The Laughing Gorilla: A True Story of Police Corruption and Murder

  “7 officers file report on extra cash,” San Francisco Chronicle, July 6, 1936, p. 6.

  “Sex murderer scoffs at prospect of death,” “Tells how he slew 3,” (photo caption)” Claiming he is ready to go to the gas chamber, Harry Gordon, seaman, yesterday told to all who would listen how he murdered three women,” San Francisco Examiner, June 10, 1940, p. 4.

  “Shannon likely to face three charges today,” San Francisco Chronicle, May 5, 1936, p. 8.

  “Shannon fired: Brouders faces sentence in jail,” San Francisco Chronicle, May 19, 1936, p. 8.

  “Shannon dickers with U.S. to pay up income taxes,” San Francisco Chronicle, May 22, 1936, p. 1.

  “Shaw dead? Well, no—” The great playwright comments on San Francisco, San Francisco Chronicle, March 3, 1936, p. 4.

  “Six more officers shifted; Shakeup hits Quinn aids,” San Francisco Chronicle, June 11, 1936, p. 1.

  “Special duty men returned to beats in police shakeup,” San Francisco Chronicle, June 10, 1936, p. 1.

  “Steel on Bay Bridge 84 percent completed, span work progresses,” San Francisco Chronicle, June 8, 1936, p. 1.

  “Supervisors, trying Egan, refuse to quash charges; new murder motive cited,” San Francisco Examiner, June 11, 1932, p. 1.

  “Take police chief out of politics,” San Francisco Chronicle, May 11, 1936, p. 1.

  “Tell alls, ‘dumb’ police will vie as inquiry resumes,” San Francisco Chronicle, May 23, 1936, p. 1.

  “Testimony in graft trial locked up to prevent tampering,” San Francisco Chronicle, June 22, 1936, p. 1.

  “This is how I killed Mrs. Rice,” San Francisco News-Call, March 12, 1936, p. 8.

  “‘This is how I killed the Bulgarian,’ says slayer Selz, re-enacts murder. San Francisco News-Call, March 12, p. 1.

  “Three more cops seal lips,” San Francisco Chronicle, May 16, 1936, p. 1.

  “3 police captains shifted by Dullea; Mailliard quits,” San Francisco Examiner, February 16, 1940, p. 1.

  “Three S. F. police jailed for burglary: Tables turned, officers jailed,” San Francisco Chronicle, May 8, 1936, pp. 1, 8.

  “Tries 4 cops; Lemon, Hoertkorn go from jail for hearing, pair face Jury today,” San Francisco Chronicle, July 1, 1936, p. 1.

  “Two captains defy quiz, Copeland bares $35,000, San Francisco Chronicle, May 12, 1936, p. 1.

  “Two ex-felons in Egan case hunted,” San Francisco Examiner, May 6, 1932, p. 8.

  “Two officers defy Jury’s graft probe,” San Francisco Chronicle, May 5, 1936, p. 1.

  “2 new policies in Egan’s name,” San Francisco Examiner, May 12, 1932, p. 1.

  “Two $100,000 officers revealed in graft inquiry, Forgarty admits forgetting $16,000 item,” San Francisco Chronicle, May 28, 1936, p. 1.

  “Veteran officer murdered at Pier 28,” San Francisco Chronicle, April 29, 1930, p. 2.

  “Wobber-McGovern combine will outst Chief Quinn today!” San Francisco Chronicle , February 15, 1940, p. 1.

  “Woman curses jury, slayer lauds counsel,” [Farrington conviction] San Francisco Chronicle, September 10, 1930, p. 1.

  “Woman says Egan used her as tool in looting estate,” San Francisco Examiner, June 13, 1932, p. 1.

  “W. P. Wobber named to police board,” San Francisco Chronicle, February 10, 1940, p. 1.

  WEBSITES AND OTHER SOURCES

  Conversation between Dullea and Chief Quinn based on William J. Quinn’s remarks in an open letter to True Detective Mysteries Magazine, 1931.

  Earle Leonard Nelson Biography. http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/history/earle_nelson/7.html

  The Frank Egan Case, 1932. Mullen, Kevin. City website.

