on March 15, 2011 by lmharnisch

I received a news alert the other day about an upcoming play titled “The Chanteuse and the Devil’s Muse” in which Daniele Watts will portray Mady Comfort, at left, purportedly “Elizabeth Short's best friend.” I honestly don’t know how such … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, books, Coming Attractions, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Stage | 6 Comments

Paul Coates and Matt Weinstock, March 11, 1961

Posted on March 11, 2011 by lmharnisch

        March 11, 1961: The unemployed man who turned in $240,000 that fell from a Brink’s armored car gets a job offer! An overturned propane trailer causes a five-hour jam on the Hollywood Freeway, Matt Weinstock says, … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1961, art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Matt Weinstock, Paul Coates, Transportation | Comments Off on Paul Coates and Matt Weinstock, March 11, 1961

Jim Murray, Feb. 23, March 9, 1961

Posted on March 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

           Feb. 23, 1961: Jim Murray writes about golfer Buddy Sullivan’s adventures and on March 9, looks at the Frankie Carbo-Blinky Palermo extortion trial, which I have been neglecting (so many stories, only one Larry Harnisch). … Continue reading →

Posted in #Jim Murray, 1961, Columnists, Crime and Courts, Sports | 1 Comment

Pages of History — Morrow Mayo’s ‘Los Angeles’

Posted on March 3, 2011 by lmharnisch

      The Evening Express,Dec. 17, 1927       The Evening Express,Dec. 20, 1927       The Times, Dec. 17, 1927     The Times, Dec. 20, 1927   I haven’t forgotten about my little project on … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1927, Another Good Story Ruined, books, Crime and Courts, Parks and Recreation | 1 Comment

Paul Coates, March 2, 1961

Posted on March 2, 2011 by lmharnisch

    March 2, 1961: Paul Coates has one of his better columns today. It’s about a couple of suspects who didn’t take part in a mass escape at the County Jail – and why they didn’t.  ALSO Manhunt Widens … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1961, Columnists, Crime and Courts, Front Pages, Paul Coates | Comments Off on Paul Coates, March 2, 1961

Paul Coates, Feb. 27, 1961

Posted on February 27, 2011 by lmharnisch

         Feb. 27, 1961: “The Apartment” gets 10 Academy Award nominations, including best picture. The other nominees are "The Alamo," "Elmer Gantry," "Sons and Lovers" and "The Sundowners." Paul Coates has an interview with  Herman Abrams, who … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1961, Columnists, Crime and Courts, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, LAPD | Comments Off on Paul Coates, Feb. 27, 1961

Paul Coates and Matt Weinstock, Feb. 25, 1961

Posted on February 25, 2011 by lmharnisch

         Feb. 25, 1961: A "confessed love slayer" is among 11 men who escaped from the booking room at the County Jail.The leader of the jailbreak is identified as "love slayer" Joe Morgan, who at the age … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1961, art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Matt Weinstock, Paul Coates | Comments Off on Paul Coates and Matt Weinstock, Feb. 25, 1961

Feb. 24, 1961, Paul Coates

Posted on February 24, 2011 by lmharnisch

             Feb. 24, 1961: Notice the different headlines between the two editions: "I JUST HAD TO KILL," L.A. SLAYER ADMITS and SUICIDE BARES THIRD IOWA BANK SCANDAL. All of this will change when the Mirror … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1961, Columnists, Crime and Courts, Front Pages, Paul Coates | 2 Comments

Paul Coates, Feb. 21, 1961

Posted on February 21, 2011 by lmharnisch

      Feb. 21, 1961: The choice of which Mercury astronaut will be the first launched into space narrows to Marine Lt. Col. John H. Glenn Jr., Air Force Capt. Virgil L. Grissom and Navy Cmdr. Alan B. Shepard … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1961, Columnists, Crime and Courts, Front Pages, Paul Coates | 1 Comment

Paul Coates, Feb. 20, 1961

Posted on February 20, 2011 by lmharnisch

         Feb. 20, 1961: Paul Coates follows up on a story about the DMV insisting that Spanish speakers attempt—and fail—the test in English before taking it in Spanish. A new directive allows applications to take the test … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1961, Columnists, Crime and Courts, Front Pages, Paul Coates | Comments Off on Paul Coates, Feb. 20, 1961

Another Good Story Ruined — The Black Dahlia

Posted on February 18, 2011 by lmharnisch

      This item comes from the Atlantic: by Mark Bernstein “My morning drive to Eastgate, our software workshop, is literary. “In the car this morning, I listened to the estimable Katherine Kellgren reading  Connie Willis' new historical fiction, … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Another Good Story Ruined, books, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | 1 Comment