The Death of Sam Goins

"One story you may have heard while looking into the Preston School of Industry's history, is the story of Sam Goins. Goins was an African-American inmate who was fatally shot by John Kelly or J.E. Kelley (also seen spelled as Kelly). Samuel Goins was born on June 24, 1899 in Iredell County, North Carolina. He had been transferred to Preston from Alameda, where he was originally serving time for burglary charges. At the time of his death he was only 19, about to turn 20. 

According to the Amador Ledger dated April, 19, 1919 entitled “Guard Kills P.S.I. Escape,” states:

“Samuel Goins, colored, an inmate of the Preston School was fatally shot by guard J.E. Kelley last Saturday. Goins escaped from the school the day before and the guards found him at the Thornton Ranch. He threatened to kill anyone who attempted to take him. Kelly , failing to halt him by command, fired to hit him in the leg, but just as he pressed the trigger, Goins stooped to go under a wire fence and the bullet struck him in the back.

He lived several hours, and before dying, exonerated the guard, declaring he alone was to blame for the affair. Kelly was acquitted by the coroner’s inquest held Tuesday. The funeral was held in Ione, Wednesday. Goins was a native of North Carolina, aged 20 years. He went to the school from Alameda County for burglary.”       

         Samuel Goins was just two months shy of being released when he attempted his third escape. It was reported in the newspapers that ward J. Lopez, who was with Goins when he died, testified on J.E. Kelly’s behalf at the inquest. However, the inquest records state that his name was actually Joe Acosta. Acosta claimed that Goins, “tripped going over the fence and he got shot after he tripped over.” Eight months later, a ward by the name of James Lopez  died from bronchial pneumonia. He is also buried in the cemetery at Preston. It does not appear that Joe Acosta and James Lopez are the same person. 

Who Was J. E. Kelley?

According to census records and Amador County records there were only two men named John Kelly in Ione at the time, and one was named J.E. Kelley or Kelly and the other was J.K. Kelly (who was his son). I spoke with the grandson of a J.E. Kelly who claimed he had no knowledge of his grandfather being involved in any shooting of an inmate at Preston or that he ever worked there. I also spoke to the Amador County Librarian, Laura, who found the same information as I did about the two men named John Kelly in Amador County.

 According to records, one J.E. Kelly was born in 1865 in Plymouth, CA. He was the Constable of Ione for a lengthy period of time according to the old newspaper archives.  Another Kelly, J.K. Kelly was only 18 years old at the time of this incident and there is no record of him working for Preston. When this escape attempt occurred, John E. Kelly would have been about 54 years old. It is quite possible that he had been the Constable and also maintained a presence at Preston for certain incidents such as an escape. This would not be unusual.  If you recall, in Chapter 4, when Superintendent O’Brien threatened a young boy from Ione, his guard Officer Phillips was also an Amador County Sheriff's Deputy.

 So you see, in Amador County at that time, the local authorities and Preston’s officers were basically intertwined. Regardless of which Kelly it was, there were only two possibilities in Amador County at the time, so it had to be one or the other. According to Guard John Kelly’s statement, he claims he meant to shoot Goins in the leg and that Goins had waved a hammer towards the other guard Mr. Hunter approaching him prior to his running and ducking under the wire fence. John Kelly went on to say:

 “I knew what he told me before, that the next time he ran away whoever tried to catch him would either kill him or he would kill the person that was after him. I seen him watching Mr. Hunter and holding the hammer and I knew he would strike him if he would get a chance. He was nearing a low fence, I should judge it was three feet probably. It was what they call ‘hog wire’ on the bottom, two barb wires on top. As he neared the fence, I thought he was going to leap over it because I seen him jump before. He was a good jumper. I raised my gun and was just in the act, when he either tripped or fell as he was about to make the jump, and as I pulled the trigger, that I calculated on him jumping over, he fell through the fence. 

We went down to where he was. Mr. Hunter was the first one to him. He went to where he was lying and he said, “Goins, are you hurt?” He said “Yes, sir.” I went up to the house to get some water. Mr. Thornton came with me. I asked Mr. Thornton where was the nearest doctor?  He first said Burson, but afterward he said Ione was as near. I wanted to get medical aid for the boy. He said “no.” We then laid Mr. Goins in the machine, proceeded to Ione, drove to the doctor’s office. The doctor was not in. We then went to the school and left him there at the school and the authorities up there sent for Mr. Gall at Jackson.”

  After Goins’ death, the school made sure his funeral was taken care of and even mentioned it in the local papers. Most of the time when other wards died at Preston, their deaths were basically unmentioned.

Many people speculate that Goins was shot with little to no regard for his life, but I believe that was not the case here. Think about it. He had escaped from Preston and was on the run. He was a fugitive who had escaped in the past and who had already made threats that he would not be taken alive again. He had also threatened that anyone who stood in his way would be taken out as well. Kelly was aware of Goins’ past threats. Upon seeing Goins with a hammer that he had retrieved from a shack on the Thornton ranch, Kelly felt that he had to protect his partner, Mr. Hunter.

        Testimony showed that Hunter’s opinion was that Goins wasn’t really that much of a threat to him at all. Hunter claimed that he was too far from Goins for him to have struck him with the hammer and that Goins was running in front of Hunter. From Kelly’s perception, Hunter and Goins seemed close in proximity. In the inquest records testimony, Kelly remained adamant that he didn’t mean to kill Goins. He claimed that he meant only to wound him in order to stop him.  

         Several witnesses claimed that they did see Goins trip and fall just as he reached the fence, meaning one of two things. He was either shot and fell on the fence, or Kelly was telling the truth about Goins fall. Perhaps, he did shoot at him while Goins was in the act of attempting to jump the fence but instead tripped and fell, causing the bullet to penetrate his lower back as opposed to the intended target of hitting him in the leg.

         Testimony of  Dr. A. M. Gall, who examined Goins’ body stated that the bullet  “entered the back, mid-way between the lower rib on the left right side and the upper border of the pelvic bone. Passed through, slightly upward and the exit was about two and one-half inches from the sternum and below the last rib.”

        Sam Goins later died from his wounds, after claiming that it was no fault of anyone involved, other than his own. He was later buried at the cemetery out behind the “Castle.” His story is one that will always cast doubts in many minds. Did Kelly purposely shoot Goins? Or was it just an accident? Did Kelly honestly feel that his partner was in direct danger? Or did he just want to catch Goins by whatever means necessary? We may never truly know."-- Chapter 8. from the book "Behind The Walls" by J'aime Rubio.  (Copyright 2012 - ISBN: 13: 978-1481075046)

The Escape Artist - Robert E. Byrd

Photo: courtesy of the Byrd family

"The story of former Preston ward, Robert E. Byrd started long before his stay at the Preston School of Industry. In fact, to understand why he ended up there at all, one would need to know his back story.  Robert E. Byrd was born on January 8, 1882 to parents Joseph Edgar Byrd and Helen M. Wilder. His father, Joseph, was a Confederate Veteran from New Orleans, LA, while his mother Helen had been brought up the daughter of a farmer and former Union Soldier from Forestville, New York.

As certain as the tales of Romeo and Juliet, it was also obvious that the pair were in love. They even went so far as running away together against Helen’s father’s wishes, later eloping in Covington, Kentucky. Helen’s father did not approve of her marrying a “reb,” as Joseph was from the South while Helen’s family was from the North. After marrying his love, Joseph became a traveling salesman, who represented cotton brokers, publishers and dry goods suppliers to retail stores, while Helen became a seamstress to make ends meet. They traveled a lot during their first years of marriage, going from Louisville, KY, Evansville, IN, and Nashville TN.

In 1881, due to the tiresome life of being a traveling salesman with a family, Edgar Byrd chose to become an entrepreneur by opening a tavern in Florence, AL, hoping to make roots there. Unfortunately, this choice proved more harmful that good. In late December, Edgar Byrd became entangled in a fight with the former Mayor of Florence inside of his own tavern. The fight broke out and took to the street where it ended in a shootout, leaving the former Mayor dead. Although Edgar was indicted for murder, the charges were later dismissed due to “self defense.”  After being subjected to extreme stress, Helen gave birth to Robert two weeks later. Eventually, the family sold the bar and moved their family elsewhere.

  Around 1884, while traveling for work, Robert’s father, all alone in his hotel room, died from malaria. Suddenly, Helen became the sole provider for her children which must have put a strain on her. She eventually moved back to her home county of Chautauqua County, NY. Once there, she bounced from boarding house to rented houses for many years, never being able to give her children the sense of stability she yearned for. After the death of her youngest son William, Robert seemed to have strayed down a path of delinquency. This was more than likely due to the lack of a father figure, unending hurt from the loss of his father and brother and also instability at home.

  By the time Robert was 12 years old, he had been in trouble with the law. In 1894, he was sent to the Burnham Industrial School in Eastern New York State (now the Berkshire Farm School) where wayward boys were taught to farm. He received a rigorous education there, until his release on March 1, 1896. He then when home to Fredonia, NY, only to get arrested again three weeks later. By March 26, he was sentenced to the New York Industrial School near Rochester, N.Y.  For two years he served his time in a manufacturing trade school environment not so different from Preston. By January of 1898, he was paroled into his mother’s care, moving to Buffalo, N.Y.

