When the legal eagles came to roost

JERRY PERSON

Those of you, who have followed the past year of high-profile trials

and of high-priced attorneys will enjoy this week’s column.

Many of us grew up watching the antics of Perry Mason and Ben

Matlock.

Our courtroom drama to took place here in Huntington Beach in

1941. Orange County was largely unpopulated and illegal gambling was

rampant at the time. To combat those gambling dens, Orange County

Sheriff Jesse Elliott and his men made several raids.

It was on Sept. 14, 1941 that Elliott and his men raided the

Meadowlark Country Club’s stable barn and arrested four men for

running a tango game -- a type of bingo game that was popular at the

time. Arrested at the scene were its operator, Robert Murphy, and

three of his pit boys, Russell Cooley, Donald Hatch and Glenn Hatch.

The four were taken to jail in Huntington Beach, and later

appeared before Judge Chris Pann’s justice court where they all

pleaded not guilty. Judge Pann set Nov. 5 for the start of their jury

trial.

Murphy had claimed that the game was to raise funds to benefit

churches, lodges, organizations and the Santa Ana Hobby House for

underprivileged boys. He claimed to have paid $3,000 to Sheriff’s

Deputy Walter Tipton, head of Hobby House.

Tipton denied that he ever received any money and filed a

complaint against Murphy.

A big-time Los Angeles criminal attorney, Brigham Rose, was

brought in to represent the Hatch boys. Former Orange County Dist.

Atty. S.B. “Soppy” Kaufman would represent Murphy. Since Cooley was

in the Army, he was not present at the trial.

More than 30 Huntington Beach residents were impaneled on Pann’s

jury.

Murphy is said to have told the court that he had numerous

receipts paid out to unnamed public officials for protection money.

Sheriff Elliott, Sheriff’s Deputy Tipton, Undersheriff Robert

Sandon, attorney Otto Jacobs, Elmer Sullivan and Robert Walker were

all subpoenaed for the trial.

Because the large crowd, Judge Pann moved his courtroom to the

City Council chambers for the trial.

For most of that first day, Rose questioned the 30 prospective

jurors.

One question he queried the jurors was if they were familiar with

the names of Bill Gleason, Ballard Barron, Ed Turner, Ray Faust or

Clarence Blaizer, all alleged to have gambling interests in our area.

Another question put to the jurors by Rose was if it would affect

their business or standing in the community if public officials were

involved.

From those 30 residents, 12 were picked to hear the case.

Among those 12 were Inez Orton, Anna Jacobs, Mrs. Paul Cochems,

Marian Jackson, M.J. Porter, Clyde Frampton, Virginia Preston,

Caroline Hunter, Daisy Richardson, Mrs. Roy Honnell and Pearl

Cartwright.

Deputy Dist. Atty. John Colwell would be the attorney for the

prosecution.

The trial would become interesting when Kaufman withdrew from the

case and big-time lawyer W. Maxwell Blake of Santa Ana was brought in

to defend Murphy.

During the trial, it was brought out that Colwell was Blake’s

stepson. During noon recess, the alternate juror, Mrs. Harry Groves,

suffered a heart attack and was excused from service.

The prosecution called several witnesses to the stand, including

Mayme Wood. After she testified and left the stand for the anteroom,

she collapsed from a heart condition.

Each time Bailiff Ben Dulaney ushered in someone to the courtroom,

Rose would turn around and stare wildly at the newcomer. The ruthless

and sadistic Los Angeles attorney gave the afternoon witnesses a

rather unhappy time before Judge Pann recessed for the day.

The next day, Colwell requested a dismissal for the Hatch boys for

lack of evidence. This left the Rose without clients and so he went

back to Los Angeles.

The threatened exposure of public officials by Murphy failed to

come about. Murphy’s attorney did not call any defense witnesses to

the stand and it was time for the jury to render a verdict. It took

only 20 minutes for the jury to reach a verdict of guilty.

Judge Pann fined Murphy $300.

A customary motion to appeal was made by the defense, but for all

purposes, the show was over and the two big-shot attorneys returned

to their home cities without fame and little fortune in their

pockets.

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box

7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.