Police Communications Association held a meeting prior
to the meeting of the Bay Counties Peace Officers' Asso-
ciation, and all then went to the dining room of the Ala-
meda County Jail where lunch was served.
President Walter Wisnom, Chief of Police of Hills-
borough, called the membership to order at the luncheon
and turned the meeting over to Sheriff Jack Gleason of
Alameda County, our host. Sheriff Gleason then intro-
duced the members of the Alameda County Official family
and the Chiefs of Police of the various cities in Alameda
County who were present at the meeting. At the con-
clusion of the luncheon, those present returned to the
Academy Building.
Chief Wisnom then called the meeting to order again
and a motion was made, seconded and carried that the
reading of the minutes of the previous meeting be dis-
pensed with.
Chief Wisnom stated that there had been a Constitu-
tion and By-laws Committee at work and the proposed
Constitution and By-Laws for the Association were com-
pleted and they would be read by Chief Zink, Chairman
of the Executive Committee in the absence of Sheriff
Murphy who was chairman of the Constitution and
By-Laws Committeee.
Chief Zink then proceeded to read the proposed Con-
stitution and By-Laws and at the conclusion of the reading
he congratulated the committee upon their work and
asked members to forward by letter any criticism, com-
plaints or suggestions to the Constitution and By-Laws
as read, immediately and they will be considered and
changes made so that the proposed Constitution and By-
Laws will be ready for the final reading at the next
meeting.
President Wisnom then introduced Robert Lee St.
Clair, who had a few remarks to make to the membership.
Mr. St. Clair, who was quite actively engaged with the
law enforcement agencies in the bay area during the war,
when he was in Naval Police work, stated that this was
the first chance he had to thank all members with whom
he had come in contact with during the war period, for
the fine cooperation he received from them. He also
spoke of the United Nations Conference in San Fran-
cisco when he was coordinator handling security. He
spoke of the great work done by the San Francisco Police
Department and praised Chief Michael Mitchell for his
part when he was in charge of the members of the depart-
ment who policed the United Nations meetings. He also
praised Captain McDonald for the plain clothes detail
which worked at the United Nations meeting.
Burton Washburn, Secretary, California Disaster Coun-
cil, as then introduced and he stated that the Civilian
Defense Planning Board has completed its report and suf-
ficient copies of the report would be made available and
circulated to different municipalities. He also stated that
Chief John Holstrom of Berkeley had a large hand in the
compilation and planning of the report. Mr. Washburn
said that copies of the report would be mailed to the
Mayors of the municipalities in the State and urged all
Chiefs of Police to keep in touch with their mayors in
order that they may receive the report.
The president then appointed the following members
to the Nominating Committee with instructions to select
nominees for the offices in the Association for the coming
year and report back at the next meeting.
John A. Greening, Sheriff's OSice, Oakland, Chairman.
Chief Melvin Flohr, Santa Rosa.
Chief Donald Wood, San Anselmo.
Chief C. L. Collins, Redwood City.
Sheriff Daniel Murphy, San Francisco.
Ray Meyers of Vallejo, President of the Northern
California Police Communications Association was in-
troduced and gave a short talk on the work his association
was doing. Among other things he stated that they were
trying to reactivate a point to point communication sys-
tem between Chiefs of Police, which would augment the
teletype system, by giving direct telephone communication
between Chiefs of Police. He left a communication to the
Association, requesting that the Association get in back
of this point to point system throughout the State. Chief
Wisnom thanked Mr. Meyers and referred the letter to
Chief Greening for study and report.
Applications for membership were then received and
the following new members were accepted into the As-
sociation.
Chris S. Webber, Mayor, Sunnyvale.
J. M. Lewis. Sup. of Radio, San Rafael.
Charles E. Brown, Lt. of Police, Richmond.
Vincent Warrcnt, Chief of Police, Benicia.
George E. Tobin. California Highway Patrol, Oakland.
Francis E. Simmons, Calif. Highway Patrol, Oakland.
William C. Hughes. State Traffic Officer, San Jose.