  The Virtual Archives of San Francisco. The Modern San Francisco Police Department 1920-1940. http://www.sfmuseum.org/sfpd/sfpd5.htm

  Index

  Page numbers in italic indicate figures; those followed by “n” indicate notes.

  actors portraying gorillas

  “Adonis Killer”See also Fell, Slipton

  Ahern, Frank

  Alberts, George W.

  Albondante, Nick and Lady

  Alcatraz

  alcohol impact on

  Gorilla Man

  Slipton Fell

  Allen, Ruby

  Allen, William

  Altken, Robert

  anatomists

  Andrassy, Edward (victim) . See also Kingsbury Run Butcher

  Andrassy, Helen

  Anselmi, Albert

  Anthony, Joseph (victim)

  anthropometry

  antiunion, antireform stance of Quinn

  Arbuckle, Roscoe “Fatty”

  Armstrong, Jack

  Atherton, Edwin Newton

  Atorthy, Maureen (victim)

  Atwood, Charles

  autopsies, attraction to . See also Bay Hotel autopsy murder; Hotel Irwin autopsy murder

  Bailey. H.

  “Baily’s beads”

  Baker, Rosetta (victim)

  Ballagher, Florence. See Polillo, Florence Sawdey (victim)

  Barbini, Dan

  Barkley, Marie

  “Baronovich, Michael”See also Fell, Slipton

  Barrows, George

  Bartlett, Al

  Batista, Santo

  Bay Bridge

  Bay Hotel. See also Bay Hotel autopsy murder

  Bay Hotel autopsy murder. See also Fell, Slipton autopsy (first) of victim

  autopsy (second) of victim

  Bette Coffin (victim)

  blood, lack of

  cause of death

  drug connection

  Francis LaTulipe and

  Hotel Irwin autopsy murder similarities

  luggage, missing

  motive

  “Mr. & Mrs. Meyers”

  press coverage of

  Ramon Lee Hughes (suspect)

  razor used in murder

  sailor as suspect

  Slipton Fell and

  Beale, Laura (victim)

  “Beast, the”

  Beatty, Clyde

  Beery, Wallace

  Bell, Anthony J.

  Bemis, O’Bryan

  Bengley, George

  Beobachters

  Berard, Mrs. John (victim)

  Berger, Adolphus A.

  Berkeley’s Scientific Police Department

  Bernstein, Herman

  Berta, George

  Bertillon, Alphonse

  “big ape”

  Birdsall. J.

  Black, Alma E.

  Blackwell, Michael

  Blaczensky, Otto

  Blanquie

  Bledsoe, Anthony

  “Blight, Mrs.”

  blind pig

  bloating of skin

  blood

  “Bloody Thursday”

  blowflies

  Blusinky, William

  Boberg, Joseph

  Bosworth, Allan R.

  Bowers, Mrs. Walter

  Boyd, Harold

  Brady, Matt

  Brehmer, Oscar K.

  Brereton, George

  “Bridge of Sighs”

  Bridges, Harry

  Brier, Royce

  Britt, M. L. “Jimmy”

  Bromfield, John and Davenport

  Broniscoe, Mrs. L. C.

  Brooker, Ray

  Brooks, Virginia (victim)

  Brouders, Joseph

  Brown, Harry

  Brown, Mike

  Brown, Page

  Brownell, Don Carlos

  Browning. A.

  bruising of throat and strangulation

  Brundage, Albert Harrison

  Brunton, Mott Q.

  Bucchiers, Louis

  Buck, Frank

  Bulletin

  Bunner, Stephen

  buoyancy of a corpse

  Bureau of Identification

  Burke, Tom

  Burkhard, George

  “Burly Lothario”See also Fell, Slipton

  Bu
rns, Frank

  Burns, William J.

  Busch, Margaritha

  Caen, Herb

  Call-Bulletin

  Calvert, Steve

  Campanello, Genaro

  Campbell, Alice “Princess”

  Campbell. M.

  Campbell, Jim

  Capone, Al “Scarface”

  Carlson, Theodore

  Casey, Jim

  Casey, John

  Champ, The (film)

  Chandler, G.

