Miscellaneous newspaper articles about Los Angeles County California
June 12, 1903
Walnut Valley Times
Will Carlton, a young man whose home was formerly in Wichita,
and who married Miss Ethel Sayre about a year ago, was shot and killed in Los
Angeles, yesterday. He was a conductor on the Santa Fe. Miss Sayre, before her
marriage made her home with Mr. and Mrs. James Watson and is well known here as
a lovely young woman. A baby girl was born to them only a few weeks ago.
(submitted by Peggy Luce)
January 6 1922
The Daily Messenger, Canandaigua, New York, Friday
Burch Attempts Suicide
Los Angeles, Jan. 6 - Aurthur Burch on trial for the alleged murder of John
Belton Kennedy, tried to commit suicide at noon yesterday, according to
information at the sheriff’s office today. [sub. by Melissa
Rodriguez]
January 11, 1922
The Daily Messenger, Canandaigua, New York, Friday
SECOND TRIAL OF FATTY ARBUCKLE IS STARTED TODAY
Film Comedian Looks Serious But Doesn’t Appear Ruined Financially As Reports
Have it.
San Francisco, Jan 11 – Roscoe (Fatty) Arbuckle lolled in a
luxurious state at the Plaza hotel here conferring with his “million dollar”
defense and preparing for the opening today of his second trial on a charge of
taking the life of Virginia Rappe. If Fatty were socially ostracized; if he were
broke; if he were verging on nervous collapse; if he saw impending ruin ahead of
him; or if any of the other rumored disasters had overtaken him, he did not show
it.
He is taking his predicament seriously and plainly shows worry at times. But, in
the language of the street, they “haven’t got his goat.”
Arbuckle lives here in a three room suite at a hotel across Union Square from
the St. Frances, where his fatal Labor Day party was staged. Arbuckle’s famous
$25,000 automobile is in Los Angeles, but he has another one here which cost
only about $10,000. He figures that under the circumstances a more modest car is
better.
Doesn’t Look Ruined
While reports of Fatty being broke persist, his close friends
can’t see much sign of such a predicament. It is pretty well established that
film interests are carrying the bulk of the cost of his defense and- Well He
looks serious but he doesn’t look ruined.
“We will have few new witnesses,” Gavin McNab, chief counsel for Arbuckle said
before court opened. “We expect to be able to prove beyond a doubt the innocence
of Mr. Arbuckle. We believe we did that at the first trial.”
District Attorney Mathew Brady, personally leading the prosecution, was in a
warlike mood.
Brady Predicts Stronger Case
“We have evidence to present this time which will greatly
strengthen our case and which will render useless to the defense certain of the
witnesses who figured in the last trial.”
Minta Durfee, Arbuckle’s wife, all decked out in new clothes, wearing the
diamond and emerald brooch Fatty gave her for Christmas and carrying the
thousand dollar jeweled purse which also came from her corpulent Santa Claus,
was in high spirits.
“Yes, I will remain in court with Roscoe this time, just like I did before,” she
said. “I know it will never have to be done a third time, but if they should try
him a hundred times they would find me there because I know Roscoe and that
means I know he is innocent.”
Public interest had cooled but little today. Police were assigned to handle
expected crowds at the opening of court. Reservations in the newspaper row for
the second trial were in almost as great demand as at the first. Attorneys
estimated it would take a week to select a jury. Two panels, they believed,
would be necessary.
Both sides promised they would make no distinction between men and women in
selecting jurors. About 40 percent of those in the jury panel are women.
[sub. by Melissa Rodriguez]
January 14, 1922
The Daily Messenger. Canandaigua, NY.
Two Women Hold Out to Free Burch
Los Angeles, Jan. 14 – Two women jurors today were understood to be holding out
for freeing Arthur C. Burch, on trial for the alleged murder of John Belton
Kennedy.
After six hours deliberation, the jury was unable to reach a verdict and was
locked up late last night. They were instructed to again start their
deliberations at 9 o’clock today.