As the Byrd family story goes, while Robert was working as a clerk in Buffalo, he became “restless.”  He then ran away to California at the young age of 17. Apparently, due to the stories of endless opportunities out west along with the romanticized folklore of the “get rich quick” life during the gold rush, he traveled to the Golden State with dreams of making it big. News accounts of that time period even mentioned that Robert went west “on a wheel,” meaning he rode his bicycle from New York all the way to California. By the fall of that same year, Robert had made it to Gardnerville, Nevada and then onto Reno. After finding himself in trouble once again, Robert sold his bicycle and bought a train ticket to San Francisco.

How Robert E. Byrd Ended Up In Preston (Ward # 416)

       In November of 1899, Robert had made friends with a piano player, Jesse Russell. Eventually the two teamed up and decided to steal a horse and buggy rig in Oakland.  Driving the buggy to Irvington, they stopped to stay at the Irvington Hotel and skipped out on their bill. Leaving the horse and buggy behind, they left on foot onto San Jose down the railroad tracks, more than likely hitching a ride on the train as it rolled by. By the time Robert had made it to San Jose, he stole another horse, this time taking it from a livery. He had played the part of a potential buyer wanting take it for a trial ride with the full intention on purchasing it, however he never returned. He rode that horse all the way to Solano, CA.  He was then apprehended on November 16, 1899, being charged and tried for Grand Larceny in January of 1900 and sent to Preston for three years. 

Within two months of being sent to Preston, Byrd had become an ‘escape artist’, walking out of Preston undetected. He did so by making a false key and opening his way out of the building. Within three days he was captured. Once again in July he attempted to escape only to be caught again. By December, it was reported that Byrd had broken into an officer’s room and stolen his revolver, concealing it for weeks while the officer never noticed his gun was gone. I don’t know about you, but one would think that as an officer at a boy's youth reformatory, how could you not know that your gun was missing for weeks?

That information from the officer makes me think the gun was actually planted in Byrd’s room to get him into trouble. How convenient that one random day, the staff just decided to raid his belongings and discovered the gun and a pack of red pepper. The pepper, they claimed, had been concealed for him to use at a later time in an escape to throw off his scent from any dogs used to chase him. Of course, because of this Byrd was punished severely and kept from being able to write his mother.

Superintendent Hirshberg wrote several letters to Byrd’s mother, claiming to be sincere at helping him and also making sure to reiterate that he “was not” keeping Byrd from writing his mother. Eventually the Superintendent grew tired of Byrd’s shenanigans and the ward was later deemed “wholly incorrigible and rebellious, not amendable to discipline and not fit for detention.” Hirshberg then shipped Byrd off to the Court in Santa Clara where he was sent to jail there for the remainder of his sentence.

What I find interesting is that after his ordeal at Preston, Byrd was never incarcerated again. In fact, he later went on to marry and have children and filed several patents with the Government for inventions he made. Byrd went on to work for and own several manufacturing companies including Pajaro Industries and R. E. Byrd Manufacturing in Erie, PA. Robert had done so well in his business, that in the 1920's his ads were seen published in various editions of Popular Mechanics magazine. During the 1930’s and the height of the Depression, Robert's manufacturing business was doing so well that he had over 150 employees working 3 shifts, 7 days per week. 

Robert’s legacy was then passed down to his sons, grandsons and great-grandchildren, who still  continue to remain in the manufacturing industry as successful entrepreneurs to this day.  Sadly, Robert didn’t live a long life, dying at the age of 48 from congestive heart failure and kidney failure. One good thing that Robert took with him when he left Preston was a trade. Learning how to manufacture the key that he used to escape from Preston, was the catalyst that inspired him later in life to become a manufacturer.

Courtesy of Kevin LeBeaume 

Robert E. Byrd’s experience at Preston was one of infamy as far as his many escapes, but the real legacy he left behind was the value of hard work and skills he acquired at Preston that catapulted his life into one of great success for the rest of his life. "

 --- Chapter 5. From the book. "Behind The Walls: A Historical Exposé of The Preston School of Industry" by Author, J'aime Rubio (Copyright 2012 - ISBN: 13: 978-1481075046)

UPDATE: Last year in 2017, I was contacted by a gentleman by the name of Kevin LaBeaume who discovered a small bird water whistle at an old antique shop that bore Robert Byrd's name on it. As it turns out it was one of many items manufactured by Robert's company the Robert E. Byrd Manufacturing Company of Erie, Pennsylvania back in 1920. I have since been able to get Mr. LaBeaume in contact with Robert's family and I am happy to see that Robert's legacy is still being appreciated even today. 

Edward Rowe & Dan Gillette's Wild Escape From Preston

Preston Castle

If you have read my other blogs about the history of the Preston School of Industry, or if you have purchased a copy of my book "Behind The Walls," then you are aware of the many events that have taken place behind the ominous brick walls of Preston Castle. During my search for more stories to include in my upcoming special edition eBook, I stumbled upon a tale of attempted murder and a wild escape too good to ignore. This particular event took place in 1904, by two very dangerous wards determined to stop at nothing for their chance at freedom. In my latest book, "If These Walls Could Talk: More Preston Castle History," you can read about this story in even more detail.

"April 20, 1904- It was a Wednesday night, at approximately 10:00 p.m. when the night watchman in the boys dormitory upstairs in the Castle appeared for his shift. He hadn't been on duty for more than fifteen minutes when he decided to quickly use the restroom while the boys were supposed to be in bed.  When night watchman J.S. Phillips returned from the bathroom he noticed that two of the wards, Rowe and Gillette, were up at the water fountain (to the right of the door) getting themselves a drink.

Edward Rowe

Before Phillips could even get inside the room and lock the door behind him, one of the boys came up and struck him with a slungshot. They had used a woman's stocking and placed a hard, large rock inside of it and continued to hit Phillips over the head until they knocked him out. The boys then continued to beat on Phillips, kicking him in the head and leaving a deep gash. Had it not been for the rock tearing the hosiery and falling out onto the floor, Phillips may have died from being continually struck by it.

Once the boys had completely incapacitated the watchman, they climbed out the window of the dormitory and down the water pipe alongside the castle's brick walls. Barefoot and in their pajamas, the boys immediately separated upon reaching the outskirts of the Preston property.  Rowe headed out west and was caught the next day near Carbondale, California (which used to be about six miles northwest of Ione). However, Gillette went east towards Jackson, causing a big ruckus along the way.

Dan Gillette

While on the lam, Gillette headed down Ione Road and decided to break into the Cuneo residence. There he stole a change of clothing as well as a shotgun. When he was done scavenging through the Cuneo's personal belongings he then retreated off into the night.

By Friday,when he made it towards Martell's station, it was said that he hid his gun near some iron pipes outside. He then was spotted at the Kennedy Boarding House where he even managed to sneak in a meal, staying undetected as a wanted fugitive.  Perhaps he wanted to fit in with the miners and laborers working at the mine, but Constable Kelly (also spelled Kelley) was hot on his trail, apprehending him just outside the mine without any further bloodshed.

Gillette was then charged with "assault to commit murder" and later taken to Humboldt County on charges for a crime he committed before he had been sentenced to Preston. The authorities as well as the administration at the Preston School of Industry were intent that both Rowe and Gillette not return to the reform school but be sent to the State Penitentiary due to their brutal dispositions."----


TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY BEHIND THE PRESTON SCHOOL OF INDUSTRY
PLEASE CHECK OUT "If These Walls Could Talk"-- now available at Amazon!

(Copyright 2013-2017-- J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com)
Originally published on Dreaming Casually blog (2013)

Sources:
California Prison Records (San Quentin & Folsom Prison Inmate Records)

Amador Ledger (4/22/1904, 4/29/1904)

If These Walls Could Talk: More Preston Castle History -- Book Release

(Copyright: J'aime Rubio)

              My latest book, "If These Walls Could Talk: More Preston Castle History" is now available on Amazon for purchase.  This is a follow up to my original book on the history of the Preston School of Industry, "Behind The Walls." This title includes additional narratives discovered during my continued research of this school's history over several years. Learn about even more dangerous and sometimes deadly events that took place there, as well as some of the sad backstories of young wards sent to Preston because of poor circumstances, not having committed any crime at all. 

(Copyright: J'aime Rubio)

This concise but engaging read covers wild and crazy escapes to tragic accidents and everything in between. Also included are biographical sketches of infamous and famous former wards such as Merle Haggard, Rory Calhoun and Allen Smiley, to a list of former wards who ended up on death row, including the "Red Light Bandit, Caryl Chessman, as well as positive stories that also took place there. This is a must read for any Preston Castle enthusiast! 

I really enjoyed compiling all the stories within this book, as well as interviewing various people who were related to several of the former wards, including Allen Smiley's daughter, Luellen Smiley. She was a fantastic help in retelling her father's backstory, as well as providing me with the genuine copy of her father's court records that showed exactly when he was sent to Preston. 

Sample of my Introduction Page: 

"After publishing my first historical non-fiction book about the Preston School of Industry,  “Behind The Walls,” I had mentioned in the introduction that my work would never be finished. Back then, I had barely scratched the surface of what was hidden deep in Preston Castle’s past. For the last several years I have been continuing my research, publishing and sharing my latest blog “Preston Castle History,” with the world.

I felt that it would be a good idea to combine my latest research into an additional follow-up book to go along with “Behind The Walls.”  In this title, there’s a great collection of short stories of former wards of the school, along with details of what became of them upon leaving Preston.  This book also covers other various incidents that took place on the property involving employees and other Amador County residents that many people are often unaware of.