  Chandler, Irene (Mrs. Robert E. McCarthy) . See also Hotel Irwin autopsy murder

  Charing Cross Station (London)

  Cheeley, Louis

  Cherborough, Raoul Louis

  “Chicken Freak”

  China Basin

  Christal, Ed

  Christison, Sir Robert

  Civil Identification Section (FBI)

  Claussen, Chris

  Cleveland (Ohio). See also Kingsbury Run Butcher

  Clock Tower

  Clucky, Genevieve (Genevieve Montgomery “Jean”) (victim)

  Cockroff, Marjorie

  Coffin, Al “The Mouse” (Ernest Coffin)

  Coffin, Bette (victim) . See also Bay Hotel autopsy murder

  Coffin, Mr. and Mrs. Wellington

  Coffin, Otis Leonard

  Coffman, Al

  Coffman, Bette. See Coffin, Bette (victim)

  Coghlan, Nate

  Coleman, Jim

  Coleman, Tommy

  Collins, John

  Colonna, Charles

  command structure of SFPD

  Connelly, Harry

  Cook, Edward J.

  Cook, Florence (victim)

  Cook, Fred (Corporal)

  Cook, Jesse B.

  Coolidge, Calvin (President)

  Coombs

  Cooper, Jackie

  Copeland, Ed

  copycats of Gorilla Man. See also Gorilla Men

  Cornelius

  Corporate Securities Act

  Corrasa, Al

  Corrigan, Ray “Crash”

  corruption within SFPD. See also Dullea, Charles W. (Captain of Police Inspectors); Egan, Frank J. (public defender); Quinn, William J. (Chief of Police); White Mask Gang Charles Dullea and

  graft and extortion investigation

  listening device (Dictaphone) in jury room

  Oliver Hassing “Dutchman of Richmond Station”

  Rum Bribery Investigations

  William Quinn and

  Costello, Lou

  Cotter, William

  Cotton, A. R. (Judge)

  Counderakis, Nick

  Cousins, Blanche

  Crabbe, Buster

  Craven, Catherine

  Creighton, Walter

  Crocker, Templeton

  Crosby, William

  Cubitt, Florence “the Flying Nudist”

  Cummings, Elmer

  Curry, John A. (Chief of Police)

  Damyn, Charles

  Dana, Paul

  Danahy, Pete

  “Dark Strangler”See also Gorilla Man

  Darren, Mrs. Burton

  D’Ascanio, David “Human Gorilla”

  Daugherty, Harry A. (Attorney General)

  Davis, Bette. See Coffin, Bette (victim)

  Davis, Flo. See Polillo, Florence Sawdey (victim)

  Davis, John

  Dawson, Jimmy

  DeGuire, Art

  Dematteis, Louis

  Dennis, Mrs. Joseph

  Department of Justice (DOJ)

  Department of the Interior

  Depression times

  Desmond, Michael

  de Young, Mike

  Dictionary of American Slang

  Dictograph wire taps

  Diefendorf, Fred

  Dietrich, Marlene

  Dill, Marshall

  Dillinger, John

  Dills, Clara P.

  disfiguration of skin

  district consolidations (SFPD)

  dog robber

  Doherty, Lawrence

  Doherty, Mrs. Lawrence

  Dolezal, Frank

  Don Lee Network

  Doran, Verne La Page

  Dorgan, Tad

  Doyle, Allie (victim)

  drive-by killers

  Dullea, Charles W. (Captain of Police Inspectors). See also Bay Hotel autopsy murder; corruption within SFPD; Egan, Frank J. (public defender); Fell, Slipton; Gorilla Man; Hotel Irwin autopsy murder; Hughes, Jessie Scott Johnson “Josie” (murder); Kingsbury Run Butcher; LaTulipe, Francis ; Malcolm, Wesley (murder); motives; Quinn, William J. (Chief of Police); sailor as Gorilla Man suspect; SFPD; White Mask Gang

  admissibility of evidence Senate bill

  April and

  big cases handled by

  changes in SFPD made by

  Chief of Police promotion

  citizens refusing to appear as witnesses

  district stations consolidation

  eyewitness testimony, mistrusted by

  foreknowledge of murder of Josie Hughes

  Francis LaTulipe and

  Frank Egan and

  Genevieve Montgomery “Jean” (Genevieve Clucky) case

  horripilation experienced by

  invisible clues

  Louise Teuber case

  lust murder

  marksmanship of

  office of

  police cars upgraded by

  reputation of

  salary of

  seamen murder cases

  “seek the evidence” mantra

  supervision of department under

  tragedies (failures) in his life

  Virginia Brooks case

  wire taps (Dictograph)

  Dullea, Charles W. (personal)

  appearance of

  background of

  baseball fan

  Charles Jr. “John” (son)

  dishonesty, difficulty to perceive

  dreams of Gorilla Man

  Easter and Mount Davidson

  Eddie (son)

  family of

  honesty of

  Jack (son)

  Marine Corps and

  morality of

  Winifred (wife)

  Dunkel, Blanche

  Dunn, Clara. See Polillo, Florence Sawdey (victim)

  Dunn, Joseph

  Dunne, Frank

  Dunne, Gladys

  Eastman, “Monk”

  Ecker, E. E.

