Prohibition Madness: Life AND Death in and around Long Beach, California, 1920-1933.
Published 2013
ABOUT THE BOOK: Throughout America cocktail parties sparkled defiantly through the dreaded first minutes of January 20, 1920. With morning would come the official start of Prohibition. It was easy, however, to keep the party going in Long Beach, California. Though Long Beach had been “dry” throughout most of its history, illegal liquor distribution throughout the city was already perfected by the time the 18th Amendment, banning the sale of most alcoholic beverages, became law. Already in place were underground booze operations, secretive speakeasies and bootlegging, the perfect staging ground for crime, corruption AND murder.
READ ABOUT:
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Oil – The one discovery that made Long Beach different from the rest of 1920’s and 30’s America and would change the life of the city in many unforeseen ways.
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Good vs. Evil – Murders, gun battles, lawlessness …the city was a battleground between the influences of good and evil. Involved in the battle was the Ku Klux Klan, Communists, rum runners, bootleggers, gangsters, and corrupt politicians.
MEET:
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Hollywood celebrities William Desmond Taylor, Fatty Arbuckle and other well-known figures who ended up dead, or their careers ruined, because of rampant corruption and illicit booze.
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Gangsters such as Al Capone’s henchman Ralph Sheldon, who gunned down Long Beach policeman William Waggoner, and got away with it.
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Bootleggers like Thomas Johnstone, murdered by his wife when he refused to give up his nefarious profession.
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Oil swindlers, many influenced by C.C. Julian and his Ponzi scheme that bilked thousands out of their life savings.
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Murderers such as Bluebeard Watson, who killed most of his 15 wives until one of them became suspicious.
These are just a few of the individuals and matters discussed in this eye opening account of Long Beach and Southern California during the 1920’s and 30’s.
Here are links to a review by Eric Bradley and a review by Tim Grobaty.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
POLICING LONG BEACH
Gone but Not Forgotten
Politics, Religion and the Ku Klux Klan
Cleaning House
The Great Depression, Communism & A New Deal
ALCOHOL MADNESS
Evils of Alcohol
Rum Raids
Remington Murder
Murder of a Bootlegging Husband
Moonshine
Dying for a Drink
Tijuana Troubles
GAMBLING SHIPS
Offshore Temptation
Troubles at Sea
Kidnapping and Vice
Murder on the High Seas
End of an Era
OIL FEVER
Transformation
Scams
Greed and Murder
Was God Angry?
LOVE & MURDER
Bluebeard
Killer Moms
Revenge of the Wronged Wife
Breaking Up is Hard to Do
A Just Verdict?
Torso Murder
MURDER MYSTERIES
Unsolved Murder of Signal Hill
Did He Know Too Much?
Father Vraniak
Murder on the Schooner Carma
INDEX
Abbott, Leland Wesley, 191, 192
Aber, Lawrence, 76, 77
Achata, John, 59
Adamic, Louis, 30, 31
African Americans, 17, 32, 36, 42, 218
Agua Caliente, Mexico, 90, 91, 93, 94, 95, 106, 107, 124
Ahlswede, H.F., 130
Alamitos Bay, 15, 66
Alamitos Heights (area of Long Beach), 136
Alamitos Land Company, 129
Alamitos Townsite, 57, 58, 59
Alaska, 217
Alcohol – Ethyl (grain), 63, 80, 81
Alcohol – Methyl (wood), 63, 80, 81
Alexander, Nicholas, 225
Alyea, Ralph, 20
American Civil Liberties Union, 50
American Legion, 47, 186
American Mortgage Company, 139
American Protective League, 29, 32
Ames, Edward, 94, 95
Amos, Earl, 51
Anaheim, CA., 32, 42
Anderson, Peggy, 120
Anderson, W.E.. See Bartell, Ernest W.
Andrewartha, Beatrice M., 164
Anti-Saloon League, 28, 59
Apartments – Eleanor, 140, 141, 142, 144
Apartments – Terry, 168
Arbuckle, Roscoe “Fatty”, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 220, 231, 232, 233
Ardan, Juan, 59
Arizona, 23, 108, 151, 175, 179, 181, 195, 200
Arkansas, 36
Armstrong, J.B., 165
Armstrong, Lee, 88
Arnold, John, 231
Arson, 119
Aslater, Carl, 85, 86
Atlanta, GA., 43, 126, 234, 236
Auditor. See Long Beach – Auditor
Austin, Marie, 166
Austin, Mary, 154
Austin, TX., 188
Australia, 161, 164
Aviators, 66, 70, 71, 235
Bailey, Joseph P. “Bill”, 114
Bailey, Rose, 171
Baker, Walter, 237
Bakersfield, CA., 182
Balboa, 11
Balboa Film Studios, 211
Balboa Film Studios, 216, 217
Balboa, CA., 62
Banks, 23, 48, 99, 139
Baptists. See Religion – Baptist
Bara, Thea, 211
Barbee, James W., 227