Rev. Edward E. Mattson, Institution Chaplain.
Leo Baum. Oakland.
Richard E. Lover, Police Commission, San Anselmo.
(Continued on page 66 1
Page 18
POLICE AND PEACE OFFICERS" JOURNAL
December, J 948
Vacaville Nearly A Century Old
Vacaville, noted little city in Solano County, with a There are numerous industries, mostly having to do
population of some 3000 people, and nearly a thousand with the processing and shipping of fruits and vegetables,
more in a Federal Housing project just outside the city Principal among these are the Basic Vegetable Products,
limits, was first established in August, 1850, when Manuel Inc., which through its long years of research and experi-
C. Vaca holder of a large Mexican grant deeded nine ments have developed a big business in processing vege-
r
C.HiEr George H. Pierce
Former Chief O. E. Ally Officer William Churchill
squiire miles of his land with the understanding that one tables, mostly onions and garlic. This firm started out on
square mile would be a townsite to be known as Vacaville. this line of endeavor in 1932 in Texas, but found condi-
This was done and the thriving section, with its superb tions not so good for their aims, so they finally landed in
climate, its rich soil, developed from that era into one Vacaville in 1933, and the first year in business put out
Officer Frank Fadley
of the richest agricultural spots to be found in these
United States. Vacaville was incorporated as a city of
the sixth class in 1892.
Today it produces the earliest cherries grown in this
nation, and its other fruits total close to 20,000 tons
annually. Vegetables are also prolific, and tomatoes leads
them all with 2000 tons a year. Celery, a most popular
vegetable, is being successfully grown in the Vacaville
area. Cattle, sheep, every kind of grain and hay, and
dairying plan an important part in the prosperity of the
community.
Officer W. C. Davidson
50,000 pounds of their products. Today the company
ships millions of pounds of dehydrated onions to all points
of the globe.
Then there are the Nowcrs 6? Danielson Dehydrating
Plant, output 4000 tons a year; and Uhl Dehydrating
Plant, established in 1926, with an output of 2000 tons
annually.
All these concerns provide employment for many men
and women.
(Continued on page 9i)
December, 1948
POLICE AND PEACE OFFICERS" JOURNAL
Page 19
S. F. P. D. Has New Inspectors Detail
Captain of Inspectors James English is streamlining the
Bureau of Inspectors. During the past months some con-
solidations of Details have been made and one new one
created. The later is to be known as the Sex Detail, and
Chief Michael E. Mitchell and Captain English decided
Inspector Frank Murphy
the man to handle that necessary Detail was Inspector
Frank Murphy.
The following men, all former members of the Missing
Persons Bureau with the exception of Inspectors Breen
and Stanton have been assigned to Inspector Murphy.
Inspectors Jack O'Connell, Gus Tompkins, Lloyd Kelly,
Rudy Kopfer, John Breen and James Gallagher.
A better bunch of officers could not have been selected
for this necessary, though regrettable, work.
Inspector Murphy has been a member of the San Fran-
Cisco Police Department since 1929. He was assigned to
the Inspector's bureau in 1937 and after completing his
hitch on the office night watch was sent to the Missing
Persons Bureau, now headed by Lieutenant Timothy
Burke, but at the time he went with that unit Inspector
Marvin Dowell, retired, was in charge. This was in 1940.
During this period he investigated many sex crimes and
came up with solutions of most of them.
His work in this • important branch of the Police De-
partment, the work of which is to locate missing mothers,
fathers and children, and sex offenders, and which calls
for a lot of work and understanding with but little glamor
or press notices for accomplishments, has been outstand-
ing. He has been a very active member of the Police
Widows' and Orphans' Aid Association, and in 1941 was
president of the association.
He has three other members on his staff, who since 1937
have been mighty active in bringing in sex offenders.
They are Inspectors Lloyd Kelly, Rudy Kopfer and James
Gallagher. You will find but few cases turned over to
these officers that have been unsolved.
Inspectors Kelly and Kopfer with their new fellow
worker, Inspector Breen, brought about the arrest and
conviction of Avilez;, the wanton and premeditated rapist
who drew some 150 years for offenses he committed, and
who got a new trial and was again promptly convicted.
