◆ SpookStack

~ Tar Theft. ~ starts Lite % Crimes: EDITORS : NOTE” “con! assmgg, who” entered Son :Quentin's death row July 3,, 1948, has his eighth date with’ death in the gas chamber Fri- | r day, 114%, years later, What's the background of the bizarre cost? What are ifs most omaz- ing highlights? Here in o two- port series are some of fhe answers. Sy HAROLD V. STREETER SAN QUENTIN (2) — In 1937, when the United States was shaking off the effects of a depression, a 16-year-old boy's theft of a, car in Glendaie, drew no: attention beyond. a routine police report. it happened all the time. — : But this particular car theft was tne beginning of ese ta fantastic criminal case. “ ‘The thief was Caryl Whit: hessman. j le 6 Lawyers Used Now.38, his last date with death in the gas. chamber yas postponed Oct. 21, 1959, ny the Supreme Court of the United States. “The con- demned marauder of Los Angeles Jovers’ lanes has: Beaten off seven-execution “dates. ° . Gone ‘through a half daz- en Jawyers, some’ who said the case had.dragged on for. so long they couldn't stick ven in death. row under | tier | Stealing. a .: CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 three wazdeis, _ Clinton Duffy, Harley ). Teets, and Fred R. Dicksqh. Done so wellfwith ‘his writ- ing that he’s’ made more than $150,000 in royalties. . He Flees Chino Transferred to Chino, he Been dunned for back. escaped in 1943 and plunged taxes “dn income acquired in the death house. » Had his first bogk — “Cell 2455, Death Row" —~ - made into a movie. Baffled a prison system peared to guard against it by smuggling out “manu- scripts of two more, “Trial by Ordeal” and “The-Face of Justice.” ve Cars became a penchant with him. Before Ke could be brought into’ court for that first Glendale car theft, he stole another. He was sent to a juvenile forestry camp. . Camp Escape Told He escaped and resumed Sent to «Preston School of Industry, he was paroled after eight months and stole another car. A year more in Preston, then parole, and again a car. thelt. He served three imonths, was released, then got into big trouble:- In February, 1941, when he was 19, Chessman was arrested with two other youths on charges which in- cluded attempted murder. A guilty plea to three armed Lo ee neal ara fe into robbery ang car theft. Another fouit years in prison, then parple in 1947, preceded the l6vers’ Jane terrorism of January, 1948. On the night of Jan. 22 | | | | | Hy of. that year, Mary Alice — ‘Meza, 17, was parked in a car with a young man in an isolated spot. A car's red spotlight flashed sud- dently in their startled faces. Slaying Threat Reported The gunman said he would kill them unless the girl came with him. He re- peated the threat to her out -in the darkness when she protested against demands she perform an act of sex perversion. Only when the gun was pressed against her did she comply. The gunman then forced the girl to disrobe and made a brutal abnormal sexual at- tack on her.. Chessman was convicted in the Mary Alice Meza - case and also of a similar crime against another young woman. The visla- tion under California’s Lit- tle Lindbergh Jaw was held to be kidnaping for robbery in which there is bodily robberies sent him te San § harm. This is punishable (Continued Next Page, Col. $){Quentin under schtence of { > 16° years to lifes" by the death penalty." > Joa DIEGO EVENING TRIBU SAN DIBGO,CALIPORNIA PTWAL EDITION jo17-50 _ “RE: CARYL CHESSMAN * INFO. CONCERNING