As I always state, Preston’s history will never be complete, not as long as there are still stories out there waiting to be found and to be told. I hope that with this additional book, you will enjoy learning even more about some of the people who once walked through the doors of one of Amador County’s most beautiful architectural treasures, Preston Castle!" -- from "If These Walls Could Talk: More Preston Castle History" by J'aime Rubio.

TO PURCHASE YOUR COPY OF

 "If These Walls Could Talk: More Preston Castle History" 

(Click Here to be directed to Amazon) 

(Copyright 2017- J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com)

The Lowe Files - What Did They Get Wrong?

First and foremost let me say that out of all the television shows that have been done about Preston, Rob Lowe seemed the most genuine about looking for answers. It is unfortunate though that (a) his team didn't do their research ahead of time properly and (b) the docent at Preston didn't give him the right history of the school (at least the parts that were shown on film).

This blog isn't to bash Lowe or anyone else, but it is to bring up the obvious misinformation that the show promoted. This has been an ongoing issue ever since Zak Bagans from Ghost Adventures started his B.S. (blatant sensationalism) about the school's history. 

Let's start out with some of the facts that were grossly misrepresented:

1. Anna Corbin's Story

For one, Anna Corbin was NOT found in that cubby hole near the kitchen, and I really wish the shows and the docents there would stop telling people the wrong information!

Both myself and historian John Lafferty have spoken about this before, and all records and witness statements show that she was found in the larger room across the hall. The room that has the plunge bath/disinfecting pool in it was the room in which she was found. In 1950, that room was used as a storage area and that is where her body was found, in a corner covered by carpet. Her office was literally adjacent to the room she was found in. 

Another thing I would like to ask is why does every show primarily focus on Anna? The administration building was open from 1894-1960, that is a long time. A lot of history took place there, good and bad. Why focus on one story over and over, when there are literally dozens upon dozens more they could have talked about? Her murderer was known, although he was acquitted. Technically, from a "legal" standpoint it is considered "unsolved," even if the evidence and common sense tells us he was guilty of the crime. Despite the fact that justice was never served for her death, the facts speak for themselves in her case as well as the other two murders he was responsible for. I just wish people would take the time to research the facts. And furthermore, why not let Anna rest in peace for once?

2. No Deaths of Spanish Influenza

During my research on Preston, I found one newspaper account reporting the first case of Spanish Flu at the school. This took place in January of 1919. It was a staff member, not a ward. Prior to that, there had been no instance of the epidemic because they had been under strict quarantine at the school to keep everyone healthy.  Historian John Lafferty was kind enough to send me more information from that particular time period (1918-1920) which was a cited source from Kenyon J. Scudder, who was the Psychological Examiner and Vocational Director at Preston during that time. His account states not one single person died from the Spanish Flu at Preston. Although many became ill, "half of the officers, and a third of the wards"; However, absolutely no one died from Spanish Flu at Preston.  In fact, this illness brought all the staff and wards together, because many of the wards who didn't get sick, helped take care of the school and were given even more responsibilities to keep things running smoothly until the epidemic passed. 

Another note, during 1918, 1919 and 1920, the time period that Spanish Flu was at its worst, the population of the town of Ione didn't even seem to change much. I went through all the records from the local cemeteries in Ione, and records show that only 12 burials took place in 1918, 15 in 1919 and 12 in 1920. Even then, we are uncertain if the flu played any factor in those deaths. The population in 1920 was 900 for both North and South Ione combined, so as you can see, the Spanish Flu didn't affect Ione quite as much as some may assume.


3. "Preston Republic" Facts

The "self governance" idea was to allow the boys who had a better attitude and intelligence level to be given more freedoms. There was a strict guideline the school followed, even with their "Republic". Not all boys were allowed to be in the groups of self-government. Many had to be monitored by officers of the school and if you were getting into trouble you would be in the "Disciplinary" group and if you didn't obey in that group you would end up in solitary confinement. They had a strict regimented system and various levels you had to move up to. If you did not, you would be demoted. 

Did some boys like to take over the groups? Yes, that is why they would segregate boys based on their personalities. If you had a follower mentality, or a leader mentality it would determine which groups you might be assigned to. The honor cottages were for the best behaved boys that were ready for parole, and working towards finishing their trade school training so they could find employment outside of Preston upon each one's release. 

The way that the docent made that part seem was like how the saying goes : "the inmates were running the asylum," and that just wasn't the case.  Preston may have had its times where they were strict, and then their times when they were more relaxed on things, but the school never allowed the wards to "take over." Yes, there was bullying, and incidents happened because of it, but the school was not taken over by self-governing wards.

For the record, there were three deaths of wards that I could find who died from gunshot wounds while "escaping", and two of the three were NOT on the Preston School grounds. Herman Huber was the ONLY boy shot and killed while trying to run away (escape) on the property, and that was in 1911. There is other stories of wards escaping, or attempting to escape, one of which a boy attacked a guard and was shot and killed, too, but he did not run away. He was trying to kill a guard and the guard shot him in self-defense. There were multiple escapes where the wards were not harmed.

Herman Huber was shot during his escape, and ward, Ernest Reed, who was paroled shortly after came before the Governor and told him that the guard, Jefferson French shot Huber wantonly. Nothing was done about it in the end, and the guard was exonerated. There were rumors that because of the "credit system" implemented there, that older wards who were just about to parole would "fake escape" and have the younger wards snitch on them in order to get enough credits to be released early. 

In order to leave Preston before the age of 21 you had to earn about 6,000-7,000 credits. From the moment you were there you had to earn a certain amount of credits a day to stay on track; However, those who snitched on escapees would automatically earn enough credits for an early release as a sort of reward for helping the school.  If you told on an escapee you would earn all  your credits in one shot, which would guarantee an early release. Also, the Preston School of Industry's Biennial Reports mention this "system" still going on well into 1918. 

To learn more about this please read "Behind The Walls." 


4. No Indian Burial Ground

According to research, Preston was built on top of of the remains of an ancient Miwok Village, but there has been no evidence that the castle was built on any type of "burial ground." Another thing to remember, the stories of ghosts and spirits haunting locations happen all over the world, so the idea that places are haunted because of an "indian burial ground" is about as far fetched as a Stephen King plot. (No offense Mr. King, I like your work!)

But really, come on...what about all the haunted "castles" in Europe? What about all the haunted places around the entire globe? Where are the "native burial grounds" there? There have been so many people living all over the world, that if we were to know where every single person had died or was buried we would be scared to build anywhere. Let's be realistic here. 

In ending, the information pushed as fact on the recent premiere of the Lowe Files was just about as fabricated as a Hollywood movie plot. The true accounts of events that took place at the Preston School of Industry are much more interesting than any made up story that Hollywood could conjure up, yet unfortunately it seems that no one in the film industry is interested in facts, just sensationalism. Such a shame.


(Copyright 2017 - J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com) 

Information from Historian John Lafferty: 
(Kenyon J. Scudder, Between the Dark and the Daylight; Berkeley: Univ. of Calif., 1972, )

Was Eugene Monroe a Serial Killer?

Eugene Monroe

I have often pondered the thought that Eugene Monroe, the man accused of murdering Anna Corbin in 1950, at the Preston School of Industry may have actually been a serial killer. For those of you unfamiliar with Monroe or the fact that he was the prime suspect in three murders (one of which he was convicted), there were just too many similarities in the three cases for me to ignore.

This blog is to give you a little more background information on just who Eugene Monroe was and what sorts of crimes he was accused of and/or convicted.  It will also be a way for you to connect all the dots and make the decision on your own in regards to his guilt or innocence.

Eugene Monroe was born on January 31, 1931 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I am unsure when his mother died, but I could not find any mention of her in any records. It appears that he may have been removed from his home at an early age, as the 1940 Census in Taft, Muskogee County, Oklahoma lists Monroe as an inmate at the Institution for Deaf, Blind and Orphans. At this point he was only nine years old, and records indicate the highest level of education he had up to that point was 2nd grade.

According to newspaper accounts, as an young man Monroe had lived with his step-father whose last name was Jefferson, and Monroe went by the alias "Eugene Jefferson" at different times. I cannot confirm this for certain, but I believe that more than likely Monroe's biological father was not in the picture, and perhaps after his mother remarried to Mr. Jefferson, she may have passed away, thus the reason he would have been sent to an orphanage. Maybe upon his release from the orphanage he reached out to his step-father who took him in? There really is no way to know as of yet, for lack of records. What I can tell you for certain is that Eugene Monroe lived in both Tulsa, Oklahoma and Los Angeles during his lifetime.

By the mid to late 1940's Monroe ended up in Los Angeles, and going by the alias Eugene Jefferson. This is when I think he was living with his step-father. It was on July 18, 1947, when a young honor student by the name of Vesta Belle Sapenter was found raped and murdered in her upstairs bedroom, that Monroe was held on suspicion of murder. She had been sexually assaulted and choked with a thin hemp cord tightened around her neck. After questioning another young man who had walked Vesta home from school earlier that day, and given the time frame of Vesta's murder and the statement by Vesta's brother that Monroe was at the house at the time of her death, investigators were certain they had their man.

"Monroe, delivering furniture to the Sapenter home, talked to the girl’s younger brother and asked to use the bathroom, according to Coppage. While the brother remained outside, Monroe went upstairs, he said, and came back down. He asked the boy where his sister was and was told, that she was upstairs.

