Category Archives: Paul Coates

November 12, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on October 17, 2026 by lmharnisch

November 12, 1959: The killing of Lillian Kenorak, and Paul Coates on juvenile delinquency. Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Homicide, Paul Coates, Richard Nixon | Leave a comment

August 30, 1953: Barbara Graham Defense Wins Delay After Prosecution Bombshell

Posted on August 30, 2026 by lmharnisch

August 30, 1953: Judge Charles Fricke grants a delay to attorneys for Barbara Graham after the prosecution discloses a recorded conversation between Graham and an undercover police officer. Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates — Confidential File, July 29, 1959

Posted on July 29, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 29, 1959: Paul Coates writes about a man who has a problem with a wildcat in a eucalyptus tree. Also: A man tells Dear Abby he can’t live without his ex-wife. Continue reading →

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July 22, 1959: Paul V. Coates — Confidential File

Posted on July 22, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 22, 1959: Police officers have a new set of challenges, Paul Coates writes, like being insulted with the term “cop.” Continue reading →

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February 18, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on February 18, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 18, 1959: A divorcee over 40, once an executive secretary, can’t get hired because of her age, Paul Coates writes. Continue reading →

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February 16, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on February 16, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 16, 1959: Racists oppose statehood for Hawaii, Paul Coates says. Also the Elizabeth “Ma” Duncan is about to begin. Continue reading →

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January 31, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 31, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 31, 1959: Paul Coates has the story a drug addict who graduates from Synanon and an update on the postmortem drama about the body of Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer, which was stranded at the morgue. Continue reading →

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January 24, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 24, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 24, 1959: Paul Coates has the story about the fight over the body of Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer between his parents and his ex-wife. In the meantime, Switzer’s body remains in the morgue. Continue reading →

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January 23, 1958: Paul Coates

Posted on January 23, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 23, 1958: Paul Coates writes about the plight of Marines’ wives who are banned from joining their husbands stationed in Japan. Continue reading →

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January 21, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 21, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 21, 1959: Paul Coates has the story of a boy who received a mail solicitation for a package of nude photos, and a model who did some pinup photos and a recording that a jury deemed “obscene.” Continue reading →

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January 19, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 19, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 19, 1959: Paul Coates gets a call Max Factor’s studio in response to a column about a toupee thief. The hair specialist assures Coates that he “hasn’t got enough time left to get completely bald.” Coates died nine years later at the age of 47. Continue reading →

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January 16, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 16, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 16, 1959: Paul Coates on the story of Butch Harris, who was refused admission to the Cub Scouts because he was Black. Continue reading →

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January 14, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 14, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 14, 1959: Paul Coates has an update on three boys, the oldest age 10, who killed their father as he slept. Continue reading →

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January 8, 1958: Paul Coates

Posted on January 8, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 8, 1958: A little girl with a severe illness had one wish: to meet Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. The first attempt was a fiasco (Rogers never knew about it) but Roy and Dale called the girl and sent her a box for Christmas, Paul Coates writes. Continue reading →

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January 7, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 7, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 7, 1959: Tiger Small steals toupees, but it’s only a sideline Paul Coates writes. Small stole his first toupee as a favor for a chorus girl and it took off from there. Continue reading →

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January 1, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 1, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 1, 1959: Paul Coates looks back at some of his major stories of 1958, including new evidence that won a reprieve from the gas chamber for Remmel Wayne Brice. Continue reading →

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December 31, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on December 31, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 31, 1959: Do names affect a person’s destiny? Paul Coates reveals that he was nearly named Percival. Continue reading →

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December 30, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on December 30, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 30, 1959: Paul Coates takes his children to see “Solomon and Sheba,” and finds it a Hollywood treatment of the biblical story. Continue reading →

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December 17, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on December 17, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 17, 1959: Paul Coates looks at the estimated 3,000 members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are missing in the Korean War. Continue reading →

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December 12, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on December 12, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 12, 1959: With all the talk of payola, the first Christmas DJ Johnny Grant received was … a wallet. From a record company, Paul Coates says. Continue reading →

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