The case went to the jury at 3:56 after Prosecutor Lee Woolwine was bitter in
his denunciation of Madalynne Obenchain who is jointly accused with Burch.
“She was the siren who lured Kennedy to his death,” he said.
[sub. by Melissa Rodriguez] NEW
January 16, 1922
The Daily Messenger. Canandaigua, NY.
Los Angeles, Jan. 16 – The jury in the trail of Arthur C. Burch for alleged
murder of John Belton Kennedy probably will be dismissed by nightfall unless a
verdict is agreed on.
The jury today was reported standing 10 to 2 for conviction. Twenty two ballots
had been taken.
“We are ready to prosecute again, at once, if the jury disagrees,” said District
Attorney Thomas Lee Woolwine.
Out since 4 o’clock Friday afternoon the jury is trying to decide whether Burch
fired the shotgun with which Kennedy was killed near the bungalow of Madalynne
Obenchain in Berverly Glen. [sub. by Melissa Rodriguez]
NEW
March 13, 1928
St. Francis Dam Bursts in California
A 75-foot wall of water swept into the San Francis Quito Canyon in California
after the St. Francis dam burst near midnight today. "Everything was swept away
- houses, cabins, workmen's tents, orchards, livestock and humans. Of the 500
persons who were in the narrow canyon and lowlands below at the time the dam
gave way, only a few more than a hundred had been accounted for at midday," an
article in the Modesto News-Herald reported on . [Read more detailed story
here]
[Submitted by Francis Cooley]
May 11, 1934
Daily Messenger, Canandaigua, N.Y.
GETTLE Kidnapping
Woman Being Detained in Gettle Kidnapping; Solution Seems Near
Las Angeles (AP) – A ransom of $75,000 has been demanded for the release of
William F. Gettle, kidnapped Beverly Hills millionaire the district attorney’s
office announced today.
Los Angeles (AP) – The sheriff’s office today announced the detention of a woman
in connection with the kidnapping of William F. Gettle, millionaire oil man.
The woman described as a brunette about 30 years old and fairly well dressed,
fell into a police dragnet early this morning along with six other persons, who
also were questioned. After apparently examining the woman at some length, Capt.
Norris Stensland, sheriff’s office extortion Expert, and a figure behind the
solution of a number other kidnapping cases here, said:
“It looks hot, boys! I think we have something. It is possible that we will have
this solved within five hours.”
To Stensland’s declaration, Blayney Matthews, chief of the district attorney’s
investigators, added that inquiries gave “promise that we might have something
important.”
The woman was taken into custody by three police homicide officers in ferreting
out haunts of the underworld. She was turned over to the sheriff and district
attorney’s offices for examination but the officers who questioned her declined
to disclose the nature of the information obtained. [submitted by
Melissa Rodriguez]
|Dowling to Face Trial Despite Marrying Girl
Los Angeles (AP)-Despite his marriage to the complaining witness, R.C. “Dapper
Danny” Dowling, film dance director, must stand trial on kidnapping charges.
Accused of kidnapping Mrs. Marjorie Crawford Wellman, former actress, to whom
she was married a week ago, Dowling appeared arm-in-arm with his bride before
Judge Fletcher Bowron yesterday and heard his case set for trial in Superior
Court June 5. At his preliminary hearing, Mrs. Wellman alleged Dowling had
forced her under threat of death to accompany him to Yuma, Ariz. where she
escaped marrying him by pleading illness.
“Certain portions of the kidnapping story appeared improbable,” Judge Bowron
commented in overruling a prosecution motion for a dismissal, “but there is
evidence on record that Dowling was guilty of assault or someone is guilty of
perjury.”
Dismissal of the charge had been requested by Buron Fitts, district attorney,
after Dowling told him he and Mrs. Wellman were married. Deputies of the
district attorney’s office said a wife must testify against her husband if she
is the injured party. [Submitted by Melissa Rodriguez]
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