They also brought about the arrest of Alfred Cline, whose
forte was getting acquainted with lonely women with
money, marrying them and having them privately cre-
mated after sudden deaths. Though they never got any
convictions for murder, they did hook Mr. Cline for a
long spell in Folsom, where he died this year.
Inspector Breen has made a record for himself in the
General Works Detail.
Inspector O'Connell, who got some of his ideas from
his honored father, retired Inspector Patrick O'Connel,
who now is enjoying life at the age of 87 years. Inspector
O'Connel broke the Simpson murder case, where a young
man brutally murdered an aged woman storekeeper out in
the Sunset. The only clue he and his partner, Louis
Dematei had was a cap. They finally found the man who
fitted the cap and he was arrested, convicted and executed
in San Quentin.
Inspector Tompkins is the veteran of the group and
when he was on the Automobile Detail he won many
citations for meritorious service, for one in which he was
shot by a youth while making an arrest.
Yes, we will say those despicable beings who make it
necessary for a municipal Police Department to have a
special detail to handle them for their depraved acts, will
find but little comfort in this new detail and the men
who form it. They know all the answers and are emi-
nently capable of coping with these mental and physical
misfits of society, and they know how to bring in the
evidence to get convictions. That's the reasons they have
been chosen for this task.
B/
/G
GOOD FOOD
. . . Famous for
"THE BOTTOMLESS CUP"
of Perfect Coffee
Page 20
POLICE AND PEACE OFFICERS' JOURNAL
December, 1948
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POLICE PENSION AMENDMENT WINS
During the past quarter of a century the San Francisco
Pohce Department memhers have gone before the voters
for betterment of their conditions on various occasions,
and, in the main, have been successful.
But this 1948 voting on Amendment N was the most
important in San Francisco PoHce Department history.
It simply meant a pension or no pension worthy of
the name in the case of the majority of the men who
make policing their life work in San Francisco — a pension
commensurate with that allowed in other Pacific Coast
cities.
The department committee in charge of bringing the
amendment in proper form before the supervisors, and in
compiling comparative statistics for consideration by the
supervisors and by taxpayers' groups worked tirelessly,
week after week, before election to build up a case for
the department.
The job they set out tt) do was a difficult one. Pension
proposals had failed before.
But facts and figures are convincing. Official and un-
official opposition to the amendment was eventually over-
come — and the amendment went on the ballot as drawn
up by the committee. The rest was up to the department
as a unit.
To secure a favorable vote labor, business, and im-
provement club groups had to have the amendment put
plainly before them.
That the department speakers did a thorough job along
this line is best attested by the immense "Yes" vote on
Charter Amendment "N," roughly a two to one victory.
It is indeed gratifying to feel that when Police Com-
missioners and Chief of Police and the rank and file of our
department membership go before the voters with a reason-
able request our San Francisco voters never fail them.
Amendment N is quite lengthy and very much detailed
and some of its paragraphs, on a casual reading, seem
somewhat puzzling.
A careful reading of the amendment reveals generally:
Retired memhers come under two categories: 1. Those
retired for disability incurred in line of duty, and 2.
Those retired for service — that is, years of service in the
department.
After July 1st, 1949, the monthly retirement amount
for those retired for "disability" incurred in line of duty
will be seventy-five per cent of their average three-year
salary. This allowance will be continued until the date
on which the recipient would be eligible for retirement on
account of "service" — then it will be reduced to the fifty
per cent of his average three-year salary.
When a member retires for a disability not resulting
from the performance of duty the pension ceases at his
death. However, is such a member, on his retirement,
elected to have his monthly allowance modified under a
Charter provision his widow would receive a monthly
allowance in the amount stipulated under the "option" as
elected by the retired member.
An underlying provision of Charter Amendment "N"
is the fact that percentage of the retirement amount for
the widow is claimable only after July 1st, 1949 — and
then only in the case of living members of the department
retired on "service," or on "disability" incurred in line of
duty before that date; and, of course, in the case of all
retirees coming under either of such categories after
that date.