Barber, Walter, 224
Barnes, John, 205
Barrymore, John, 104
Bartell, Ernest W., 66, 67
Barton, John J., 228
Baumgartner, John, 17, 18
Bay Hills Land and Oil Company, 135
Bay Hills Oil and Land Company, 135
Beck, Alexander, 6, 7, 38, 225
Beer, 11, 28, 36, 59, 81, 82, 91, 115, 156, 238, 239, 240
Behr, Edward, 28
Bell, CA., 193
Bellflower, CA., 42
Belmont Heights (area of Long Beach), 15, 66
Belmont Shore (area of Long Beach), 103
Bennett, Robert, 156
Bergen, A.J., 85
Berman, Jacob, 138
Bern, Paul, 230
Bernstein, M.E., 240
Besley, H.R., 204
Betts, Isabel, 70
Bialo, Vittoria, 78
Bibeau, Eva, 223
Bigamists, 186
Bigamy, 165
Bixby Knolls (area of Long Beach), 47
Bixby Park, 29, 43, 44
Bixby, John, 129
Bixby, Jotham, 129
Black Death. See Plague
Blacks. See African Americans
Blackwell, Catherine, 56, 57
Blackwell, John, 57
Blake, Helen, 93, 94
Bogges, Henry, 26, 27
Boies, Horace, 29
Bonner, James H., 6, 52
Bonner,Guy, 104
Bootleggers, 11, 18, 20, 21, 26, 31, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 46, 53, 62, 63, 65, 66, 71, 72, 74, 75, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 91, 96, 103, 106, 124, 134, 150, 224, 225, 227, 238, 239
Borden, Thomas, 15, 24
Borrego, Jose Perez, 91
Boruff, Earl C., 206, 207, 209, 210, 212, 220, 222, 225, 226, 227, 229, 233
Boruff, Esther, 229
Bosley, George, 22
Boynton, Charles O., 223, 224
Bozeman, Charles M., 118, 119, 120, 121
Bozeman,, Charles M., 118, 120
Brazil, 237
Breakers Hotel, 109
Brehm, Marie, 28
Bribery, 45, 109, 138, 140, 230
Bridgeman, Arta, 23
Bridgeman, Orlando, 15, 23, 24
Briggs, A.M., 29
Bronson, J.H., 42, 44
Brooks, Clarence H., 51
Brooks, Walter R., 51
Brown, George T., 40
Brown, H.L., 73
Brown, Thad, 203
Brown, William, 144
Browne, Georgia, 113
Brualla, M., 152
Bruneman, George “Les”, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 113, 114, 115, 116
Buchler, Paul, 183
Buck, George L., 6, 150, 228
Buenos Aires, 234, 235
Buffum, Charles A., 6, 38, 131
Bullard, James M., 181
Burbridge, O.H., 11
Burgess, Norman, 122
Burglaries, 68, 71, 119, 121, 172
Burglary, 15, 41, 70, 170, 171, 179
Burnell, Charles S., 116
Burns, Ken, 12, 239
Busch, Mae, 209
Butterfield, James, 6, 32, 35, 36, 37
Buttram, Ernest A., 51
Caffee, M.D., 174
Caffee, Peggy, 173, 174, 176, 177, 178, 179
Cahill, Bill, 221
Caldwell Apartments. See Apartments – Caldwell
Calexico, CA., 74
California – Governor, 29, 139, 189
California – Governor, 31, 34, 43, 125, 189, 221, 228, 239
California Governor, 49
California Heights (area of Long Beach), 132, 133
California Supreme Court, 102, 147, 189, 197, 225
Callahan, Henry, 45
Callahan, Henry S., 6
Campbell, Willard C., 135
Camping, 159, 160, 161
Canada, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 72, 73, 80, 115, 136, 138, 164, 166, 208, 216, 237
Capone, Al, 107, 109, 116, 125, 126
Caress, Helen, 111, 112
Caress, Zeke, 106, 107, 108, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 121
Carlton, David, 171
Carlyon, Lottie, 157
Carlyon, Marilyn, 157
Carlyon, Tom, 157
Carson, Jesse, 178, 179
Casterot, Frank, 183
Casterot, Joseph, 182
Casterot, Ruth Mooney, 182
Catholics. See Religion – Catholic
Cemeteries – Calvary, 232
Cemeteries – Hollywood, 213
Cemeteries – Municipal, 148, 205
Cemeteries – Rosedale, 205
Cemeteries – Sunnyside, 171, 181
Central Memorial Park. See Cemeteries – Westminster
Chafin, Eugene, 28
Chambers, Velma, 40
Champion, Frank, 71
Chancy, George, 73
Chandler, Harry, 137
Chaplin, Charlie, 90
Chateau Thierry (area of Long Beach), 133
Chicago, IL., 29, 43, 49, 106, 109, 126, 137, 218
China, 63, 138, 237
Christie, Ralph C., 7, 228
Church, Frank H., 226, 228
Cincinnati, OH., 191
Civil War, 33, 56, 59, 171, 223
Clampitt, Oscar, 206
Clark, Charles H., 51
Clark, Ray R., 6
Clausson, John F., 182
Clayton, John, 195
Coast Guard, 61, 62, 67, 68
Cochran, Lee, 91, 92, 93, 95
Cochran, Marian, 92, 93
Cohn, Harry, 90
Cole, Charles C., 32, 35, 36, 37
Collier, Frank, 189
Colorado, 15, 161
Colson, Marty, 91, 92, 93
Colton, CA., 179
Communism, 49, 50, 51
Compton, W.W., 140
Condit, Fillmore, 6, 7, 44, 231, 232
Cone, Asa Randall, 40
Connelly, Della, 168
Connelly, Jewell Thomas, 168
Connelly, Lanier, 168
Conner, W.E., 118
Connette, H.C., 216
Constitution – California, 37
Constitution – United States, 28, 32, 35, 44, 49, 50, 59, 102, 120, 241
Conway, Oscar, 79
Coolidge, Calvin, 67
Cork, Ireland, 217
Cornero, Frank, 64
Cornero, Tony, 64, 65, 124, 125
Corney, Peter, 61
Cortes Bank, 61
Costello, James, 113
Costello,James L., 122
Crawford, Charles H., 140
Cronin, Bob, 175
Crossiart, Myrtle Wood, 97, 98, 99
Cummings, Percy G., 67
Cummings,Margie, 227
Curley, Jennie, 88
Curtis Corporation, 70, 72, 73, 75