The suspect, according to police, said he had not seen her. The brother and Monroe then re-entered the house and found her bedroom door locked. This was broken down and the body discovered. Coppage declared. The slain girl had been keeping house for her father and brother and was hanging curtains when the murderer entered the room, the police officer declared.

Monroe, who was using his step-father’s last name at the time, was questioned but later released, Coppage said, since there no witnesses to the crime nor could evidence be corroborated. The knot that was tied in a rope around the young girl’s neck was also the same type of knot that was in the rope around Mrs. Corbin’s neck, investigators said. The knot had been pulled up tight behind the left ear in both cases, it was reported. Coppage declared today, “I am certain this boy did the job, but we were just never able to prove it. He was the only one in the house at the time and had ample time to commit the act.”--- Youth Quizzed In L.A. Slaying

Unfortunately, because of lack of evidence and no other witnesses besides Vesta's little brother putting Monroe at the scene, the D.A. didn't pursue the case and let him go.  It wasn't very long before Monroe found himself in trouble again, this time arrested on burglary charges. It was then that he was sentenced to the Preston School of Industry to serve his time.

The school at that point, under the supervision of Robert V. Chandler was under minimum security regulations, which he felt gave the wards a feel of a proper rehabilitation program and less of an institutional or prison like atmosphere. The only problem with that was that many of the wards there were violent offenders and should not have been able to be roaming the grounds of the school like some of the other non-violent wards. Eugene Monroe was known at the school for his violent temper and when in isolation he was known to tear up his cell, including his mattress and even ripped a pipe off the wall in one instance. He also was known for self mutilation, scratching his own face to the point that it left visible scars.


On February 23, 1950, one of the housekeepers, Lillian Lee McDowall and her ward helper, Robert Hall discovered the brutally murdered body of Anna Corbin, the head housekeeper. She had been attacked in her office and dragged into the storage room area which is where the disinfecting plunge bath is located. At the time that room was used for storage and the pool had been boarded over.  Her murderer had strangled her with a thin hemp cord, but there was a vicious struggle. Items in the room had been knocked over, showing that she fought to the very end. Sadly, in a moment of vicious rage Anna was thrown to the concrete floor where she suffered a fatal blow to the head, fracturing her skull. Her autopsy showed no sign of rape, although it was very apparent that her murderer had tried, as her undergarments were down around her ankles and there was shoe polish on them from her assailants shoes rubbing against them during the struggle. She was then dragged to the corner of the room and rolls of carpet were placed to conceal her body.

The whole ordeal concerning the investigation leading up to Monroe's arrest was enough to make any one's head spin. I have so much research on this case that it would be impossible for me to put everything in this blog. Perhaps I will write more on this subject later, but to summarize, the school was literally put on lock down while each and every person, inmate and employee were questioned. The Berkeley Police Department's lie detector expert, A. Riedel came to help in the man hunt for Anna's murderer.

Sheriff Lucot sat in with each and every session, as one by one, each ward came into an office, was hooked to the lie detector machine and grilled tirelessly searching for answers. According to the records there were originally three boys that the authorities initially suspected based on the fact their stories didn't check out and they all failed their lie detector tests. After more intensive grilling that proved Monroe had lied and also showed investigators his ill-temper, witness statements that put Monroe within 200 feet of Anna's office at the time of the murder, the fact that blood was found on Monroe's shoes and belt, and the fact the staff found his clothes in the incinerator, there was enough to officially charge him.

Another thing to note was the testimony of William J. Mercer.  You see, Mercer made claims that he saw Monroe strike Mrs. Corbin in her office but he ran off and did not witness the murder. He claimed that Monroe attacked her because she had witnessed them engaging in a homosexual act and she said she was going to report them. Although Mercer recanted his statement at the preliminary hearing, he later claimed at the trial that Monroe's attorney, Nathaniel S. Colley had threatened to have him killed if he didn't change his story. Mercer then recanted the story at the time out of fear that  Monroe's friends would "take care of him" after he got out, as told to him by Colley at the Amador County Jail. In the end it was his conscience that got the best of Mercer, so he risked everything to tell what he claimed to be the truth at the trial and admitting that his original statement was in fact true. Whether or not the jury believed he was credible was anyone's guess,  but Mercer was adamant that the only reason he lied was out of fear.

Officially charged for the murder of Anna Corbin on March 3, 1950, the first trial was in April, where a jury comprised of five women and seven men could not reach a verdict in the case. This upset the community, and the D.A. scheduled the second trial to take place in June. That also ended in a hung jury with the jurors voting 11 for conviction and 1 innocent. At that point Monroe's attorney, Nathaniel S. Colley requested that the third trial be moved out of Amador County and into Sacramento, which was allowed. The third trial ended in an acquittal for Monroe, and injustice done to the memory Anna Corbin's life.

Preston Murder Case Jury Disagrees

Jackson, April 29.-The jury trying Eugene Monroe, 19, Preston School of Industry inmate, for the murder of a school housekeeper reported itself hopelessly deadlocked late last night and was discharged by Superior Judge Ralph McGee. The jurors received the case at 3:10 pm yesterday but spent little more than two hours in actual deliberations before reporting they were deadlocked at 8 to 4 for conviction at 10:49 pm. Much of the time was spent in recess as they awaited the arrived of requested trial testimony from Placerville, where it had been sent for transcription. Monroe, who pleaded innocent, went to trial Monday on charges he beat and strangled to death the school’s head housekeeper, Mrs. Anna Corbin, in a storeroom last February 23. District Attorney Gard Chisholm said today he would try the case again.”---- Oakland Tribune, 4/29/1950

Third Trial Likely For Slaying Suspect

Jackson, June 19 –Prosecution attorneys say they “definitely” plan to try 19 year old Eugene Monroe for a third time on charges that he murdered a housekeeper at the Preston School of Industry last Feb. 23. Monroe’s second trial ended in a deadlock when the jury reported it was unable to reach a decision and was dismissed by Superior Judge Ralph McGee. At the time the jurors stood 11 to 1 for conviction. The first trial last April also ended in a hung jury.”----Press Democrat, 6/20/1950

Acquits Monroe

Sacramento, Oct 19. --Eugene Monroe’s third trial on charges of slaying a state reformatory school housekeeper ended in his acquittal today. The 19 year old Los Angeles youth was cleared of the death of Mrs. Anna Corbin, 53, by a jury of four women and eight men after two hours deliberation. His two previous trials, both in Amador County, ended in deadlocked juries. Mrs. Corbin was found beaten to death last February 23 at the Preston School of Industry at Ione. Monroe was an inmate there.”----San Bernardino County, 10/20/1950

After being acquitted for the murder charge, Monroe was paroled to Oklahoma to live with his aunt in Tulsa.  From the time of his release in late October of 1950 up until July of 1951, Monroe had been arrested four times on sexual perversion charges. It was while awaiting his day in court on one of those sexual perversion charges that he was caught slipping notes to fellow cell mates bragging about getting away with murder. Who was he bragging about? Could it have been the fact he managed to get through three trials in California only to be acquitted for one woman's murder, or was he bragging about the newest unsolved murder in Tulsa? Or could he have bragged about both?

All it took was questioning him about the note and running his fingerprints through the FBI database to find out his prints matched those found on the venetian blinds that came from the home of a recent unsolved murder of a young pregnant woman. Dorothy Waldrop's body was discovered on a grassy knoll near the apartment complex in which she and her husband lived. She had been brutally raped and strangled with a dirty handkerchief found knotted around her throat. After 11 hours of questioning Monroe confessed to the murder, but based on the circumstances of the crime, Judge W. Lee Johnson ordered that he face a trial by jury, for sentencing purposes.  During the trial there were 13 witnesses for the prosecution who came forward claiming that Monroe had confessed to the killing. The defense had no witnesses. Monroe was found guilty of Dorothy's murder.  Although he was spared the death penalty, he was sentenced to life in prison.

“Youth, Freed of Preston Killing, Confesses Murdering Woman

Eugene Monroe, 20, acquitted last October of the strangulation slaying of the head housekeeper at Preston School of Industry, confessed last night to another strangulation murder. Monroe, once linked to still another unsolved garroting, made his confession in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after he was hailed into the district court on a sex perversion charge. Police were informed while questioning him that his fingerprints matched those on a window shade in the apartment of an expectant mother, Mrs. Dorothy Waldrop, 22, who was found raped and strangled with a handkerchief on a nearby hilltop June 25.”--- Oakland Tribune, July 28, 1951

Records also indicate that he would also later be charged with an armed robbery at an Oklahoma City theater that had taken place prior to his arrest, where he received a 35 years sentence for that conviction, although he only served a total of 29 years in the Oklahoma prison system all together. During the 1970's he requested to be paroled but that request was denied. 

Eugene Monroe was sent to the state penitentiary in Oklahoma from April 25, 1952 to August 14, 1981, when he was paroled. He lived in Tulsa for a while but eventually moved back to Los Angeles and went M.I.A. in the ODOC system.  His last three residences were listed within Los Angeles County. Since he was listed on "inactive parole," eventually an officer within the ODOC started investigating Monroe's whereabouts and located his name on the Social Security Death Index. Monroe passed away on October 3, 2007. 

