March 4, 1907: Los Angeles’ sainted streetcar system has a bad day.
Beacon and 6th streets, minus the streetcars, via Google Street View.
One of the most deeply held and ardently expressed beliefs about Los Angeles’ past is the shadowy conspiracy that did away with its magnificent streetcar system.
The truth is that the streetcar system was problematic — like this 1907 accident in which Inter-Urban car No. 603 sped out of control down a hill on Beacon Street in San Pedro, jumped the tracks at the 6th Street curve and crashed into a line of utility poles that prevented it from overturning.
Ten passengers were hurt — none seriously, The Times says — but motorman R.C. Gill had to have his right foot amputated after he jumped from the speeding car and fell, with the car running over his foot.
Feb. 28, 1959: Former Teamsters President Dave Beck is sentenced
A dance that apparently didn’t catch on … Below, Police Chief James Davis testifies before the Los Angeles County Grand Jury in the Harry Raymond bombing … And the grand jury considers indictments on charges that a bookmaking syndicate offered officials $2,500 a week for betting privileges at Santa Anita … Gladys Lovinger enrolls as the first full-time female student at City College of New York, and the most important question for the Associated Press is whether she will date any of the male students … 
Above, George B. Anderson’s letter to Christine Collins and below,
When a Cuban Revolution hit the headlines a month ago actor Paul Fierro craftily played a hunch. Sooner or later, he reasoned, someone would make a movie about Fidel Castro. So he let his whiskers grow. It was perhaps the first instance of an actor raising a beard on spec.
The events which led up to Toni Hyatt’s becoming an outcast don’t make much sense.
In terms of quirky human drama, it’s hard to beat the early 20th century issues of The Times. Today we have two people who passed themselves off as someone else.
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