Yup. a tragic end for a comedy legend...

The Morey Murders
 

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-l...701%2520PM.jpg

Criminy, no wonder Fremont Place keeps its back gates locked. I'm a bit more sympathetic now. A few more of these grisly reports and I'm gonna start locking my door.

Thread diving
 

I actually like repeats, as they make me dive back into the thread where I always notice something that eluded me the first time around. I wouldn't have the sense to do that if they weren't pointed out. So you'e both perfect if you ask me (which you didn't).

I wonder what role the Corvair played in his untimely death.

Jan. 11-12, 1958 Los Angeles
 

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thed...111_creech.jpg

So it's right before Christmas, Dec. 7, and our guy is a week late with the rent. Not working, no money. The landlord comes around; he's a machinist at Douglas who owns these four apartments in Hawthorne.

They fight. Our guy stabs the landlord in the back of the neck with a hunting knife.

Wraps the body in a blanket, puts it in the trunk of the landlord's car and heads for Riverside. Car breaks down near Mt. Rubidoux.

So.... He calls a friend, says come get me. The friend tows the car back to L.A., 11400 Felton Ave. Our guy rents a car, puts the landlord in the trunk--remember it's been a couple days by now--and goes out to Lytle Creek, eight miles out of San Bernardino. Up a dirt road for a mile and then up a firebreak trail half a mile. Digs a grave and buries him.

It's nine days later and the landlord's cousin reports him missing. Police investigate, find our guy driving the landlord's car. Says the landlord loaned it to him, doesn't know where he is.

This is January now. They take him in on a GTA and start questioning him. He's got a record back to '49: Forgery, burglary and mail theft. Been in McNeil Island and the County Jail. But he doesn't know anything about the landlord.

They get the wife to tell them he did it. "Buried him out in the woods." So.... They keep working on him. Put him on the polygraph. Doesn't know anything about the landlord, just borrowed the car.

Finally, he cracks. Says the landlord was after his wife. He came over to the apartment. They fought. The landlord got a hunting knife off a shelf. He dropped it. Our guy picked it up and stabbed him.

Hertel and Rambeau * take him back out there with Al Edsel from the Sheriff's Department. Dark ... late at night. Just a couple of flashlights and the spots on the cars. They find the grave under heavy brush and dig him up.

Our guy tells the papers: "I'm glad it's all over with.... I haven't really slept since it happened."


The Times never followed up on this story. According to California death records, Harold Kelly Middlekauff died May 5, 1980, at the age of 58. There's no listing for his wife, Eleanor. Beryl Creech, the landlord, was 44.


* Police Capt Arthur Hertel and Lt. Earl Rambeau. (from: The Daily Mirror)

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...011&DMROTATE=0USC
Harold Middlekauf, (right, plain clothes) being escorted from West L.A. municipal court after being held to answer on a charge of murder of Beryl Creech, his landlord.

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...011&DMROTATE=0USC
Mrs. Jean Hansen, cousin of murder victim Beryl Creech walking by Harold Middlekauff, accused slayer.

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/6...ticlecompl.jpgLAT


After Effie Neustadt sold 2445 S Western Ave to J. T. Fitzgerald, she built on the southwest corner of E Mariposa St and Maiden Lane in Altadena (1050 E Mariposa), a house now 100 years old. I don't know if the original roof was actually a real thatch roof, but in any case it appears to have been well replicated in some sort of shingling. Effie started out employing Myron Hunt as her architect, then used him again for Western Avenue when he was in partnership with Elmer Grey, then, for Altadena, she went with Grey, who by had dissolved his partnership with Hunt by the time that house was built....



http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/1620/neustpic3.jpg

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/5866/neustpic2.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/6177/neuspic3.jpg

Photos: GoogleSV


She built 'em and she moved on quickly... before Effie built her Western Ave palace and her Altadena house, she built at 2515 Wilshire Blvd (at Carondelet):


http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/2...wilshcompl.jpgLAT

One source suggested that it brought to the public the importance of seat-belts put in cars. His body was thrown from the car with a cigar nearby. Apparently he was trying to light a cigar as he was turning left and lost control. Some of the newspapers published the photo of his body which caused a minor uproar.

http://www.yourememberthat.com/files...0246f35e9e.jpgGoogle

Hey...look...Mickey Cohen is residing in the county jail!

