What an interesting and amazing forum! The level of sleuth work done within these walls is admirable and much appreciated. Los Angeles is filled with a number of odd, interesting and quirky happenings.
Noir in the City of Angels is not a new thing, in fact it's historical.
William H. Brewer was a member of the California Geological Survey during the years 1860 to 1864. From the book "Up and Down California in 1860-1864; The Journal of William H. Brewer" A compilation of letters written home to his Brother and family during his 4 years in California.
You can find a transcript here:
https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query...864;+%29%29%29
On Dec 7th 1860, Brewer writes:
"Fifty to sixty murders per year have been common here in Los Angeles, and some think it odd that there has been no violent death during the two weeks that we have been here. Yet with our care there is no considerable danger, for as I write this there are at least six heavy loaded revolvers in the tent, besides bowie knives and other arms, so we anticipate no danger. I have been practicing with my revolver and am becoming expert."
Brewer and his team went on to visit and document California in a way no one had every done. They reached the farthest places and highest peaks, many before anyone else. Brewer was the first to climb Santiago peak in Orange County and saw the region, for over one hundred miles in all directions. He also was the first to document the height of Mt. Shasta.
This sets the stage for our violent locale, where murders continue at an alarming rate to present day.
I would think this counts as 'Historical Noir', if not please continue reading.
The murder of Francisco Forster.
One of the more poignant murders occurred on March 15th, 1881. Francisco 'Chico' Forster, 40 year old son of John Forster and Ysidora Pico of the Los Flores Rancho, now the Camp Pendleton area, was shot dead at Commercial and Los Angeles streets in broad day light. Forster was the son of a well to do rancher. He had stolen the virtue of 18 year old Lastania Abarta under the condition of marriage, but after he had taken his prize his promise of nuptials soon disappeared. She and her sister searched the city and found him at the local race track. When he refused to marry, she shot him once through the eye. Forster's rich father, John Forster husband of Ysidora Pico, hired a lawyer to be sure she was prosecuted. However, She was acquitted under the pretext of a popular belief: female hysteria. Dr. Joseph Kurtz, a local physician of formidable reputation assured her freedom when he stated 'Any virtuous woman when deprived of her virtue would go mad, undoubtedly'. With this the jury acquitted her.
The original article appears in the Los Angeles Herald archive located here:
http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=LAH18810429.2.12
Interesting locations related to Forsters murder, for those who have the time and resource to find:
The Forster ranch was the Los Flores Rancho located on what is now Camp Pendleton.
Lastania's virtue was lost at the Moiso Mansion Hotel
The murder occurred at Commercial and Los Angeles Street
I'm not sure where the court was located at the time
The Abarta family owned a pool hall near present Downey (?)
Francisco was located at the horse track at Agricultural Park (Now Exposition Park)
Dr. Joseph Kurtz must have had an office in the area, at least a residence.
A side note: The Los Flores ranch has an old horse track, now crossed by interstate 5 with a WWII airfield in it's middle.
You can see this on Google Earth north of the Las Pulgas exit. I've never seen any documentation on this track. It predates
WWII and was probably constructed in the mid to late 1800's.
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