Members of- the so-called "older system," at set forth in
Charter Sections 165, 166, and 168, have the option of
remaining in their present system and at the same time,
after July 1st, 1949, are automatically entitled to retire-
men percentage allowance for their widow.
If a member of the department, eligible for retirement,
by years of "service," dies from causes not resulting from
the performance of duty his wife receives only a death
benefit equal to si.\ months' compensation earnable, plus
his accumulated contributions to the Retirement System.
The "service" pension is a fifty per cent one of the three-
year average salary, with a fifty per cent of said allowance
to the widow.
This death benefit is paid the widow even if the member
of the department dies with less "service" than required
for retirement, and death does not occur from causes re-
sulting from the performance of duty.
Under the provisions of Amendment "N" the maximum
percentage of salary, in determining a member's contribu-
tions to the Retirement System, shall not exceed ten
per cent.
December, ]948
POLICE AND PEACE OFFICERS' JOURNAL
Page 21
New Setup of the S. F. P. D. Hotel Detail
The Hotel Detail of the San Francisco Bureau of In-
spectors has a new headman. Inspector George Wall, a
member of the Police Department for 32 years was as-
signed to this position, following a long siege of illness
Inspector George Wall
of Inspector Fred Bohr, who has headed the Detail since
it was formed back in 1922.
Inspector Wall has served under Inspector Bohr since
1929, and during the past year has had charge of the
stock and bond detail in addition.
He was born in San Francisco, and became a member
of the Police Department on April 13, 1914. His first
assignment was to Park Station where his imposing size
and exceptional intelligence soon got him the position
of special duty work for the district. He later served
with the Central Station and nine months after becoming
a policeman he was transferred to the old Detective
Bureau, which at the time was in charge of the late
Captain of Detectives Duncan Matheson.
From then on he contributed a lot of sparkling pages
to the splendid history of the department.
He served, with his partner, the late Inspector John J.
Cannon, on the Automobile Detail then in charge of the
late Inspector Arthur McQuade. He served on the Detail
until March 23, 1926.
In 1926 he was transferred to the Robbery Detail then
under the supervision of the late Inspector George Mc-
Loughlin. He was appointed to fill a vacancy created
when Inspector Anthony Schoembs was shot and killed
by bandits at Powell and Eddy streets.
He continued his splendid record of police work.
During his service on the Auto and Robber>' Detail here
are a few of the many cases he had an important part in
solving, making arrests and recovering stolen property.
He was responsible for the arrest of six bandits who
held up the servants of Julian Hart who was occupying
the vast McNear estate in Atherton, during the prohibi-
tion years of the '20"s, breaking down a strong steel door
and making away with $25,000 worth of liquors, and
taking other valuable articles while the servants were
cowered and bound. With the arrest of the six men, who
were all convicted, all the loot was recovered.
He took part in the arrest of Samsel and McNab, the
sensational Yacht bandits who wrote some lurid pages in
the criminal history of this state. McNab was executed
in San Quentin but Samsel, who was paroled less than
a year ago is sought for one murder and several robberies
committed since he was released from Folsom.
With former Chief Charles W. Dullea and Inspector
Lindecker, he brought in the Twin Peaks petting party
bandits who thrived for a short time on Twin Peaks.
Inspector George Wall, (left), with late Inspector Arthur Mc-
Quade. who was head of S. F. P. D. Auto Detail, and the late
Inspector John J. Cannon.
Another outstanding catch he made was the arrest of
three white masked bandits who created a reign of terror
in their brutal commission of some 50 holdups in this city.
He was in on the capture of Big Bill O'Connor, the
notorious head of the gang of daylight bandits who
worked the big cities of California. In a Fifth street hotel,
where O'Connor was cornered Inspector Wall, who was
with the late Inspector William McMahon, Lieutenant
George Richards and other Robbery Detail members, shot
O'Connor through the neck and then took him to the
Central Emergency Hospital, and later to the city prison.