Lots of controversy about that, especially the 1960 to 1963 models. American drivers of that era weren't accustomed to oversteering cars. I was active in the sports car rally and racing scene and a member of our club was the production class Porsche champion for northern California. He went out and test drove one and his summary to the club was "they're going to kill a lot of grandmothers in that thing."

Cheers,

Earl

Very cool find GW!

http://imageshack.us/a/img571/904/aabthatchedgwssp.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img42/9765/aabthatchedgw2.jpg
__




A noirish view of Altadena (and Pasadena of course) from Echo Mountain.

http://imageshack.us/a/img339/4074/a...omechomoun.jpg
http://im9.eu/picture/los-angeles-ca...1920-1940-2142
__

The "epicenter of noir" (GW) : second location
 

We know the entrance of Ferguson Alley on Los Angeles Street (remember Jerry's Joint), but the entrance on Alameda Street has never been pointed on the thread. Here it is (lower left). You could go direct from Alameda to the front of Pico House.

This is interesting...

http://imageshack.us/a/img5/830/aabt...antamonica.jpg
ebay

A freight train going down Santa Monica Boulevard in 1971.
__

http://imageshack.us/a/img203/3857/aaambush.jpg
ebay




http://imageshack.us/a/img163/9780/aaambush1reverse.jpg

__

Union Station vs. Chinatown
 

AlvaroLegido having just re-posted the above made me notice this rather romantic shot, currently on eBay, of the remnants of Old Chinatown through a Union Station arch. The entrance to Ferguson Alley is just out of frame to the left.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_...047%2520PM.jpg
reddawgcollectables - eBay

The second view must have been taken a bit after the first as the roofless buildings in the foreground of the former would have blocked the view in the latter.

P.S.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-q...923%2520PM.jpg
google maps

The path of Ferguson Alley, as most of you no doubt know, ran in a line SE from the south corner of the Plaza, at Los Angeles Street, towards the site of Union Station on an angle matching that of the main facade of Pico House (the large courtyard building at left).

The second photo was taken from the arches to the south of the station's clock tower which lead to the outdoor concourse.

It's a shame the new building (center lower margin) was sited where it is as it blocks one's view of Union Station from the south on Alameda.

More info on Old Chinatown:
http://chinatownremembered.com/index...=66&Itemid=100
http://chinatownremembered.com/index...=79&Itemid=113

Pacific Palisades




1926 Look at all those billboards in the background.
http://imageshack.us/a/img22/996/aap...sparkcanon.jpg
ebay







1935
http://imageshack.us/a/img33/8323/aa...parkcanon1.jpg






2012
http://imageshack.us/a/img189/8864/a...rkcanontod.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawk59/3439535732/
___

http://imageshack.us/a/img405/3435/a...cevillage1.jpg





http://imageshack.us/a/img824/6292/a...ncevillage.jpg
ebay
__

Something about this photo caught my attention...looks like they were listening to The Great Melodies of Tchaikovsky, The Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy. You can see the album cover in the middle left edge of the photo.They were also eating Fig Newtons. On the coffee table near the fig newtons is a Lion-Webelos Cub Scout book, next to it the Readers Digest and TV guide. The box has some old newspapers and a blanket in it. Looks like a romantic evening of Tchaikovsky and Fig Newtons and cigarettes. Oh how it went wrong!

Love the detail of the USC scans.

http://www.shugarecords.com/Images/P...9ba42ec3-0.JPGGoogle

:previous: Good eye rcarlton. I never would have guessed they were listening to Tchaikovsky.
Supposedly there were hors d'oeuvres still on the coffee table but I can't make them out.