  Eddowes, Catherine

  Edmunds, Anna (victim)

  Edwards, Arthur

  Egan, Frank J. (public defender). See also corruption within SFPD; Dullea, Charles W. (Captain of Police Inspectors); Hughes, Jessie Scott Johnson “Josie” (murder); White Mask Gang abolition of public defender’s office petition

  Albert Tinnin (Robert Knight) and

  alibi of

  anger at suspicion

  Charles Dullea and

  closing arguments in trial

  “Czar of San Francisco” talk by

  escape from jail

  financial problems of

  Florence Cook (victim)

  Herbert Emerson Wilson and

  hideout of

  kidnapping of

  Nathan S. Housman and

  official misconduct of

  Park West Sanitarium

  power of

  questioning by William Quinn

  staff, “unnaturally large”

  surrender of

  surveillance of

  trial

  Verne La Page Doran and

  Vincent Hallinan and

  White Mask Gang and

  William McGovern and

  William Quinn and

  Egan, Lorraine

  Ehrlich, Jake

  Elder, Hugh

  “eleven car”

  Ellsinger, Louis

  Embarcadero

  Engler, George

  “Enigma Man”See also Fell, Slipton

  Enright, Richard

  Epstein, A. B.


  Europe and Gorilla Men

  extortion investigation (SFPD)

  Fabian, Lillian

  Farmen/Farnum, Dorothy (Winifred Hemmer “Boots”)

  Farrell, John

  Farrington, Mrs. William

  Farrington, Peter M., Jr. “Whispering Gunman”See also Malcolm, Wesley (murder)

  Farrington, Peter M., Sr.

  Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

  Fell, Slipton

  “accidental death”

  acting ambitions of

  Ada French-Mengler-Rice (victim)

  alcohol impact on

  Allan Bosworth and

  Anna J. Selz (mother)

  appearance of

  Army Air Corps and

  Bay Hotel autopsy murder and

  blowflies

  “Bromo”

  “brother” of

  bungalow of Ada Rice and

  character analysis

  confessions of

  enlisting in Army

  federal charges fear

  financial troubles of

  good-bye speech at prison

  guilty plea of

  identities (multiple) of

  injuries of

  jail incarceration of

  John McCarthy and

  laugh of

  letters of accommodation written by

  lie detector test

  life sentence of

  magnetism of

  “Michael Baronovich”

  “mother” of

  motives of

  nighttime drives along the coast highway

  poison, Slipton’s interest in

  press coverage of

  psychological warfare by police

  reenactment of murders

  regret about murders, lacking

  robbery hoax

  sailor

  San Francisco Chronicle and

  San Mateo Junior College and

  San Quenton Prison and

  superegoism

  travels of

  watches of

  Wilma Heaton and

  Winifred Hemmer “Boots” and

  Fellom, Roy

  Ferral, James

  Ferrell, Gilbert D.

  ferries

  Ferry Building

  Fields, Leo

  fingerprint analyses

  evidentiary tool

  Francis LaTulipe and

  first degree murders

  Fitzpatrick, Frank

  Fletcher, Bill

  “floaters”

  Fluke, Mabel (victim)

  Flying Squad (motorcycle units)

  Fogarty, Martin

  Folsom Prison

  Foran, Frank

  Ford, Mrs. P.A.

  foreknowledge of Josie Hughes’s murder

  40th Infantry Division of the National Guard

  Foster, Thomas

  Fraley, Oscar

  Frank, Richard (“Richard Frombee”)

  Fraser, R. J.

  Frasher, Paul

  Fratis, Bruce

  Frederickson, Otto

  French, Fred

  French, Hugh

  French, Jack

  French-Mengler-Rice, Ada (victim) . See also Fell, Slipton