In conclusion, although Eugene Monroe denied having killed Vesta Sapenter and Anna Corbin initially, there is no way to know that he didn't brag about it while he was in jail later on. Witnesses claimed he did brag about getting away with murder, including Dorothy Waldrop's death. It is a known fact that if you are acquitted of murder, even if you brag about committing the act later on, you cannot be charged for the same crime twice due to Double Jeopardy laws. Perhaps his attorney told him about that, because it wasn't until after his acquittal that Monroe seemed to have become a bit too arrogant and mouthy which ultimately got him caught.

Although Dorothy and her unborn child received justice by way of Monroe's conviction, Vesta and Anna's deaths will forever remain officially "unsolved" and thus the justice for these two beautiful souls remains just out of our reach. I have researched all three cases meticulously and I truly believe that Monroe murdered all three of these women. Looking at all three cases, the M.O. was the same. Vesta Sapenter was raped and strangled, Dorothy Waldrop was raped and strangled. In Anna Corbin's case it was obvious by physical evidence left on her that her murderer had pulled down her undergarments in order to assault her, but Anna fought back. I don't think the perpetrator was expecting that, and I believe that is why she ended up beaten as well as strangled. Vesta was only 17 when she was murdered, and perhaps she was physically overpowered easier than Anna, who although she was older, was a tough lady and as her diary stated she "didn't scare easy." No, she was ready for a fight if it was going to come her way, and she did fight. Dorothy, being pregnant, I believe she was so scared for the safety of her unborn child that she was overpowered out of fear of her murderer punching or kicking her in the stomach.

I was physically attacked many years ago when I was pregnant with my second child. My stalker broke through the front door of my house and attacked me. I was scared for the life of my unborn child as well as my three-year old son who was clenching onto my leg for dear life, so I defended myself the best I could, but I was terrified that I might get kicked or punched in the stomach, which thankfully didn't happen.  I can see how Dorothy must have felt being attacked in such a fragile state, and to top it off, she was raped, which is way worse than just being physically attacked.

All three victims were strangled in the very same way, two of the three being choked with the same type of cord, while Dorothy was strangled with a dirty handkerchief. All three were knotted in the same way. Now you tell me these murders are all just coincidence? I don't think so. Whether or not you believe Eugene Monroe killed these women is entirely up to you, but if he did, who is to say he didn't kill more women, and he just never got caught? It is very possible that Eugene Monroe was a serial killer, and I for one believe that to be the case.  I am sure Vesta, Anna and Dorothy would have agreed, too.

LET US NEVER FORGET THE VICTIMS:   

VESTA SAPENTER, ANNA CORBIN & DOROTHY WALDROP (and her unborn child)

(Copyright 2017 -- J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com)

Photos of Vesta Sapenter and Anna Corbin (c/o archived newspaper clippings)
Photo of Dorothy Waldrop's grave (c/o Cameron Herrell @ Find-a-grave)

Some of my many sources:
Pittsburgh Courier (7/26/1947; 8/2/1947)
1947 Project- Larry Harnisch
Public Records
1940 Census
Stockton Record, 2/24/1950
Oakland Tribune, 3/9/1950;4/29/1950;7/28/1951
Press Democrat 6/20/1950
San Bernardino County 10/20/1950
Odessa American 1/11/1952
Albany Democrat Herald 7/28/1951
Fresno Bee 4/25/1952
Records from the ODOC
Social Security Death Index
California Death Records, etc.

Preston School of Industry Ward Index 1913-1914

In the years that I have been researching and writing about the history of the Preston School of Industry, I have had the opportunity to compile a complete ward list from the years 1894-1914.  I went through a lengthy database of wards in the CYA Archives, which was originally combined with three schools: The Whittier School, Preston School of Industry and The Ventura Reform School. After sifting through each list from A to Z, I was able to filter out the names, year of admission, school and ward I.D. number in order to accurately list the wards chronologically as they entered the school. As a result, you see this list which goes from ward # 1 to ward # 2692.

State Archives database records via the Secretary of State were missing ward's names and I.D. numbers here and there, but this is the most accurate and most  complete list I could provide given the records available. I have not been able to go past 1914, but hopefully sometime in the future I can do more research on the ward lists and add to it. As of now, the list is complete as of the opening day of Preston in 1894 up until the closing of the year of 1914. 

Several years ago I printed and shipped a copy of this index to the Preston Castle Foundation as a gift. Since it's been a few years, I felt that it would be beneficial for everyone if I made that list that I compiled available to the public via my blog, that way everyone has the chance to look into it, especially if they may be looking for a relative who may have been at Preston during those years.