I only see Fig Newtons. There is also a cactus and Alo Vera (?) plant on the table, nothing in the glass container, and what looks to be a cigarette lighter. Strange that there are no drinking cups around.

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...rey&DMROTATE=0USC

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...rey&DMROTATE=0USC

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...rey&DMROTATE=0USC

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...rey&DMROTATE=0USC

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...y&DMROTATE=180USC

The Lion-Webelos book makes it so sad and real. The poor family.

The Morey Murders
 

Green onions and radishes. She had made an effort.
Odd in combination with Fig Newtons though.

More Mickey Cohen getting shot at Sherry's
 

We have had a couple posts on this before, but the L.A. Times ran a series of photos today that I don't believe we have seen.

L.A. Times:
At 3:55 a.m. on July 20, 1949, Mickey Cohen and several companions were shot outside Sherry’s Restaurant on Sunset Boulevard.

The next morning, the Los Angeles Times reported:

Law enforcement agencies rallied against a bold upsurge of gangsterism in Los Angeles yesterday following the shotgun wounding of Mobster Mickey Cohen and three other persons in the Sunset Strip.

While a man hunt spread for the gunmen who blasted at the local underworld kingpin, an aroused citizenry demanded protection against the rising tide of crime typified by the gangland assassination attempt…..

Cohen and his companions were shot outside Sherry’s Restaurant, 9039 Sunset Blvd., at 3:55 a.m. Also wounded in the fusillade of slugs were:

Harry Cooper, 39, special agent for Howser (California state Atty. Gen. Frederick Howser) assigned to guard Cohen a week ago. The former California highway patrolman received a slug in the liver and was reported in a serious condition.

Edward (Neddie) Herbert, 35, a Cohen henchman who escaped 11 shots from a gangland .45-caliber pistol last June 22. He was wounded in the kidney and spleen and was reported critical and in severe shock….

Mrs. Dee David, also known as Dee Davis, 26-year-old doctor’s assistant and acquaintance of Cohen. She received three slugs in the spine and was described in “very critical” condition with severe shock.


July 20, 1949: Mickey Cohen, right, and Harry Cooper leave the Continentale Cafe on Santa Monica Boulevard. An hour later, the two were shot outside Sherry's Restaurant, on Sunset Boulevard. Look at the size of Cooper!
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/933...enshot1970.jpg
L.A. Times


July 20, 1949: Mickey Cohen receives emergency treatment at Hollywood Receiving Hospital for shoulder wound.
http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/1...enshot6970.jpg
L.A. Times

July 20, 1949: Edward "Neddie" Herbert, one of Michey Cohen's associates, after getting shot outside of Sherry's restaurant on Sunset Blvd. He has a towel in his mouth to ease the pain. Herbert died a week later from his wounds.
http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/2...therbert97.jpg
L.A. Times


July 20, 1949: Miss Dee David getting treatment after being shot outside of Sherry's restaurant on Sunset Blvd. David, Mickey Cohen and two others were shot.
http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/4...tdavid1970.jpg
L.A. Times


July 20, 1949: Frank Niccoli, seated, and Eli Lubin, with Mickey Cohen at Queen of Angels Hospital following Cohen being shot in shoulder. The Times described the two hospital visitors as Cohen "henchmen."
If you remember from my Jean Spangler post, Frank Niccoli was one of Mickey's guys who was seen with Jean a week before she disappeared. Rumor had it that he was dumped down a lime pit at a Cucamunga vineyard. This photo was taken a couple of months before his "disappearance".
http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/7...nshot12970.jpg
L.A. Times

July 20, 1949: Men use brush under billboard during reenactment of ambush Mickey Cohen and others in front of Sherry's Restaurant on Sunset Blvd.
http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/4...nshot13970.jpg
L.A. Times


Illustration by LA Times artist Charles Owens showing ambush of Mickey Cohen and others outside of Sherry's Restaurant on Sunset Blvd. on July 20, 1949.
http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/6...tdrawing97.jpg
L.A. Times

The L.A. Times story with more pictures is here:
http://framework.latimes.com/2013/01...en-wounded/#/0