Dance halls, 16, 19, 21, 148, 240
Daniel, W.R., 25
Daugherty, Earl, 71
Davenport, WA., 167
Dawson, Buell, 121, 122
Dawson, Charity, 70
de Bouchard, Hippolyte, 61
De Groff, Emerson, 193
De Larm, Eddie, 235
Deane, Doris, 232
Debs, Eugene, 49
Dellan, Marcel, 93, 94, 95
Dellan, Zelda, 94, 95
Delmont, Maude, 212
Deloney, Nina Lee, 160, 161, 162, 163, 165, 167, 199
Denton, Jacob C., 200, 201, 202, 204, 205
Depression, 1930s, 47, 48, 51, 83, 104, 124, 139, 238, 241
DeTar, George, 22
DeTarr, Margaret, 22
Dewey, E.P., 159
Dickle, Walter M., 153
District Attorney, Los Angeles Co.. See Los Angeles Co. – District Attorney
Dobbin, Edward S., 6, 7, 51, 228
Dodge, Clark, 80
Doheny, Edward, 121, 122, 128
Doolen, Jimmy, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116
Doran, William C., 112, 207
Dorris, Charles, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147
Dorris, Theresa, 144
Dorris, Therese, 140, 141, 143, 144, 146
Dovey, William, 66
Drugs, 38, 76, 82, 168, 207, 208, 214, 217, 220, 221
Du Puy, Frank, 24
Du Puy, Sarah, 23
Dudrey, “Blackie”, 72, 73, 74, 76
Dudrey, \Frances, 73
Duer, Joseph W., 181
Dunn, Clyde D., 51
Durfee, Minta, 209, 210, 211, 232
Durkle, Harvey, 223
Dyer, Rose, 181, 184, 185
Earl, David G., 48
Easling, Elmer, 185
Edison, Lester S., 183
Edmonds, Andy, 210
Ehat, Clarence, 73
Eighteenth Amendment, 11, 13, 28, 36, 37, 52, 59, 238, 240
El Centro, CA., 151, 161, 162, 163, 188
El Salvador, 178
Elliott, Dale H., 51
England, 63, 164
Erb, Marshall, 25
Estis, Gus, 181
Ethyl alcohol. See Alcohol – Ethyl (grain)
Evans, Ethel P., 143
Evans, William L., 225
Fairbanks, Douglas, 90, 104
Falcone, Bat, 83
Faulkner, Otto, 40
Faurote, Harry, 204
Fickling, Asa, 6, 7, 228
Fink, Eddie, 181
Finn, William Joseph, 38
Fire Department. See Long Beach – Fire Department
First Christian church. See Religion – First Christian Church
First National Bank, 139
Fitts, Buron, 138, 219, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230
Fleming, Ruth, 190
Flint, Motley, 140
Ford Motor factory, 47
Ford, L. James, 122
Forgery, 165
Forgie, Al, 68
Fort MacArthur, 47
Foster, Frank, 171, 172
Fox, Jimmy, 65, 114
Fox, William, 213
Frank, Clara, 113
Frank, Louis, 108, 109, 111, 114
Fratinno, “Jimmy the Weasel”, 116
Fraud, 135, 136, 137, 138, 140, 165, 166, 228
Fraud,, 136, 137, 166
Frazier, Eleanor, 166
Freeman, Alice, 166
Freeman, William P., 223
Fresno, CA., 186, 187, 188
Fussell, Betty Harper, 209
Gable, Clark, 90
gambling, 17
Gambling, 12, 17, 44, 45, 52, 78, 90, 91, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 115, 118, 119, 120, 121, 124, 131, 148, 178, 217, 227
Gambling ships, 101, 102, 103, 105, 106, 107, 108, 112, 118, 119, 121, 122, 124, 125
Gambling ships, 124
Gangsters, 30, 50, 63, 64, 65, 91, 92, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 116, 124, 126, 163, 200, 219, 220
Garcia, Rodolfo, 97, 99
Garden Grove, CA., 99
Gardner, Robert, 11
Gatewood, James. See Doolen, Jimmy
Gerber, Neva, 210, 217
Germans, 28, 29, 144, 156, 234, 235, 236
Gibler, George M., 35
Gibson, Brooks, 15, 26
Gibson, Edith, 26
Gin, 11, 46, 62, 63, 80, 175, 212, 241
Giroux, Robert, 207, 215, 216, 218, 219, 220, 221, 230
Glendale, CA., 109, 235
Gloyd, Charles, 56
Goldwyn, Samuel, 209, 210, 213, 214
Goodnick, Bertha, 160
Gordon, Helen, 164
Green, Olive, 166
Green, Thomas, 220
Grump-Steele Company, 136
Guaranty Building and Loan Association, 139
Gun battles, 26, 27, 65, 106, 109, 110
Gunsul, Myrtelle, 6, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 228, 229
Guy, Vera, 234
Guy, William James “Curly”, 234
Haas, John, 175
Hahn, S.S., 75
Hall, Idris. See Wanderwell, Aloha
Halstead, Robert H., 15, 25
Hamer, S.H., 94
Harbor, 11, 12, 30, 47, 62, 68, 101, 102, 106, 154, 234, 240
Harding, Warren, 213
Harlow, Jean, 230
Harper, C.J., 21
Harrington, Bertram, 179
Harrison, Ethel May, 217
Hartman, Henry, 171, 172
Hartman, Mary, 170, 171, 172
Hartman, Nettie, 172
Hartman, Oluff, 170, 171
Hartman, Ruth, 170, 171
Hatch, Ira, 222, 223
Hauge, Oscar, 6, 7, 43
Haver, Richard, 171
Havers, Richard, 172
Hawaii, 151, 217
Hawkins, Carl V., 41
Haynes, Henry, 43
Haynes, Sam, 43
Hays, Will, 213, 232
Hayworth, Rita, 90
Hearst, William Randolph, 216
Heinsch, Herman, 144
Hellman, I.W., 129
Henderson, Charles, 6, 44, 45
Henderson, Frank G., 40
Henke, Edna, 122
Henry, Les, 219
Hess, George, 126
Hewes, Charles, 6, 34, 35, 224, 225
Hibbs, Bertha, 196
Hicks, Robert M., 225
Hijackers, 64, 65, 72, 103
Hijacking, 62, 65, 67, 72
Hildebrandt, Brandon O., 231
Hog farm, 150, 151
Holland, Clyde, 25
Hollingsworth, Marie, 166
Hollywood, CA., 72, 75, 90, 92, 104, 106, 107, 109, 111, 125, 165, 200, 207, 208, 209, 210, 212, 213, 214, 216, 218, 219, 220, 221, 232, 234
