Arbeiter, Jean S Barnes, Harry Elmer, 1889-1968 Biersdorff, Charles Bolds, Richard Caen, Herb, 1916-1997 Caffin, Louise Clark, Myron H Clifton, Ron Cowan, Earl Deukmejian, George Duffy, Clinton T., 1898-1982 Gilman, Mary Louise Gressley, Gene M., 1931- Hallinan, Vincent Hanley, Shawn Hawkins, James D Hoover, J. Edgar (John Edgar), 1895-1972 Kaletsky, Richard Kerr, Leslie Lanier, Jerry P Longstreth, Joseph, 1920- McKinney, Olive McMillan, Lester K Machlin, Milt Moscone, George, 1929-1978 Mosk, Stanley, 1912-2001 Mundt, Albert H Nolen, Lola Parker, Francine Reidel, Ellen Rosko, Richard A Schaber, Gordon D Simpson, Barbara Tiffany, Willis N Voelker, Roy
Restricted. Under the terms of his will, none of Chessman's writings may be published without the consent of Joseph Longstreth, his literary executor, and Rosalie Asher, his attorney and executor of his estate. Neither Mr. Longstreth nor Ms. Asher are still living.
Description
Caryl Whittier Chessman was born in St. Joseph, Michigan on May 27, 1921. He turned to a life of petty crime in his teens, and in 1948 was charged as the Los Angeles area's notorious "Red Light Bandit," being subsequently convicted on 17 counts of robbery, kidnapping and attemptedrape. Under California's version of the "Little Lindbergh Law," the kidnapping aspect became a capital offense, and Chessman went to San Quentin's Death Row. He spent the next twelve years fighting his conviction on the basis of improper trial procedure (becoming something of a legal expert in the process), and wrote several books while in prison (some of which had to be smuggled out). These factors, plus his not being convicted for actually killing anyone, made him a cause celebre for the anti-capital punishment movement, and he received support from all over the world. But despite California Governor Edmund G. Brown's anti-death penalty beliefs, Chessman finally went to the gas chamber on May 2, 1960. Rosalie S. Asher graduated from McGeorge Law School in Sacramento, California in 1940, and became a practicing attorney and Sacramento County Law Librarian. She acted as Caryl Chessman's legal counsel for most of his time on Death Row (even though he basically represented himself in court) along with George T. Davis and others for lesser periods of time. Asher was also named executor of Chessman's estate, and spent much of the rest of her life attempting to keep his name in the public eye and obtain some sort of vindication for him. She served in an advisory role on the 1977 television film about Chessman, "Kill Me If You Can," in which Alan Alda portrayed Chessman and Talia Shire played Asher. Asher passed away in Sacramento in 2000. Legal briefs and other documents pertaining to Caryl Chessman's trial and appeals. Correspondence to and from Caryl Chessman, Rosalie Asher, and others. Caryl Chessman's books in English and translated into a multitude of languages. Writings about Caryl Chessman in books, magazines, and newspapers-in English and other languages. Caryl Chessman's personal effects, including photographs and his typewriter. Other material collected by Rosalie Asher, including those pertaining to the death penalty in general, post-1960 material dealing with Chessman including the 1977 film "Kill Me If You Can," and personal items. Boxes 3409-3419: Legal documents; Boxes 3419-3429: Files; Boxes 3429-3430: Correspondence; Box 3430: Manuscripts & proofs; Box 3430: TV scripts; Box 3430: Photos; Boxes 3430-3443: Books; Boxes 3444-3451: Periodicals; Boxes 3451-3464: Clippings; Boxes 3465-3466: Video & audio; Boxes 3466-3469: Miscellaneous; Box 3470: Chessman's typewriter; Room 355 Cubicle 357B: Side of wooden box containing Chessman's property after his death; Box 4022: Correspondence and other materials donated by Louise Caffin and Alan Bisbort. Chessman-Asher. Restricted. Under the terms of his will, none of Chessman's writings may be published without the consent of Joseph Longstreth, his literary executor, and Rosalie Asher, his attorney and executor of his estate. Neither Mr. Longstreth nor Ms. Asher are still living. Rosalie Asher; Rosalie Asher's niece, Mary Fonvinci; Louis Caffin; 2016 Alan Bisbort; California State Library, California History Room
Type
text
Extent
47 archival boxes ; 16 x 12 x 12. 1 archival box ; 19 x 16 x 9 1/2. 13 manuscript boxes ; 21 x 17 x 3. 1 manuscript box ; 25 x 19 x 4.
Identifier
(C)001478088CSL01-Aleph (OCoLC)808501979
Language
English
Subject
Chessman, Caryl, 1921-1960 Asher, Rosalie California State Prison at San Quentin Capital punishment Death row--California--Marin county Legal briefs--California Books Correspondence Newspapers Periodicals Photographs
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