PRESTON SCHOOL OF INDUSTRY 

WARD LIST  1913-1914

Fourth List

1913

Maddock	Raymond	2003	Preston	1913
Kreiss	Henry H.	2004	Preston	1913
Ball	Muriel	2005	Preston	1913
Cormell	Fred	2006	Preston	1913
Summers	Richard	2007	Preston	1913
Scoville	Abner	2008	Preston	1913
Robera	Molista	2009	Preston	1913
Smith	John A.	2010	Preston	1913
Tuchs	Alfred	2011	Preston	1913
Whalen	Allen	2012	Preston	1913
Egan	Paul	2013	Preston	1913
Kraker	Leo	2014	Preston	1913
Kearns	Henry	2015	Preston	1913
Robles	Eddie	2016	Preston	1913
Nelson	William K.	2017	Preston	1913
Gibbons	Philip	2018	Preston	1913
Cox	Maynard	2019	Preston	1913
Jorgenson	Melvin	2020	Preston	1913
Mulcahy	Joseph	2021	Preston	1913
Olsen	Frank	2022	Preston	1913
Sheffield	Fred	2023	Preston	1913
Smith	Charles	2024	Preston	1913
Johnson	Leslie	2025	Preston	1913
Wong	Doug	2026	Preston	1913
Shafter	Jack	2027	Preston	1913
Westwood	Charles	2028	Preston	1913
Miguel	Joe	2029	Preston	1913
McKeil	Byron	2030	Preston	1913
Reinhardt	Henry	2031	Preston	1913
Miller	John	2032	Preston	1913
Silva, Jr.	Frank	2033	Preston	1913
Hartman	Thomas	2034	Preston	1913
Baldwin	Wesley	2035	Preston	1913
Rivers	Dewey	2036	Preston	1913
Fritz	Theodore	2037	Preston	1913
Juarez	Joe	2038	Preston	1913
Scott	Harry A.	2039	Preston	1913
Harling	Harry	2040	Preston	1913
Marcum	Stanley	2041	Preston	1913
Dallas	Donald	2042	Preston	1913
Sherwood	Norman	2043	Preston	1913
Tobash	Joseph	2044	Preston	1913
Patter	James	2045	Preston	1913
Carroll	Orion	2046	Preston	1913
Carter	Frank	2047	Preston	1913
Graham	Valentine	2048	Preston	1913
Smtih	Doni	2049	Preston	1913
Todd	George J.	2050	Preston	1913
Enneking	Raymond	2051	Preston	1913
Alkire	Tosdel	2052	Preston	1913
Kruse	Robert	2053	Preston	1913
Johnson	Frank	2054	Preston	1913
Arkie	Fred	2055	Preston	1913
Osif	Enos	2056	Preston	1913
Martinez	Frank	2057	Preston	1913
Mayer	Bernard C.	2058	Preston	1913
Hart	William	2059	Preston	1913
Petersen	Arthur	2060	Preston	1913
Graham	Richard	2061	Preston	1913
Bishop	Frederick	2062	Preston	1913
Diedrich, Jr.	Emil	2063	Preston	1913
Edminson	Henry V.	2064	Preston	1913
Cockburn	David	2065	Preston	1913
Manson	James	2066	Preston	1913
Kenney	Clarence	2067	Preston	1913
Cowles	Lloyd	2068	Preston	1913
Gallaway	Robert L.	2069	Preston	1913
Tisara	Manuel	2070	Preston	1913
Hoffman	Roy	2071	Preston	1913
Gehagan	Walter	2072	Preston	1913
Figg	Frank M.	2073	Preston	1913
Kirkpatrick	Graham H.	2074	Preston	1913
Jessen	Walter	2075	Preston	1913
Cadera	Manuel	2076	Preston	1913
Castilla	Peter	2077	Preston	1913
Navarro	Charles	2078	Preston	1913
Crane	Sidney	2079	Preston	1913
Mellus	Lloyd	2080	Preston	1913
Stevenson	Walter	2081	Preston	1913
Chene	William	2082	Preston	1913
Castillo	Albert	2083	Preston	1913
Dickson	Edward	2084	Preston	1913
Brown	Mortie	2085	Preston	1913
Conley	Leo	2086	Preston	1913
Asbury	Richard	2087	Preston	1913
Balluff	John	2088	Preston	1913
Becks	George	2089	Preston	1913
Bergsland	Fred	2090	Preston	1913
Bonner	Theo	2091	Preston	1913
Broady	William	2092	Preston	1913
Bynum	James	2093	Preston	1913
Carter	Byron	2094	Preston	1913
Case	Hershel	2095	Preston	1913
Cook	John C.	2096	Preston	1913
Cordova	Paul/Raul	2097	Preston	1913
Cosby	Raynard	2098	Preston	1913
Crawford	Harold	2099	Preston	1913
Creary	Gaston	2100	Preston	1913
Crist	Eddie	2101	Preston	1913
Danne	Ernst A.	2102	Preston	1913
Devlin	Raymond	2103	Preston	1913
Doerner	Clarence	2104	Preston	1913
Farrell	Paul	2105	Preston	1913
Globenfelt	Alex	2106	Preston	1913
Globenfelt	William	2107	Preston	1913
Gonzales	Joe	2108	Preston	1913
Gotch	Leo	2109	Preston	1913
Happy	Arthur	2110	Preston	1913
Harley	Glen	2111	Preston	1913
Holborrow	Ralph	2112	Preston	1913
Houston	Jesse	2113	Preston	1913
Jenkins	Lonnie	2114	Preston	1913
Knighton	William A.	2115	Preston	1913
Kozak	Oscar	2116	Preston	1913
Laughlin	Leo	2117	Preston	1913
Lewis	Dick	2118	Preston	1913
Licon	Ralph	2119	Preston	1913
Martindale	Charles	2120	Preston	1913
Marsden	John	2121	Preston	1913
Marshall	Raymond C.	2122	Preston	1913
Marsiglia	Gaspard	2123	Preston	1913
Mason	Carroll	2124	Preston	1913
Massey	Eugene	2125	Preston	1913
Miller	John	2126	Preston	1913
Mitas	Frank	2127	Preston	1913
Nelson	George	2128	Preston	1913
Nephew	Christopher	2129	Preston	1913
Nolan	Gressie	2130	Preston	1913
O'Ree	Charles	2131	Preston	1913
Padilla	Gregory	2132	Preston	1913
Pinkston	Jesse	2133	Preston	1913
Prunzel	Charles	2134	Preston	1913
Rameriz	Ernesta	2135	Preston	1913
Rampe	Herold	2136	Preston	1913
Ray	Arthur	2137	Preston	1913
Richardson	Frank	2138	Preston	1913
Robinson	Hildred	2139	Preston	1913
Rowe	Meredeth	2140	Preston	1913
Schieber	Dwight	2141	Preston	1913
Schleppy	Charles J.	2142	Preston	1913
Seagoe	William	2143	Preston	1913
Sepulveda	Charles	2144	Preston	1913
Skenoni	Rocca	2145	Preston	1913
Sorfe	Leo	2146	Preston	1913
Sorrell	Henry	2147	Preston	1913
Tami	Frank	2148	Preston	1913
Taylor	John	2149	Preston	1913
Utter	Clyde	2150	Preston	1913
White	Earl	2152	Preston	1913
Woollery	George N.	2153	Preston	1913
Reid	Alonzo	2154	Preston	1913
Stefani	Pietra	2155	Preston	1913
White	Claude	2156	Preston	1913
Harris	Daniel F.	2157	Preston	1913
Cole	Ernest W.	2158	Preston	1913
Cooper	Clarence	2159	Preston	1913
Escobar	John	2160	Preston	1913
Hill	Lawrence	2161	Preston	1913
Kinnard	James	2162	Preston	1913
Shepherd	Raymond	2163	Preston	1913
Arbiso	Gilbert	2164	Preston	1913
Anderson	Emil	2166	Preston	1913
Worden	Olin	2167	Preston	1913
Baldwin	Pablo	2168	Preston	1913
Beier	Edgar P.	2169	Preston	1913
Belardi	Marcus	2170	Preston	1913
Carter	Douglas	2171	Preston	1913
Deussen	Harry	2172	Preston	1913
Fickle	Alvey	2173	Preston	1913
Florez	Bectra	2174	Preston	1913
Ghyst	Herman	2175	Preston	1913
Hill	Elmer	2176	Preston	1913
Neilson	Robert S.	2177	Preston	1913
Ross	Claud	2178	Preston	1913
Tillman	Frank	2179	Preston	1913
Baines	Frank W.	2180	Preston	1913
Christensen	Hans	2181	Preston	1913
Davis	John B.	2182	Preston	1913
Gastalum	Salvadore	2183	Preston	1913
Gonzales	Donata	2184	Preston	1913
Hall	Grover	2185	Preston	1913
Heikle	Joe	2186	Preston	1913
Holgati	Daniel S.	2187	Preston	1913
Madera	Gabriel	2188	Preston	1913
McConulogue	William	2189	Preston	1913
Ronca	Louis	2190	Preston	1913
Rubidoux	Adolph	2191	Preston	1913
Yoeman	Melvin	2192	Preston	1913
Deering	John	2193	Preston	1913
Klegerman	Samuel	2194	Preston	1913
Roberts	Joseph	2195	Preston	1913
Sheppard	Calvin	2196	Preston	1913
Hill	Harry N.	2197	Preston	1913
Ortiz	Augustine	2198	Preston	1913
Ball	Everett	2199	Preston	1913
Brown	Tony	2200	Preston	1913
Basile	Frank	2201	Preston	1913
Johnson	Paul	2202	Preston	1913
Guinn	Everett	2203	Preston	1913
Christofferson	William	2204	Preston	1913
Lee	Soon	2205	Preston	1913
Bawden	John H.	2206	Preston	1913
Willis	William A.	2207	Preston	1913
Lopshire	Roy L.	2208	Preston	1913
Hoffman	Victor	2209	Preston	1913
Hollingsworth	Lee	2210	Preston	1913
Fetters	Otto	2211	Preston	1913
McLean	Roland	2212	Preston	1913
Montgomery	Frank	2213	Preston	1913
Dooley	Otis	2214	Preston	1913
Bennett	William	2215	Preston	1913
Lindsey	Chester S.	2216	Preston	1913
Spann	R. L.	2217	Preston	1913
Campbell	Harry	2218	Preston	1913
Abbott	Leland	2219	Preston	1913
Cardoza	Anthony	2220	Preston	1913
Howard	Kenneth	2221	Preston	1913