Holt, Reuben H., 182
Homosexuality, 216
Honduras, 178
Honolulu, HA., 161, 164
Hoof and Mouth Disease, 149
Hoover, Herbert, 29, 47, 126, 236, 238
Horkheimer, H.M., 211, 216, 217
Horse racing, 107, 124
Hospitals – Community, 67, 169, 206
Hospitals – County, 152
Hospitals – Los Angeles General, 169
Hospitals – Patton, 172, 203
Hospitals – Seaside, 25, 26, 27, 67, 109, 156, 182
Hospitals – St. Mary’s, 84
Hospitals – St. Mary’s, 67
Hospitals – St. Vincent, 147
Houser, Todd, 52
Housing, 132, 133
Houske, Alfred, 15, 24, 25
Houston, TX., 173, 179
Howard, E.F., 79
Hubbard, Chelsea, 46
Hudson, P.J., 23
Huffman, Harry H., 98
Hull, John, 105
Hunt, Clarence, 185
Hutchins, Lucy, 21
Hyde, Edwin, 193, 195
Idaho, 97, 160, 161, 166
Illinois, 229
Immigrants, 30, 32, 36, 44, 80, 152
Imperial County, 162
Indianapolis, IN., 191
Inglewood, CA., 33
Insanity, 20, 55, 79, 112, 172, 176, 185
Inventors, 48
Inwood, Edwin, 66, 67
Inwood, Ruth, 66, 67
Iowa, 29, 130
Irwin, Mildred, 122
Islands – Channel, 61
Islands – Channel Islands, 62
Islands – Cortes Bank. See Cortes Bank
Jackson, Etta May, 178
Jahn, Matilda, 150
Japanese, 73, 75, 111, 112, 128
Jenks, Audrey L., 51
Jenks, Chester A., 107, 109
Jergins, A.T., 148
Jews. See Religion – Judism
Johnson, Ed, 178
Johnson, Fred L., 173
Johnson, Unaritas, 7, 20, 21, 22
Johnstone, Jewell, 78
Johnstone, Julia Lee, 78, 79
Johnstone, Thomas, 78, 79
Jordan, Harriet, 194
Jotham Bixby Company, 132
Judson, Lee Borden, 203
Julian Pete. See Julian Petroleum Corporation
Julian Petroleum Corporation, 136, 137, 140, 141
Julian, C.C., 136, 137, 138, 140, 141, 143, 146
Juries, 20, 51, 76, 79, 86, 95, 109, 110, 113, 114, 115, 120, 121, 137, 138, 143, 146, 163, 176, 185, 187, 189, 195, 196, 197, 202, 205, 213, 224, 226, 227, 229, 231, 235
Kansas, 55, 56, 166, 201
Karst,, Mark, 177
Kearney, Grace, 92, 93
Kearney, Jerry, 92, 93
Keaton, Buster, 211, 233
Keaton, Frank, 140
Keaton, Joe, 211
Keller, Jack, 181
Kendall, Joe. See Keller, Jack
Kendrick, William T., Jr., 196
Kenner, John H., 223
Kentucky, 55
Keyes, Asa, 45, 75, 138, 179, 219, 229, 230
Kidnapping, 50, 97, 98, 106, 107, 108, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 121, 122, 178
Kimmerle, H.J., 140
King, Ben, 195, 196
King, Waldo, 51
Kirkpatrick, Sidney, 210, 215, 218, 219, 221, 229, 230
Knight, Charles P., 135
Kniss, Clay, 231
Knowlton, W.E., 73
Kobota, Frank, 73, 75
Ku Klux Klan, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41, 42, 43, 44, 50, 51, 139, 225
Kutz, Fred, 199, 200, 205
Labor unions, 36, 50
Lacey, James, 50
Laguna Beach, 99
Laguna Beach, CA., 62, 97, 98, 99
Lake Washington, 160, 164
Lanares, Jenaro, 40
Lanares, Jesus, 40
Las Vegas, NV, 90
Las Vegas, NV., 90, 125
Latham, Emily, 204
Lavine, Morris, 178
Leahy, Albert C., 70, 73, 76
Lee, Jean, 93
Lehrman, Henry, 212
Lewis, Claude C., 6, 7, 40, 73, 161, 228
Lewis, Sheridan C., 137, 138
Lilja, Christian, 26
Lilja, Lilja, 27
Lilja, Wilbur, 26, 27
Lincoln Park, 48
Lindberg, John, 51
Lippmann, Walter, 241
Liquor taxes. See Taxation – Alcohol
Loeb, Arthur M., 140
Logan, Arthur, 86, 87, 88, 121, 140, 203, 204
Logan, Margaret, 203
Lomita, CA., 25
Long Beach – Auditor, 222, 223, 226
Long Beach – City Attorney, 52, 101
Long Beach – City Council, 38, 45, 52, 53, 104, 105, 222, 223, 224, 225, 227, 228, 231, 232
Long Beach – City Employees, 23, 27, 34, 38, 225
Long Beach – City Manager, 7, 31, 34, 35, 41, 44, 45, 51, 52, 222, 224, 225, 228
Long Beach – City Prosecutor, 105
Long Beach – Earthquake, 51, 52, 155, 156, 157
Long Beach – Fire Department, 34, 157
Long Beach – Fire Department, 79
Long Beach – Mayor, 15, 31, 38, 43, 44, 45, 131, 134, 222, 223
Long Beach – Ordinances, 33, 38, 45, 47, 105, 108, 148, 222, 224, 240
Long Beach – Pensions, 27
Long Beach – Police, 23, 24, 25, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52, 58, 66, 67, 68, 72, 76, 78, 79, 85, 88, 92, 96, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 111, 112, 118, 142, 162, 181, 187, 188, 206, 226, 227
Long Beach – Police, 51
Long Beach – Police, 200
Long Beach – Police Historical Society, 52
Long Beach – Police Purity Squad, 40
Long Beach – Public Library, 43
Long Beach – Public Library, 65
Long Beach – Recall of city officials, 52, 225
Long Beach – Recall of city officials, 53
Long Beach Land and Water Co., 29
Long Beach Law Enforcement League, 226
Long Beach Ministerial Union, 231
Long Beach- Police, 110
Long Beach Recall of city officials, 228
Long Beach, CA., 11, 17, 24, 25, 27, 30, 39, 41, 43, 50, 56, 71, 72, 73, 75, 78, 84, 86, 88, 95, 96, 102, 106, 108, 116, 131, 133, 143, 186, 211, 228
Loos, Anita, 208
Lord, Victor C., 70, 73, 76
