Category Archives: Suicide

Man Attacks Wife, Commits Suicide in Custody Dispute

Posted on March 15, 2010 by lmharnisch

March 15, 1920: Two streetcar passengers prevent J.B. Claverie from slashing his wife and escape injury when his pistol fails to fire. After the attack failed, Claverie killed himself with strychnine.

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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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A Man Is Dead and His Wife and Father Are in Jail

Posted on February 14, 2010 by lmharnisch

 “Ain’t It a Grand and Glorious Feeling’?” by Clare Briggs.   Feb. 14, 1920: John Zeoll is found shot to death in his bed and his wife and father are in custody on suspicion of murder. They were cleared the … Continue reading →

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Young Woman Plays a Somber Reverie, Then Kills Herself

Posted on December 23, 2009 by lmharnisch

  Dec. 23, 1909 — Here’s a little more proof that the past wasn’t really a kinder, simpler time; there’s death in almost every line. Esther Bauer, 22, of San Francisco plays sad music at the piano before hanging herself … Continue reading →

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Deceived Woman Kills Herself

Posted on December 19, 2009 by lmharnisch

Beauty and everyday usefulness of aluminum utensils are bound to be appreciated. Dec. 19, 1919: Muriel McMunn kills herself after discovering that she was deceived into marrying a streetcar conductor who claimed to be an Army investigator and vanished shortly … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and Drink, Suicide | 1 Comment

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

Posted on December 12, 2009 by lmharnisch

Mash Notes and Comment “Dear Paul– “Re your column in which you became confused over the use of the words ‘lay’ and ‘lie’ and settled by saying ‘get prone.’ ” ‘Lie’ would have been the correct word.  Intransitive, you know. … Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Paul Coates, Suicide | 1 Comment

Publicist Dies in Fall From Alexandria Hotel

Posted on December 12, 2009 by lmharnisch

“Somebody Is Always Taking the Joy Out of Life” by Clare Briggs. Dec. 12, 1919: Publicist Albee Smith had a big story, but nobody ever found out what it was.

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December 11, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on December 11, 2009 by lmharnisch

Youth Bought Death for Nickel a Game     I have never met a man who dropped $4,000 pitching pennies, but I guess it’s possible.  Because last week I talked to one who estimates that he has lost, in the past … Continue reading →

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Matt Weinstock, Dec. 7, 1959

Posted on December 7, 2009 by lmharnisch

  The Rainbow's End     One by one the old landmarks are disappearing.  Last week the Rainbow, with its old-fashioned mahogany bar, folded.     The shabby Rainbow was known in bat cave circles as the saloon that cared.  Great men … Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Homicide, LAPD, Matt Weinstock, Suicide | 2 Comments

Hole in Brain Doesn’t Kill

Posted on December 4, 2009 by lmharnisch

  “That Guiltiest Feeling” by Clare Briggs A man of mystery tries to kill himself … and a husband tries to divorce a wife who believes in free love.    Dec. 4, 1919: Movie star William Stowell and Dr. Joseph … Continue reading →

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Former Nixon Aide Kills Family, Self

Posted on November 12, 2009 by lmharnisch

  Lifeguard Duffie Fryling pries his arm out of a shark's jaws while swimming near Paradise Cove. Fryling, who was treated for cuts on his wrist, says he eluded several other sharks in rushing to the beach. “The Lovers” is … Continue reading →

Posted in Richard Nixon, Suicide | 1 Comment

Woman Driven Mad by Divorce Attempts Suicide

Posted on November 9, 2009 by lmharnisch

  Nov. 9, 1909: Emma Rogers divorced her husband, then began having hallucinations when she failed to reconcile with him and he remarried. She tried to kill herself in a restroom at the Chamber of Commerce, but her aim was … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Suicide | 1 Comment

The Case of the Thankful Thief

Posted on November 8, 2009 by lmharnisch

  Nov. 8, 1909: The yearly season of petty crimes opens in Los Angeles, according to The Times, with a burglar who ate half a loaf of bread, some peach preserves and helped himself to $3 in a savings bank. … Continue reading →

Posted in LAPD, Robberies, Suicide | 2 Comments

Landmark Nightclub Modernized

Posted on October 26, 2009 by lmharnisch

Virginia Arness attempts suicide in Hawaii. The Biltmore Bowl is heavily modernized so that is virtually unrecognizable. New and Old Chinatown, divided by Broadway. "I don't belong to the tong. I am an American. I belong to the Kiwanis Club." … Continue reading →

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Jealousy Leads to Murder and Suicide

Posted on October 22, 2009 by lmharnisch

“Somebody Is Always Taking the Joy Out of Life” by Clare Briggs. Oct. 22, 1919: Mrs. Zola Schmidt was  killed as she slept … while holding a letter from another man. 916 W. 9th, the scene of the crime. “I … Continue reading →

Posted in art and artists, Comics, Homicide, Music, Suicide | 4 Comments

Man Convicted of Shooting Wife Fights a Team of Officers

Posted on September 12, 2009 by lmharnisch

Sept. 12, 1909: Winsor McCay's "Little Nemo in Slumberland." McCay's drawings are a mixed blessing. He was a wonderful artist with a fabulous imagination — and he drew this appalling character, Imp. A police automobile speeding on a call crashes … Continue reading →

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A Fallen Woman’s Death Ride

Posted on August 23, 2009 by lmharnisch

Aug. 23, 1889: I always enjoy looking at old maps of Los Angeles. This one shows a proposed sewer system. Much of the lettering is upside-down, but flipping the map 180 degrees makes it  even more confusing. Many of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, health, Suicide | 1 Comment

Death of a Stagecoach Driver

Posted on August 4, 2009 by lmharnisch

  Aug. 4, 1889: Racked with pain from rheumatism, former stagecoach driver Sam Washburn takes an overdose of morphine.  

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Man Addicted to Books Kills Himself

Posted on August 1, 2009 by lmharnisch

   Aug. 1, 1899: A man kills himself after taking elaborate precautions to prevent being identified. He writes: "I read books every day. They act on me as a narcotic. I dope myself with them. They make me forget for … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Suicide | 1 Comment

Doctor as Crazy as a March Hare

Posted on August 1, 2009 by lmharnisch

     Aug. 1, 1889: "The doctor's mania is of a rather peculiar character in that he imagines he is surrounded by beautiful women and is discovering them in all sorts of places."

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