Title supplied by cataloger. George Crawford was the brother of Los Angeles politician and 'reformed kingpin', Charles H. Crawford, who, along with newspaperman Herbert E. Spencer, were found shot in Charles' Sunset Boulevard office on May 20, 1931. George Crawford was employed by his brother as a bodyguard, and on the morning of the slayings, had taken up his position in an automobile on the southeast corner of the building about 11:00 a.m. According to his court statement, at 4:15, George decided to walk to a nearby cafe to have lunch. Approximately 15 minutes later, Ray Radke, Charles' confidential secretary, came running into the cafe to tell him there had been a shooting at the office. George ran back, and upon entering the building, saw Herbert Spencer on the ground, fatally wounded with a bullet to the heart. He then ran to his brother's private office, and was notified by police at the scene that Charles had also been shot and had been transported to the hospital. Charles died at 8:54 pm despite blood transfusions. The bullet had plowed its way through his abdomen, rupturing his liver and one of his kidneys. Though Charles regained consciousness prior to his operation, he refused to reveal his assassin's identity saying that if he had to die, the secret would go with him to the grave. And so it did. Though three days later, on May 23, 1931, police were able to apprehend the killer, identified as David H. Clark - a former deputy District Attorney and candidate for Municipal Judge. Interesting note: In 1936, Charles Crawford's widow hired Juan Carlos Rodriguez to design the historic "Crosswords of the World", and had it built on the site where her husband was shot. George A. Crawford, sitting in the witness box of a Los Angeles courtroom. Visible behind him is the judge's bench, which was empty at the time the photo was taken, as well as the American flag, and the state flag of California.
Crawford, George A Los Angeles (Calif.).--Police Department Courthouses--California--Los Angeles Witnesses--California--Los Angeles Firearms--California--Los Angeles Police--California--Los Angeles Firearms--Identification Downtown Los Angeles (Los Angeles, Calif.)
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