Los Alamitos, CA., 183
Los Angeles – Mayor, 139
Los Angeles – Police, 76, 79, 153, 181, 203, 238
Los Angeles Co., 44, 57, 58, 62, 68, 74, 148, 149, 150, 151, 163
Los Angeles Co. – Board of Supervisors, 59
Los Angeles Co. – District Attorney, 44, 45, 75, 108, 138, 179, 205, 219, 221, 226, 227, 229, 230
Los Angeles Co. – District Attorney, 44
Los Angeles Co. – District Attorney, 108
Los Angeles Co. – Sheriffs, 37, 42, 78, 79, 85, 86, 110, 149, 191, 192
Los Angeles Co. Board of Supervisors, 57, 58
Los Angeles Co., CA., 43
Los Angeles River, 152, 190, 191, 192, 196
Los Angeles, CA., 15, 17, 25, 30, 32, 42, 45, 70, 73, 74, 75, 84, 90, 92, 94, 109, 110, 111, 112, 115, 116, 119, 122, 128, 129, 131, 135, 136, 137, 140, 144, 147, 151, 152, 154, 163, 165, 171, 173, 175, 177, 178, 179, 181, 195, 204, 205, 212, 219, 220, 221, 226, 229, 233,235
Los Cerritos (area of Long Beach), 15, 78, 85, 133
Los Cerritos Rancho. See Ranchos – Los Cerritos
Loujon, Francisca, 152
Lowell, Ina, 98
Ludvigsen, Alice, 160
Lund, Oscar, 72, 73, 76
Lybarger, Jay G., 56, 57
Lynwood, CA., 190, 191
MacDowell, Syl, 129
MacLean, Faith, 215
Madoff, Bernie, 137
Malibu, 62
Mandez, Jose, 58
Maner, George, 152
Manriquez, Ramon, 190
Marcy, Jessie, 204
Martin, Ray L., 191
Marx, Samuel, 230
Matteson, J.B., 18
Matthews, Blayney, 110
McAdams, Ralph, 19, 20
McAllister, Wayne, 90
McClelland, Joseph H., 6
McClure, J.H., 99
McClure, John Alexander, 97, 98, 99
McComas, Frank, 144
McCrary, Will, 56, 57
McDuffie, John, 135
McElroy, Julia, 176
McGann, Anna, 18, 19, 20
McGann, Frank, 18, 19, 20
McGann, Peter, 20
McGroarty, John Steven, 91
McKinley, William, 56
McLaren, Adelaide, 84
McLaren, Forrest, 84
McLendon, Ben, 6, 13, 33, 35, 36, 38, 39, 79, 224
McPhail, Addie, 232
McWilliams, Carey, 139
Meadows, Alberta Tremaine, 158, 174, 175, 176, 177, 179
Mendebles, Jose, 58
Merriam, Frank, 29, 43, 101, 102, 125, 189, 228
Methodists. See Religion – Methodist
Methyl alcohol. See Alcohol – Methyl (Wood)
Mexicans, 22, 91, 93, 124, 152, 153
Mexico, 16, 61, 90, 93, 95, 96, 97, 98, 124, 153, 163, 178, 179, 188, 191, 208
Meyer, H.O., 142
Meyer, Henry, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147
Michener, Carlos B., 226
Milder, David, 50
Miley, John, 119
Miller, E.O., 241
Miller, Harry, 71
Miller, Henry, 17, 18, 71, 73
Miller, Myrtle, 17, 18
Millett, Robert, 118
Mills, John, 230
Minnesota, 43
Minter, Mary Miles, 207, 215, 216, 218, 219, 229, 231
Mississippi, 79
Missouri, 16, 114
Mitchell, Oliver C., 206
Mitchell, Steven, 35, 36
Money laundering, 118
Monroy, Nemesio, 91
Moody, Robert L., 122, 123
Moonshine, 12, 40, 62, 75, 80, 81, 82, 83, 86, 239, 241
Moore, Charles E.W., 210
Moore, John H., 36
Moore, Marian, 23
Moran, Harry, 65
Morgan, Blanche, 27
Morgan, James, 190
Morgan, Ralph, 15, 26, 27
Morrison, Fred, 23, 24
Moscow, 49
Motorcycles, 16, 24, 25, 26
Movie industry, 90, 209, 211, 213, 220, 221
Moyer, Clarence, 24
Muir, Florabel, 218
Municipal Auditorium, 34, 36
Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, 211
Munson, H.C.. See Schwartz, Harry
Murphy, Bertha Hindman, 188
Murphy, Cornelia Buttles, 186
Murphy, Frank, 126
Murphy, Lee Daniel, 186
Murphy, Maude McMay, 186
Murphy, Mildred Merrill, 186
Myers, Henry L., 213
Myers, Leon, 32
Nagai, K., 73, 74
Naples (area of Long Beach), 12, 24, 62, 66, 67
Nard, Bill, 64
Nathan, Jack, 196
Nation, Carry, 55
Nation, David, 56
Navy, 25, 155, 185
Needles, CA., 151
Nelson, Jessie Elwin, 134
Nelson, John. See Ames, Edward
Nelson, Zechariah T., 134
Nevada, 124
Nevens, Charles C., 224, 225
New Orleans, LA., 178
Newell, Ralph A., 6
Newlin, Neal D., 226
Newport Beach, 25, 62, 237
Newport Beach, CA., 155
Normand, Mabel, 207, 208, 209, 210, 212, 215, 218, 220, 230, 232
North Carolina, 39, 81
North Long Beach, 79, 85
Norton, Marie, 48
O’Brien, A.R., 180
O’Conner,Dan, 118
O’Keefe, James, 118, 119, 120, 121
Oceanside, CA., 165
Oil, 11, 12, 20, 28, 47, 52, 79, 86, 119, 122, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 140, 141, 146, 148, 149, 156, 157, 159, 172, 173, 174, 179, 183, 211, 212
Oil stock, 129, 137, 139, 140, 173
Oklahoma, 138
Olmstead, Roy, 46
Orange County, 62, 150, 206
Orsatti, Jesse, 113, 114
Outcalt, Warner A., 67
Pacific Electric Railroad, 15, 16, 17, 25, 133, 174, 181
Paddock, Merritt E., 6
Painless Parker, 16
Palos Verdes, 62, 67
Panama, 114, 140, 235
Papadakis, Nick, 82
Paragini, “Black Tony”, 64
Park, Arthur, 86
Park, Marie, 87
Park, Willis, 86
Pasadena, CA., 75, 141, 194
Peacock, Oliver S., 7, 228
Peavey, Henry, 215, 216, 218, 229, 230
Peek, William, 148
Peete, Betty, 202
Peete, Louise, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205
Peete, Richard, 202
