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Order Number	00042660
Title	Display of pistols, view 3
Collection ID	Security Pacific National Bank Collection
Location/Accession	Crime and criminals.; G-001-557.3 4X5
Date	Circa 1931
Physical Description	1 photographic print :b&w
Notes	Title supplied by cataloger.
Description	View 3: Photograph shows a display of seven pistols, apparently impounded by the police and taken into evidence in the double-homicide case of newspaper reporter, Herbert E. Spencer and Los Angeles politician, Charles H. Crawford. It is likely that one of the weapons pictured fired the fatal bullets, which were coated with a "luballoy" composition, the base of which was copper. Three of these weapons: a.32- caliber automatic, a.38-caliber revolver, and a 45-caliber revolver belonged to Charles Crawford. Charles H. Crawford (1879-1931), nicknamed "The Gray Wolf" and "Good Time", Charlie was a kingpin politician and key player in what was known as the "City Hall Gang" or "The System", a low-profile but all-powerful syndicate that ran the gambling, prostitution, and bootlegging rackets in Los Angeles. By mid-1930s, Crawford's empire had begun to crumble and had had too many close brushes with the law. He sought legitimacy by opening an insurance and real estate office in Hollywood and also funded a periodical magazine called "Critic of Critics", operated by newspaperman Herbert E. Spencer. It was at this office building, that on May 20, 1931 both men were fatally shot. David H. Clark, known to the press as "Debonair Dave" or "Handsome Dave", a former deputy District Attorney and candidate for Municipal Judge, turned himself in to the police and admitted that he had shot Crawford and Spencer. At his trial, Clark testified that both killings were in self-defense. Eleven of the 12 jurors disagreed, and voted to acquit Clark. Interesting note: In 1936, Charles Crawford's widow hired Juan Carlos Rodriguez to design the historic "Crossroads of the World", and had it built on the site where her husband was shot.
Subject	Courthouses--California--Los Angeles. Firearms--California--Los Angeles. Pistols--California--Los Angeles. Crime--California--Los Angeles.
Format	Photographic prints
Reproduction Information	Images available for reproduction and use. Please see the Ordering & Use page at http://tessa.lapl.org/OrderingUse.html for additional information.
Sub-Collection Name	Security Pacific National Bank Photo Collection