Category Archives: Homicide

Mistrial Declared in Finch Case

Posted on March 13, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Photograph by Nelson Tiffany / Mirror News Attorney Grant Cooper, left, and Dr. R. Bernard Finch await verdict. March 13, 1960: The judge declares a mistrial after jurors deadlock on verdicts against Dr. R. Bernard Finch and Carole Tregoff … Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates, Confidential File, March 12, 1960

Posted on March 12, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Uh-oh. Mash Notes and Comments     "Dear Paul,     "Ever ask yourself WHY so many women look worse after they return from the powder room than they did before they entered?     "Ask Ed Cabrera, the lighting specialist whom … Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, March 11, 1960

Posted on March 11, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Deep South's Constant Sullen Hate, Contempt, Sadism Bared (Second of two articles)     John Howard Griffin became a Negro by choice.     He did it with special pills, ultraviolet ray treatments and vegetable dyes.     And he did it … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Columnists, Countdown to Watts, Front Pages, Homicide, Paul Coates | 2 Comments

Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, March 10, 1960

Posted on March 10, 2010 by lmharnisch

The book Coates is talking about is, of course, "Black Like Me." DARING THE 'HATE STARE' A White Man Turns Negro (This is the first of two exclusive columns on the remarkable story of a white author who turned "Negro" … Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, March 9, 1960

Posted on March 9, 2010 by lmharnisch

Father, Son Talk Over the Slaying of Seven     In his 57 years, stolid Ralph Whitney never made a more difficult phone call.      He placed it late yesterday afternoon from the quiet Pomona Valley community of Upland to the … Continue reading →

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Kennedy, Nixon Lead in New Hampshire

Posted on March 9, 2010 by lmharnisch

On the jump, an attorney seeks to keep state officials from removing Alice Marie Combs, 4, center, from her foster home in an effort to find a more intellectually stimulating family for the girl, who has an IQ of 138. … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, art and artists, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, JFK, Politics, Richard Nixon, Sports | Comments Off on Kennedy, Nixon Lead in New Hampshire

Black Dahlia on Display

Posted on March 9, 2010 by lmharnisch

  One of many mistakes in the Black Dahlia poster from “Behind-the-Scenes: The LAPD Homicide Experience.” Notice that the location is wrong – the body was actually half a block away. Note: Most of the media’s attention to the LAPD’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Homicide, LAPD | 5 Comments

Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, March 7, 1960

Posted on March 7, 2010 by lmharnisch

Alarmed Officials Often Alarming     In case you haven't noticed, all public officials worth their salt have, for years, been opposed to traffic accidents.     They're against drunk drivers, speeders, reckless drivers — any individuals who endanger the lives of … Continue reading →

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Screen Actors Guild Goes on Strike

Posted on March 7, 2010 by lmharnisch

   March 7, 1960: The Screen Actors Guild goes on strike over residuals on movies made after 1948 that are broadcast on TV.  “The Magnificent Seven” and “Ocean’s Eleven” are unaffected.

Posted in broadcasting, Caryl Chessman, Comics, Dodgers, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Immigration, Sports, Television | Comments Off on Screen Actors Guild Goes on Strike

Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, March 5, 1960

Posted on March 5, 2010 by lmharnisch

Leonard Warren, 1911-1960 Telephone Girls Belie Propaganda       I'm a client, reasonably well paid up, of Pacific Telephone Co.  And I'd like to assure you that my complaint is nothing personal.       In fact, over the years, I've … Continue reading →

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Finch Case Goes to Jury

Posted on March 5, 2010 by lmharnisch

Photograph by John Malmin / Los Angeles Times March 5, 1960: Carole Tregoff. The caption information on the back says “Carole Guilty,” which has been changed to “Carole Tregoff.” March 5, 1960: The Finch case goes to the jury, which … Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, March 4, 1960

Posted on March 4, 2010 by lmharnisch

Yes, the Mirror ran photos of the entire jury in the Finch case.  Mash Notes and Comment       (Press Release) " 'Some people have said I'm stingy,' says J. Paul Getty, who at 67 is probably the richest private … Continue reading →

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Chessman to Die May 2

Posted on March 3, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Charlie Neal, right, is on the receiving end as four aspirants try out for the Dodger shortstop starting position. They are, from left, Don Zimmer, Bob Aspromonte, Bobby Lillis and Maury Wills. March 3, 1960: James Kendrick, top, reenacts … Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, March 1-2, 1960

Posted on March 2, 2010 by lmharnisch

Newcomers to U.S. Learn of Clippolas     The Govaars family's introduction to the uniquely American art of the gimmick ad came last August in the form of a small handbill on their front doorstep.     The handbill extolled the quality … Continue reading →

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Body Found in River

Posted on February 28, 2010 by lmharnisch

   Feb. 28, 1910: The old newspapers didn’t hold back on gory details, like this story about the unfortunate fellow found in the San Joaquin River in a bag weighed down with rocks.

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Matt Weinstock, Feb. 27, 1960

Posted on February 27, 2010 by lmharnisch

Briton's a Stevereno     I've been reading the short stories by Peter Ustinov in the Atlantic and wondering how he does it.  Acting, speaking, traveling — and writing superlative fiction, I mean.  In the versatility sweepstakes, he's Britain's answer to … Continue reading →

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Closing Arguments in Finch Trial; Chessman’s Fate Up to Legislature

Posted on February 27, 2010 by lmharnisch

Photograph by John Malmin / Los Angeles Times July 22, 1959: Carole Tregoff waits to be questioned by investigators. Los Angeles Times file photo Feb. 19, 1960: Students on Market Street in San Francisco protest the upcoming execution of Caryl … Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, Feb. 26, 1960

Posted on February 26, 2010 by lmharnisch

  So Mexico's Justice Is Just, Eventually     Pfc. Robert Peterson, U.S. Army, dropped by my office yesterday on his way back to Ft. Ord.     He was a headline last June.  I'd worked on his story.  But yesterday, when … Continue reading →

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Gardener Kills Principal, Commits Suicide After Setting Fire to School

Posted on February 26, 2010 by lmharnisch

"He is depressed and melancholy. He has illusions of persecution and that people are always working against him." Huntington Hall, 1790 Fremont Ave. Feb. 26, 1920: A gruesome story of insanity and murder at Huntington Hall, a girls’ school in … Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, Feb. 24, 1960

Posted on February 24, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Strange Slaying Case at Last Confessed       There should come a time in a reporter's  life when there's nothing left to shock him — when he's witnessed enough of the stark drama of human behavior to build up … Continue reading →

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