Pensions. See Long Beach – Pensions
Peoria, IL., 186
Pettibone, Tom, 193
Pettibone, Winton, 192, 193, 195, 196
Phillips, Armour, 158, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180
Phillips, Clara, 173
Phoenix, AZ., 23, 108, 188, 201
Pickford, Jack, 220
Pickford, Mary, 90
Piers – Pine Ave., 11, 16, 104
Pike Amusement Zone, 11, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 38, 40, 98, 185, 210
Pine Ave. Pier. See Piers – Pine Ave.
Pirates, 61, 103
Pittsburgh, PA., 180, 188
Plague, 152, 153, 154
Playa del Rey, 62
Plummer, Clyde L., 116
Point Fermin, 62, 92
Poisoners, 169
Police. See Long Beach – Police
Police Benefit Fund. See Long Beach – Police Benefit Fund
Population, 52
Population, 43
Population, 131
Population, 148
Population, 211
Porter, George, 97
Porter, Harry H., 223
Porter, John, 139
Porter, Rose, 95
Portland, OR., 76, 171
Powell, Ralph, 25
Price, Lena, 196
Price, Thomas J., 179
Prior, Elizabethh “Betty”, 167
Prisons – Alcatraz, 126
Prisons – Folsom, 114, 116
Prisons – Leavenworth, 76, 121, 191
Prisons – McNeil Island, 126
Prisons – San Quentin, 27, 85, 95, 99, 114, 117, 166, 167, 179, 189, 197, 230
Prisons – Terminal Island, 125, 126
Procter & Gamble soap plant, 47
Prohibition agent, 68
Prohibition agents, 41, 64, 66, 67, 68, 73, 74, 239
Prohibition Party, 28
Protestants. See Religion – Protestantism
Pryor, Betty, 161
Puddifoot, Mary, 144
Quarantines, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154
Ranchos – Los Alamitos, 129
Ranchos – Los Alamitos, 57
Ranchos – Los Cerritos, 57, 151
Rankin, David M., 222, 223
Rappe, Virginia, 209, 212, 213, 231, 233
Reckless Ross, 16
Recreation Park, 41
Redondo Beach, CA., 115, 116
Redus, Thomas, 20, 21, 22
Reese, Charles E., 138
Reese, R.M., 138
Reid, James K., 101
Reid, Wallace, 208, 220
Religion – Catholic, 32, 36, 42, 152
Religion – Judism, 30, 32, 36, 152
Religion – Methodist, 66
Religion – Presbyterian, 104
Religion – Protestantism, 31, 36
Remington, Earle, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75, 76, 77
Remington, Virginia, 70, 71, 72, 76, 77
Restaurants, 11, 17, 21, 82, 183, 240
Reynolds, John, 84, 85
Rheume, George, 25
Rice, George, 43, 169
Rice, Ila Mae, 169
Rice, Margaret, 169
Richardson, DeWolf, 124
Richardson, Joseph G., 135
Richfield Oil Company, 52, 139, 156, 183
Rivera, Santiago, 96
Riverside, CA., 237
Roach, Virgil, 118, 120
Robberies, 48, 165
Robberson, Claude, 38
Robbery, 68, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 99, 103, 119, 124
Robertson, Eloise, 168
Robinson, Carl, 156
Robinson, Clara, 211
Robinson, S.M., 150
Rockwell, John, 159
Roderiguez, Mildred Dyer, 184
Rodriguez, Lewis, 181, 184, 185
Rodriguez, Mildred Dyer, 181
Rolph, James, 49, 228, 239
Roosevelt, Franklin, 36, 51, 239
Ross, Lloyd, 150
Rourke, George M., 104, 105
Routt, Albert, 184
Routt, Carrie, 184
Routt, Edward, 184
Rowe, Homer, 84
Rucker, Edgar H., 88, 89
Ruggles, Charles, 145, 147
Ruggles, Wesley, 144, 147
Rum runners, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 73, 91, 103, 150, 154, 236
Russell, Gus, 25
Russell, James Henry, 51
Ryan, William J., 84, 85
Sacramento, CA., 49, 95, 102, 162, 163, 164, 167
Samarano, Guadalupe, 152
Samarano, Luciana, 152
Sampson,, Samuel J., 51
San Antonio, TX., 188
San Bernardino County, 75, 89
San Bernardino, CA., 75, 89, 126
San Diego, CA., 61, 90, 91, 92, 93, 99, 112, 124, 165, 180, 185, 187, 228
San Francisco, CA., 12, 64, 92, 104, 109, 113, 142, 154, 163, 186, 187, 207, 209, 212, 228, 232
San Jose, CA., 37
San Pedro, CA., 42, 43, 66, 68, 82, 83, 91, 92, 93, 102, 103, 110, 126
Sandberg Petroleum Company, 129
Sanders, Harry, 85, 86
Sanderson, Leroy, 230
Sands, Edward, 214, 219, 220
Santa Ana, CA., 42, 99
Santa Barbara, CA., 105
Santa Monica, CA., 122, 160, 163
Schools, 156
Schools, 47
Schouweiler, Melvin, 64
Schwartz, Harry, 65
Scotland, 61
Seal Beach – Police, 24
Seal Beach, CA., 24, 62, 66, 101, 103, 119
Seaside Hospital. See Hospitals – Seaside
Seattle – Police, 46
Seattle, WA., 46, 138, 160, 163, 165
Security Trust and Savings Bank Building, 48
Selznick, Lewis, 213
Sennett, Mack, 209, 210
Sheffield, George M., 40
Shelby, Charlotte, 215, 218, 219, 220, 221, 229, 230
Sheldon, Ralph, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 116
Shell Oil Co., 134
Shell Oil Company, 12, 129, 150, 211
Sherman, James. See Sheldon, Ralph
Shipp, Clara, 40
Shuler, Robert Pierce, 30, 32, 151, 153, 154, 155
Shuman, Lewis, 222, 223
Siegel, “Bugsy”, 116
Signal Hill, 11, 12, 50, 66, 88, 128, 129, 130, 131, 133, 134, 135, 136, 140, 150, 151, 157, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 171, 173, 183, 199, 200, 203, 205, 211
Signal Hill – Mayor, 134