Carney	Roy	2222	Preston	1913
Pilgrim	Wilbur D.	2223	Preston	1913
Rannecker	Edward	2224	Preston	1913
Nattress	Harry	2225	Preston	1913
Dempsey	Timothy	2226	Preston	1913
Wilson	Albert	2227	Preston	1913
Curran	John	2228	Preston	1913
Davis	Bonnie	2229	Preston	1913
Gulley	Eston	2230	Preston	1913
Rangel	Nazaria	2231	Preston	1913
Crane	John	2232	Preston	1913
White	Goerge	2233	Preston	1913
St. Arnold	Fred	2234	Preston	1913
Arcich	Sam	2235	Preston	1913
Farnham	Roy T.	2236	Preston	1913
Reifenstein	Edmond	2237	Preston	1913
Die	Fred	2238	Preston	1913
Paul	William	2239	Preston	1913
Souza	Tony	2240	Preston	1913
Young	Melvin D.	2241	Preston	1913
Agular	Jose	2242	Preston	1913
Cruz	Faustina	2243	Preston	1913
Hillman	Harry	2244	Preston	1913
Fowler	Raymond	2245	Preston	1913
Galli	Cadilla	2246	Preston	1913
Guptill	Lloyd	2247	Preston	1913
Wong	Willie	2248	Preston	1913
Ash	Percy	2249	Preston	1913
Baker	William	2250	Preston	1913
Hart	Gerald	2251	Preston	1913
Nelson	R. E.	2252	Preston	1913
Rosales	Theodore	2253	Preston	1913
Stockell	Walter	2254	Preston	1913
Carrere	Paul	2255	Preston	1913
Folsom	William	2256	Preston	1913
Crist	Walter	2257	Preston	1913
Wilson	Allen V.	2258	Preston	1913
Britt	Ralph	2259	Preston	1913
Benedetti	Ernest	2260	Preston	1913
Mann	Richard	2261	Preston	1913
Garland	Glen R. H.	2262	Preston	1913
Allen	Lloyd	2263	Preston	1913
Dersch	William	2264	Preston	1913
Allenwood	Charley	2265	Preston	1913
Engell	Warren N.	2266	Preston	1913
Davis	William W.	2267	Preston	1913
Charters	Richard	2268	Preston	1913
Lucas	James E.	2269	Preston	1913
Donahue	Louis	2270	Preston	1913
Boehle	Wilbert	2271	Preston	1913
Cabral	Manuel	2272	Preston	1913
Alvarado	James	2274	Preston	1913
Breck	John	2275	Preston	1913
Brashear	George	2276	Preston	1913
Gainor	George	2277	Preston	1913
Hecht	Frank	2278	Preston	1913
McKeowen	Andrew	2279	Preston	1913
Ricketts	William	2280	Preston	1913
Ellisaldo	Frank	2281	Preston	1913
Jffland	Clark	2282	Preston	1913
Weaver	Oscar	2283	Preston	1913
Walker	George B.	2284	Preston	1913
McCloud	Chester	2285	Preston	1913
Lerned	Allan	2286	Preston	1913
Honnell	George	2287	Preston	1913
Frantz	William	2288	Preston	1913
Sanford	Joe	2289	Preston	1913
Murphy	Edmund	2290	Preston	1913
Erickson	Charles	2291	Preston	1913
Morese	Lester	2292	Preston	1913
Michaelis	Walter	2293	Preston	1913
Saylor	Thomas	2294	Preston	1913
Harris	Nathan	2295	Preston	1913
Smith	William	2296	Preston	1913
Wismer	Everett	2297	Preston	1913
Brooks	Clinton	2298	Preston	1913
Brooks	Oscar	2299	Preston	1913
Johnson	Frank	2300	Preston	1913
Stephenson	Wallace	2301	Preston	1913
Taylor	Gilbert	2302	Preston	1913
Smith	Elmer	2303	Preston	1913
Fries	Henry H.	2304	Preston	1913
Kohl	William	2305	Preston	1913
Bruce	Robert	2306	Preston	1913
Cole	Charles	2307	Preston	1913
Geil	Edwin	2308	Preston	1913
Myers	Ora	2309	Preston	1913
Alguin	Philip	2310	Preston	1913
Watson	James	2311	Preston	1913
Porter	Clyde M.	2312	Preston	1913
George	Karl	2313	Preston	1913
Poncin	Edward	2314	Preston	1913
Semmers	Morris	2315	Preston	1913
Sullivan	Geroge	2316	Preston	1913
Prosser	Raymond	2317	Preston	1913
Whitcher	Charles	2318	Preston	1913
Hamilton	Herman	2319	Preston	1913
Weber	Phillip	2320	Preston	1913
McNally	Fred	2321	Preston	1913
Peterson	Garfield	2322	Preston	1913
Larsen	Alfred	2323	Preston	1913
Reichler	Isreal	2324	Preston	1913
Beatty	John W.	2325	Preston	1913
Reed	Mervin C.	2326	Preston	1913
Stratton	Elmer	2327	Preston	1913
Rutherford	Thomas B.	2328	Preston	1913
Whittcher	Harold	2329	Preston	1913
Marsiglia	Vincent	2330	Preston	1913
Lima	Manuel	2331	Preston	1913
Grant	John H.	2332	Preston	1913
Davis	Robert W.	2333	Preston	1913
Parsons	Ernest	2334	Preston	1913
McCarty	Clyde	2335	Preston	1913
Tonke	Harry	2336	Preston	1913
Miller	Louis	2337	Preston	1913
Geiger	Anthony L.	2338	Preston	1913
Gibsen	Raymond	2339	Preston	1913
Denman	Howard	2340	Preston	1913
Prinzivalle	Vito	2341	Preston	1913
Hayes	Charles	2342	Preston	1913
Ebel	George	2343	Preston	1913
Ebel	Henry	2344	Preston	1913
Cantrell	Claude	2345	Preston	1913
Goodin	Obie	2346	Preston	1913
Newman	Archie	2347	Preston	1913
Seymour	Melvin	2348	Preston	1913
Fritsche	Curt	2349	Preston	1913
Brown	Everett	2350	Preston	1913
Peckering	Byron	2351	Preston	1913
Ellsworth	Raymond	2352	Preston	1913
Abonisia	Louis	2353	Preston	1913
Campbell	Ernest	2354	Preston	1913
Franchesa	Alfred	2355	Preston	1913
Hyde	Roy	2356	Preston	1913
Rector	Elvert	2357	Preston	1913
Stafford	Christopher	2358	Preston	1913
Warner	Benjamin	2359	Preston	1913
Raymond	Edward	2360	Preston	1913
Jacob	Harold	2361	Preston	1913
Mayntzer	Walter	2362	Preston	1913
Boyington	Arnold	2363	Preston	1913
Stephenson	Dean	2364	Preston	1913
Zappi	Elfred M.	2365	Preston	1913
Hoge	Frank W.	2366	Preston	1913
Orosco	John	2367	Preston	1913
Stein	Gustan	2368	Preston	1913
Eitel	Russel	2369	Preston	1913
Davidson	Harold	2370	Preston	1913
Ortiz	Miguel G.	2371	Preston	1913
Williams	George W.	2372	Preston	1913
Hellmer	George	2373	Preston	1913
Weaver	Charles	2374	Preston	1913
Clementz	Fred	2375	Preston	1913
Sanguinetti	Nicholas	2376	Preston	1913
Garnett	Jack	2377	Preston	1913
McDonald	Albert S.	2378	Preston	1913
Price	Fred	2379	Preston	1913
Elvin	Florie	2380	Preston	1913
Holden	David	2381	Preston	1913
Fahey	Joseph	2382	Preston	1913
Temple	George	2383	Preston	1913
Teller	George	2384	Preston	1913
Ingling	Percy	2385	Preston	1913
Willis	George	2386	Preston	1913
Pina	Cruz	2387	Preston	1913
Kelley	Frank T.	2388	Preston	1913
Armstron	Willie	2389	Preston	1913
Schmid	Albert	2390	Preston	1913
Smith	Harry	2391	Preston	1913
Acton	Frank	2392	Preston	1913
Hole	William	2393	Preston	1913
Nelander	Theodore	2394	Preston	1913
Dias	Manuel S.	2395	Preston	1913
McCarthy	James	2396	Preston	1913
Wing	Henry	2397	Preston	1913
Cesena	Doris	2398	Preston	1913
Rossi	James	2399	Preston	1913
Ransom	Harry	2400	Preston	1913
Jearon	Enrique	2401	Preston	1913
Jaquay	Willard C.	2402	Preston	1913
Hoyt	George	2403	Preston	1913
Grover	Charles	2404	Preston	1913
Olsen	Eugene	2405	Preston	1913
Beasley	Ward	2406	Preston	1913
Kriedewiess	Elmer	2407	Preston	1913
Abilez	Nash	2408	Preston	1913
Oxley	Merritt	2409	Preston	1913
Shaw	Benjamin	2410	Preston	1913
Harris	Clarence E.	2411	Preston	1913
Herman	Jermino	2412	Preston	1913
Luga	Frank	2413	Preston	1913
Smith	Thomas	2414	Preston	1913
Abbit	William	2415	Preston	1913
Hortman	Clyde	2416	Preston	1913
Sinclair	Earl	2417	Preston	1913
Bern	Peter F.	2418	Preston	1913
Kuhn	Walter	2419	Preston	1913
Pontet	Richard	2420	Preston	1913
Medbury	Gordan	2421	Preston	1913
Motta	Frank J.	2422	Preston	1913
Sparks	Ray	2423	Preston	1913
Manduca	John	2424	Preston	1913
Adamson	B. J. W.	2425	Preston	1913
Jones	Frank	2426	Preston	1913
Barnard	William	2427	Preston	1913
Green	Roy	2428	Preston	1913
Noble	Glen	2429	Preston	1913
Smythe	Alfred E.	2430	Preston	1913
Johnson	Robert	2431	Preston	1913
King	Blaine	2432	Preston	1913
Gomez	Joseph	2434	Preston	1913
Apec	Arthur	2435	Preston	1913
Harper	James	2436	Preston	1913
Christensen	Chris	2437	Preston	1913
Hinkle	Lloyd	2438	Preston	1913
Baxter	Ned L.	2439	Preston	1913
Joseph	Peter	2440	Preston	1913
Severns	Merle	2441	Preston	1913
Schmidling	Arthur	2442	Preston	1913
Maderias	Joseph	2443	Preston	1913