O'Connor, who pulled a $50,000 robbery of the Gilmore
Jewelry Company during the early day time hours, was
sent to San Quentin where he later died.
He was assigned to week-end days during the 1940
Exposition on Treasure Island. There was but one big
job pulled during the Exposition year and George Wall
(Continued on page 96)
Page 22
POLICE AND PEACE OFFICERS' JOURNAL
PISTOL POINTING
December, 1948
By J. Ross DUNNIGAN
Pacific Coast Regional Pistol Matches
After the powder smoke had cleared away on October
17th, the following three days of tough pistoleering we
find Boh Chow the winner of the 1948 Regional Cham-
pionship Pistol Tournament with 2546 points, second
on the last was Highway Patrolman Don Millican with
2542 and Jack Englehart, of the U. S. Marine Corps
with 2529 points. These three gentlemen were sent to
the National matches in Washington, D. C, hut were
unable to gather any honor for themselves.
This was the first year that the National Matches were
ever held in Washington as the classic has always been
in Camp Perry, Ohio, but the army cut out the financial
allotment to operate the range during the national matches
so the NRA took the top three winners from each re-
gional and had them shoot it out in Washington.
There are eight regions so that meant that 24 pistol-
packing winners were on the lines October 25 th to Oc-
tober 28, with the Detroit cop, Harry Reeves, finishing
in first place — the National Champion — and Sergeant
Huelet Benner, of Fort Knox, the runner-up.
* * ♦
There is mucho kicking these days from the average
shooter about the kind of .22 shells they are getting —
practically lousy shells. Mis-fires are in every box these
days and it makes the boys jittery in their rapid and timed
strings as to whether or not the darn shell is gonna go off
or just "click." In fact, there is some talk about howling
to revise the alibi rule for .22 shells as the men who buys
them (and at what a price, too!) has no control over the
ignition and should be allowed an alibi run. The official
referee, Lee Echols, was told about this and the boys
expect him to do sumpin' about it.
* * *
Paul Mattson, of Antioch, must have been mighty sore
at his new .22 gun he was using in the matches. The
last we saw of him was down in a dark corner taking the
old blunderbus all to pieces and our guess is that he
couldn't get it together again as it lay in a pile all after-
noon still unassembled.
* * *
Bill Markell, SFPD motorcycle unit, had a real rough
time of it with his .45. First the grips work loose so he
tightened 'em up. Then the rear sights worked loose and
he tightened them up. Then they got loose again and
fell right off the gun. After getting them back some how
the ejector got to acting up and commenced throwing live
shells all over the place before they had a chance to go off.
* * *
One of the snappiest outfits we have had at our range
was the teams from Los Alamos, New Mexico. This
group are under the Atomic Energy Commission fingers
and are known as the Atomic Security Service and in
their blue uniforms trimmed in black and topped off with
the old army cavalry hat it sure looked like our A-bomb
was well looked after. Incidentally, they took home
enough medals to make several more bombs. We under-
stand there are about 550 of these guards on the pay-roll
and all of them have been thoroughly screened by the
FBI before being hired — in fact we understand that over
17,000 applicants were run through the process before
the final group was picked. That's a darn good bunch
of men that they have on the teams and they made a
decided hit here at our range with their courtesy and
good sportsmanship and also made a lot of friends for
the AEC. This is the type of teams that make shooting
the grand game that it is. They are soon to have their
present range enlarged and will try and hold their own
matches.
* * *
"Pop" Dutil, you know, is quite an artist so got hold
of either Frank Dunphy or Gus Palmieri to pose for a
couple of cartoons on the backstop. Over the cartoons
(m color, too) was the notation "Bien Venidos" and
naturally people wanted to know what it meant but why
the hell they asked us is more than we can know — do
we look like something that had been raised on chili and
tamales? Anyhow, we got out our Spanish lessons book
and the closest we could get was "Welcome." Maybe
it would do a lot of good around the range to cut out
that "Bien Venidos" stuff and put in the good old "Erin
go Braugh" — or at least thats what Murphy, Kelly, Reilly,