Sims, Ed, 23
Sinclair, Upton, 130
Slaughter, W.E., 107
Slaughter, Winford E., 110
Smith, Elmer, 193
Smuggling, 61, 62, 63, 68, 70, 73, 75, 90, 191
Socialism, 49
Socialist party, 49
Southgate, CA., 42
Speakeasies, 11, 12, 18, 68, 69, 129, 131, 173, 206, 221, 239
Special Delivery Oil Syndicate, 135
Spence, William, 191
Spencer, Herbert, 140
Spies, 234, 235
Spokane, WA., 164, 166
St. Helena, CA., 125
St. John, Al, 211
St. Johns, Adela Rogers, 216
St. Louis, MO., 112, 115, 118, 121, 166
Stakemiller, Ben, 7, 228
Stalin, Joseph, 49
Stauter, C.E., 151
Stearns, Owen J., 51
Steiner, Rudolph, 85, 86
Sterry, Nora, 153
Stewart, Alexander B., 70, 72, 73, 75, 76
Stewart,Joe W.., 199
Stewart,Marguerite, 76
Stock Market, 12, 40, 47, 107, 137, 238, 241
Stockdale, Carl, 219
Stone, S.S., 73
Stralla, Louis, 125
Suicide, 27, 47, 48, 78, 87, 88, 99, 104, 124, 138, 160, 165, 168, 169, 181, 184, 202, 204, 206, 230
Sun Oil Company, 173
Sunset Beach, CA., 62
Superior Court, 37, 102, 240
Sutton, Laura B., 193
Sweet, Raymond, 209
Tabernacle (building), 55
Tacoma, WA., 164
Talbot, Hazel, 73
Talbot, Larry, 73
Tapley, Paul, 112
Tarring and feathering, 50
Taubman, George, 28, 30, 31, 32, 62, 148, 149
Taubman’s Bible class, 30, 31, 62, 148
Taxation, 30, 134
Taxation, 165
Taxation – Alcohol, 59, 80, 214, 240
Taxation – Income, 28, 59, 126
Taylor, Edward L., 225
Taylor, M.E., 79
Taylor, William Desmond, 7, 17, 79, 207, 210, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 229, 230, 231, 233
Temperance, 29, 55
Tennessee, 134, 221
Texas, 18, 20, 136, 168, 175, 177, 178, 180, 204
Tijuana, Mexico, 90, 91, 92, 93, 95, 96, 97, 99, 101, 102, 107, 124, 178
Timm, Erma, 190
Tompkins, May, 144
Truman, Harry, 125
Tully, Walter Lee, 135
Turnball, Septimus, 104
Turner, Homer D., 51
Twenty-first Amendment, 52, 124, 239
Tygiel, Jules, 29
Tyler, A.P., 51
Underhill, Edward A., 95, 97
Valentino, Rudolph, 233
Van Boxtall, Ruth, 48
Vancouver, Canada, 72, 164
Vaudeville, 210, 236, 237
Vaughan, Jack L., 188
Venice, CA., 200
Venor, Laurin, 124
Ventura County, 68
Ventura, CA., 68, 194
Vidor, King, 215, 218, 219, 229, 230
Villegas, Celia Ortega, 83
Volstead Act, 17, 36, 37, 44, 82, 236, 238, 239
Waggoner, William H., 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 113, 116, 118
Wagner, Ray, 7, 108, 109, 111, 114, 115
Wakabayashi, Tadashi, 111, 112, 113
Walker, Clifford, 67, 68, 80, 83
Wallace, William, 66
Walls, George A., 15, 25
Walsh, James, 121, 122
Walters, Gerald, 142, 144
Wanderwell, Aloha, 237
Wanderwell, Nellie Miller Clark, 236
Wanderwell, Walter, 234
Warner, Jack, 67, 90
Warren, Earl, 125
Washington state, 126, 160, 161
Washington, D.C., 51, 156, 207
Water taxis, 101, 102, 103, 105, 107, 108, 119
Waterstreet, Floyd, 193
Watson, James “Bluebeard”, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 199
Watson, Katherine Kruse, 166
Watt, M.A., 166
Waup, Harry C., 7, 228
Weaver, A.H., 180
Wegener, Alfred, 156
Weitz, Mrs. Fred, 173
Westcott, John, 32
Western Freighters, 64
Westlake, Frank P., 194
Westminster, CA., 25
Whaley, Constance, 84
Whealton, Louis N., 223
Whisky, 40, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 71, 72, 74, 75, 79, 81, 83, 86, 205, 240
Whitaker, Alma, 176
Whittier, CA., 184
Wiest, Otto, 168
Wilkinson, James R., 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22
Williamson, Elizabeth, 163, 166
Willmore, William, 241
Wilmington, CA., 15, 26, 62, 73, 83
Wilson, Agnes, 164
Wilson, Gertrude, 163
Wilson, Peter J., 58
Windham, Charles, 6, 15, 41, 225
Wine, 34, 36, 57, 58, 59, 62, 63, 81, 82, 238, 240
Winston, David, 114
Woehlke, Walter V., 136, 137
Wolter, Oscar H., 7, 228
Wombacher, Kathryn, 164, 165, 166
Women’s Christian Temperance Union, 29, 59
Women’s Christian Temperance Union, 28, 56
Wood, Myrtle. See Crossiart, Myrtle Wood
Woodruff, Clifford, 34
Woolwine, Thomas Lee, 34, 35, 219, 221, 230
Work Around the World Educational Club, 236
Workmen’s Compensation, 23
World War I, 28, 30, 32, 61, 159, 208, 211, 212, 216, 228, 236
World War II, 124, 237
Wright Act, 36, 37, 239
Wright, T.M., 37
Wrigley District (area of Long Beach), 133
Wyoming, 20, 21, 213, 237
Yallop, David, 213, 233
Yancy, James, 6, 13, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 67, 109
Yancy, Robert, 52
Yeomans, Arthur. See Walsh, James
Young, C.C., 139
Yribarne, Cadet, 57, 58, 59
Yribarne, John, 57
Yuma, AZ., 151
Zukor, Adolph, 213
EXCERPT
Throughout America cocktail parties sparkled defiantly through the dreaded first minutes of January 20, 1920. With morning would come the official start of Prohibition. It was easy, however, to keep the party going in Long Beach, California.