1914

Burlinggame	Wycoff	2444	Preston	1914
Miller	Walker	2445	Preston	1914
Howell	Earl	2446	Preston	1914
Cohen	Valdo	2447	Preston	1914
Burrone	Bruno	2448	Preston	1914
Hastings	Roy	2449	Preston	1914
Marshall	Edgar	2450	Preston	1914
Crumley	Bryan	2451	Preston	1914
Decker	William	2452	Preston	1914
Doughty	Vernon	2453	Preston	1914
Miller	Peter	2454	Preston	1914
Weber	Philip	2455	Preston	1914
Jessup	Sanford	2456	Preston	1914
Sabine	Frank	2457	Preston	1914
Britton	Eastland	2458	Preston	1914
Cook	Millard	2459	Preston	1914
Mumford	Gaddy	2460	Preston	1914
Harrison	Merwin	2461	Preston	1914
Wordin	Olin	2462	Preston	1914
Lattin	Charles C.	2463	Preston	1914
Beckman	George	2464	Preston	1914
Gregg	James	2465	Preston	1914
Tillery	Oscar	2466	Preston	1914
Carwich	James	2467	Preston	1914
Mayo	Frank	2468	Preston	1914
Doyle	Joseph	2469	Preston	1914
Palacio	Jose	2470	Preston	1914
Waller	Lloyd	2471	Preston	1914
Spates	William	2472	Preston	1914
McGee	Prescott	2473	Preston	1914
Tuota	Joseph	2474	Preston	1914
Molina	John	2475	Preston	1914
Hunt	Charles	2476	Preston	1914
Joseph	William	2477	Preston	1914
Juarez	Luis	2478	Preston	1914
Hecker	Henry	2479	Preston	1914
Gray	John W.	2480	Preston	1914
Erickson	James	2481	Preston	1914
Hale	Newell	2482	Preston	1914
Hinks	Frank E.	2483	Preston	1914
Miller	Joe	2484	Preston	1914
Bankson	Hale	2485	Preston	1914
Johnson	Ray	2486	Preston	1914
Young	Clyde	2487	Preston	1914
Robinson	Joshua	2488	Preston	1914
Macken	James	2489	Preston	1914
Dunlop	Earl	2490	Preston	1914
Parker	Louis	2491	Preston	1914
Becks	George	2492	Preston	1914
Leftwnch	Oliver	2493	Preston	1914
Lovett	Cornelius	2494	Preston	1914
Utter	Clyde	2495	Preston	1914
Arnold	Ralph W.	2496	Preston	1914
Davis	Ray	2497	Preston	1914
Dooly	Otis	2498	Preston	1914
Holden	David	2499	Preston	1914
Kageler	Marvin	2501	Preston	1914
Rampe	Herold	2502	Preston	1914
Mangan	Thomas	2503	Preston	1914
Bevans	Fred	2504	Preston	1914
Smith	Edgar	2505	Preston	1914
Hulbert	Paul E.	2506	Preston	1914
Loniga	John	2507	Preston	1914
Ramos	Thomas	2508	Preston	1914
Honeycutt	Clarence	2509	Preston	1914
King	Speed	2510	Preston	1914
Appleton	Harold	2511	Preston	1914
McGinn	Frank	2512	Preston	1914
Tillson	Warren	2513	Preston	1914
Landers	Drew	2514	Preston	1914
Newbold	William	2515	Preston	1914
Aranda	Rafael	2516	Preston	1914
Thompson	William G.	2517	Preston	1914
Moore	Arvil	2518	Preston	1914
O'Connell	Cornelius	2519	Preston	1914
Desser	Joseph	2520	Preston	1914
Gribble	John H.	2521	Preston	1914
Mudge	Burton	2522	Preston	1914
Kearns	Henry	2523	Preston	1914
Souza	Tony	2524	Preston	1914
Copy	Frank	2525	Preston	1914
Forrester	Earl	2526	Preston	1914
Crowe	Edward	2527	Preston	1914
Hayden	Arthur	2528	Preston	1914
Johnson	Raymond	2529	Preston	1914
McLeish	Charles B.	2530	Preston	1914
Nolan	Gressie	2531	Preston	1914
Stewart	Marion	2532	Preston	1914
Weber	Albert	2533	Preston	1914
Carrillo	Andronica	2534	Preston	1914
Sprague	Leland B.	2535	Preston	1914
Major	Melvin	2536	Preston	1914
Anderson	Robert M.	2537	Preston	1914
Ingerman	Fred	2538	Preston	1914
Thurman	Louis	2539	Preston	1914
Steele	Charles	2540	Preston	1914
Holmes	George	2541	Preston	1914
Evans	Yanci	2542	Preston	1914
Stevens	Walter	2543	Preston	1914
Moore	Sidney	2544	Preston	1914
Rice	William	2545	Preston	1914
Ponchetta	Manuel	2546	Preston	1914
Swan	Clifford	2547	Preston	1914
Martinez	Juan	2548	Preston	1914
Jackson	Charles	2549	Preston	1914
Squires	Harry	2550	Preston	1914
Zita	Albino	2551	Preston	1914
Thomas	Joe	2552	Preston	1914
Ames	Dan	2553	Preston	1914
Ferrant	Joe	2554	Preston	1914
Nunez	Charles	2555	Preston	1914
Brown	Tommy	2557	Preston	1914
Dolen	John	2558	Preston	1914
Meyling	Christian	2559	Preston	1914
Ernest	Wood	2561	Preston	1914
Goldner	Maurice H.	2562	Preston	1914
Hundra	Albert	2563	Preston	1914
Pryor	Dale	2564	Preston	1914
Mora	Juan	2565	Preston	1914
Derruan	Maurice	2566	Preston	1914
Durney	John	2567	Preston	1914
Parsons	Leslie	2568	Preston	1914
Cordori	Bennett	2569	Preston	1914
Tribon	George	2570	Preston	1914
Murray	Alfred	2571	Preston	1914
Conley	Charles	2572	Preston	1914
Hill	Frank C.	2573	Preston	1914
Tenenbaum	Morris	2574	Preston	1914
Placencia	Geraldo	2575	Preston	1914
Kartangen	Mesak	2576	Preston	1914
Cole	Lue F.	2577	Preston	1914
Frame	Thomas	2578	Preston	1914
Adams	Paul	2579	Preston	1914
Richards	Albert	2580	Preston	1914
Wittman	Peter	2581	Preston	1914
Lallech	George	2582	Preston	1914
Karri	John	2583	Preston	1914
Gardner	Barry	2584	Preston	1914
Cardona	John	2585	Preston	1914
Broner	Charles	2586	Preston	1914
Batista	Ross	2587	Preston	1914
Lopez	Achiling	2588	Preston	1914
Fitzgerald	Beyrl	2589	Preston	1914
Brooks	James	2590	Preston	1914
Forkner	Henry	2591	Preston	1914
Berg	Adolph	2592	Preston	1914
Garrison	Charles	2593	Preston	1914
Schaefer	Lawrence	2594	Preston	1914
Dolan	Michael	2595	Preston	1914
Noland	Emerson	2596	Preston	1914
Peppers	Paul	2597	Preston	1914
Jones	Fred	2598	Preston	1914
Rheinor	Theodore	2599	Preston	1914
Ryan	John	2600	Preston	1914
Fragulia	Mario	2601	Preston	1914
McCoubry	Frank	2602	Preston	1914
Souza	Joseph J.	2603	Preston	1914
White	Garner	2604	Preston	1914
Hinks	Frank E.	2605	Preston	1914
Freytag	Gerhart	2606	Preston	1914
Connor	Enos	2607	Preston	1914
Stall	Dewey G.	2608	Preston	1914
Cota	Alphonsa	2609	Preston	1914
Lopshire	Roy L.	2610	Preston	1914
Saunders	Earl	2611	Preston	1914
Dorr	Edward	2612	Preston	1914
Lolmaugh	Lawrence	2613	Preston	1914
Peterson	Frank	2614	Preston	1914
Sherman	George	2615	Preston	1914
Carboni	Angela	2616	Preston	1914
Padilla	Francisca	2617	Preston	1914
Burrone	Bruno	2618	Preston	1914
Griffin	Leslie	2619	Preston	1914
Hunter	Jessie	2620	Preston	1914
Chicino	Arturo	2621	Preston	1914
Walker	Edward	2622	Preston	1914
Norton	T. Thomas	2623	Preston	1914
Lapierre	Edgar	2624	Preston	1914
Lemmon	Albert	2625	Preston	1914
Allender	Barber	2626	Preston	1914
Chapman	William	2627	Preston	1914
St. Ballard	George	2628	Preston	1914
Morse	John L.	2629	Preston	1914
Walsh	C. M.	2630	Preston	1914
Dodge	Allen	2631	Preston	1914
Norton	Edwin	2632	Preston	1914
Brunette	Joe	2633	Preston	1914
Bann	Tony W.	2634	Preston	1914
Christiansen	Chris	2635	Preston	1914
Landri	Joseph	2636	Preston	1914
Reese	Howard	2637	Preston	1914
Hickman	William	2638	Preston	1914
Fong	Lee	2639	Preston	1914
Chaboya	John	2640	Preston	1914
Lamkin	Frank	2641	Preston	1914
Hampton	Roy E.	2642	Preston	1914
Kennel	Louis W.	2643	Preston	1914
Emburly	William	2644	Preston	1914
Dunson	Clay	2645	Preston	1914
Cantrell	Claude	2646	Preston	1914
Howell	W. Earl	2647	Preston	1914
Russell	Henry	2648	Preston	1914
Abbott	Weston	2649	Preston	1914
Chacon	Lue	2650	Preston	1914
Hidmeger	Charles	2651	Preston	1914
Emigh	Lee	2652	Preston	1914
McCollum	Willis	2653	Preston	1914
Poyorena	Pilar	2654	Preston	1914
Osborne	John	2655	Preston	1914
Stephens	Robert	2656	Preston	1914
Landers	Drew	2657	Preston	1914
Brown	Fred	2658	Preston	1914
Lopez	Frank	2659	Preston	1914
Cassidy	Hansford	2660	Preston	1914
Cassidy	Percy	2661	Preston	1914
Brooks	Charles	2662	Preston	1914
Mayo	Frank	2663	Preston	1914
Rayford	Exell	2664	Preston	1914
Burnette	William	2665	Preston	1914
Rodoni	Bennie	2666	Preston	1914
Dane	harry	2667	Preston	1914
Murphy	Allen	2668	Preston	1914
Shubin	Efem	2669	Preston	1914
McDonald	Matthew	2670	Preston	1914
Meadows	Howard	2671	Preston	1914
Raines	William	2672	Preston	1914
Lockett	Joseph B.	2673	Preston	1914
Stalker	Merrill	2674	Preston	1914
Distefano	John	2675	Preston	1914
Wood	John M.	2676	Preston	1914
Betham	Paul	2677	Preston	1914
Capra	Ernest	2678	Preston	1914
Madeiros	Manuel	2679	Preston	1914
Keeley	Jesse	2680	Preston	1914
Teabil	Louie G.	2681	Preston	1914
Reynolds	Fred	2682	Preston	1914
Delehanty	Walter	2683	Preston	1914
Weber	Jack	2684	Preston	1914
Wright	Robert	2685	Preston	1914
Burnette	Alonzo	2686	Preston	1914
Conklin	Frank	2687	Preston	1914
Crawford	Roy	2688	Preston	1914
Waters	Homer	2689	Preston	1914
Wotilla	Ivan	2690	Preston	1914
Hoffman	Henry	2692	Preston	1914
Miranda	Ralph	2693	Preston	1914
Lee	Jim	2694	Preston	1914
Rios	Marcella	2695	Preston	1914
Luce	Barnard	2696	Preston	1914

(copyright 2013 - J'aime Rubio)
compiled by J'aime Rubio,
from California Youth Authority archived records, State of California.