Wednesday, July 25, 2018

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)



Saturday, July 14, 2018

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. 





Tuesday, March 27, 2018

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)

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

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.


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

Thursday, August 3, 2017

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, )




Tuesday, August 1, 2017

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.


Sunday, June 4, 2017

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.