Though Long Beach had been “dry” throughout most of its history, illegal liquor distribution throughout the city was already “perfected” by the time the 18th Amendment, banning the sale of most alcoholic beverages, became law. Already in place were underground booze operations, secretive speakeasies and bootlegging, the perfect staging ground for murder and crime.
At the underground clubs, many centered around Long Beach’s amusement zone known as the Pike, inventive bartenders enjoyed new respect for disguising the taste of the day’s alcohol. They created a new generation of cocktails heavy on fruit juices to mix with the bathtub gin. There was the Bennett Cocktail (gin, lime juice, bitters), the Bee’s Knees (gin, honey, lemon juice), and the Gin Fizz (gin, lemon juice, sugar, seltzer water). At least those were the kind of drinks served at Long Beach’s classier joints. Down at the harbor or around the oil wells of Signal Hill seedier establishments might be serving a cloudy cocktail called Smoke, made by mixing water and fuel alcohol. The drink was blessedly cheap, fifteen cents a glass, and just about pure methyl alcohol.
Much of Southern California’s “best” liquor during the Prohibition era was smuggled in from ships anchored off the California coast. Naples and the Long Beach harbor area were favorite sites to unload the illicit brew. This “prime” cargo was expensive and catered to the wealthy, the powerful, the artists, and the politicians, giving illegal alcohol a kind of high-life image, an alluring, seductive glamour. Most of the alcohol, however, was moonshine, made from either grain (ethyl) or cheap, poisonous, wood (methyl) alcohol. It was affordable to the “common” folk, the oil workers, shop clerks, and farmers. And, after the stock market crash of 1929, to all who saw the world they once knew end.
As filmmaker Ken Burns pointed out in his film series on Prohibition:
“Prohibition turned law-abiding citizens into criminals, made a mockery of the justice system, caused illicit drinking to seem glamorous and fun, encouraged neighborhood gangs to become national crime syndicates, permitted government officials to bend and sometimes even break the law, and fostered cynicism and hypocrisies that corroded the social contract all across the country. Thugs became celebrities, responsible authority was rendered impotent. Social mores in place for a century were obliterated. Especially among the young, and most especially among young women, liquor consumption skyrocketed, propelling the rest of the culture with it.”
There was one component, however, that made Long Beach different from the rest of 1920’s and ‘30’s America. Almost eighteen months after Prohibition had become the law of the land Long Beach was hit by a revolutionary discovery that would change the life of the city in many unforeseen ways.
On Thursday, June 23, 1921, around 5 p.m., the Shell Oil Company struck oil at its well at Temple Avenue and Hill Street on Signal Hill. Oil fever quickly spread. The lure of black gold brought countless newcomers to the Long Beach area, many eager for an illegal drink after a hard day working the oil fields. Amid all of this oil Signal Hill, which had been renowned for its scenic grandeur, productive soil and magnificent homes, was transformed. Building restrictions, paved streets and walks and curbs were supplanted by oil leases, oil stocks, derricks and drills. Palm trees and rose gardens were removed to make way for boilers and tool houses and speakeasies.
“Orgies of vice” catering to the oil industry, were said to fester around Signal Hill, the Los Angeles Times reported March 27, 1922. A recent raid of several so-called “hotels” had confiscated quantities of liquor, several pairs of loaded dice, decks of marked cards, a roulette wheel and other gambling paraphernalia “that made life in the old days of San Francisco’s famous Barbary Coast look tame compared with the activities in the vice dens of Signal Hill,” according to the same reporter. To make matters worse, at two of the places proprietors were armed with automatic revolvers, long-barreled rifles, as well as small-caliber pistols. Police Chief Ben McLendon vowed to keep the houses closed:
“Long Beach itself is clean and there is no excuse for permitting such places as these just outside the city limits. I shall raid them or bring about raids on such places whenever possible.”
McLendon and his successors certainly had their work cut out for them through the years of Prohibition. As you’ll soon find out there was much going on in Southern California and Long Beach during the era of the Eighteenth Amendment. 1920-1933 was an exciting time, indeed.