The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 2

ft r- r' Bowron Hits limes on Crime Report Charges Distortion of Article for Political Purposes Mayor Bowron yesterday made another attack on The Times for it detailed account of the final report of 1 -i i ij fn if If is It tl VZ vvX If II jt it- if w. -inn u'- s- I II i 7K 'N 1 the Governor's Committee on Organized Crime, which gav names of numerous gangsters and specific instances of the extent of their operations here. He said The Time "distorted" the article "for lte own political purposes." He declared that, if heis not re-elected, the people will "take the chance that Los Angeles will be the biggest center in the country of organised crime." Text of Statement His statement followe in full: "The report of the State Commission on Organized "is Richard La Force, accused Robert Hoyden for love of- tV Wi i- Kelmon tells police how two men, one posing os a sailor swindled her out of $1250 tor "diamonds shown on tooie. wroff Hoyden's wife Joyce, uses pointer and diagram to show the jury his actions at Hayden home on day fjr Poulson Again Warns Gangs to Shun LA. Candidate Pledges Strongest Backing for Police in Keeping Racketeers From City "I would giv the strongest kind of backing to the Po SAYS CONFESSION TO CLEAR JOYCE lice Department in keeping the racketeers, gangsters and underworld out of our city.

Vice will find no sanctuary in Los Angeles while I am Mayor." DEFENDANT TESTIFIES of attempting to poison LA FORCE WAS MADE Love for Mrs. Joyce Hayden' prompted Rlcnard La Force to plant false evidence of poisoning her husband so suspicion would be diverted from her, the 19-year-old Caltech physics stu dent testified yesterday in his own defense. He told a Jury of eight women and four men in Superior Judge Mildred L. Lillie's court, where he is on trial for attempting to murder Robert Hayden, that he believed ithe pretty, strawberry blond, expectant mother was attempting to poison her 19-year-old husband. He said he planted arsenic in a water container in the Hay- den's refrigerator because he felt that to draw away suspicion from Mrs.

Hayden was the least he could do for the woman he loved. At the same time, La Force emphatically denied any attempt to murder Hayden and repudiated question by question and answer by answer a confession he gave Sheriff's officers after he was arrested at the Haydens' Downey apartment last Feb. 6, Tells of KIsKlng He also told the jury and the jammed courtroom how he and Mrs. Hayden went on dates after she married Robert, during one of which they kissed each other in his parked automobile and made love until 4 a.m. He testified Mrs.

Hayden gave him reason to believe she was in love with him. La Force opened his own defense on the witness stand, where he testified with aloof emphasis. He affirmed the truthfulness of his testimony rather than swearing an oath. He took the stand after Judge Lillie denied all defense mo tn .41 i Rep. Norris Poulson, favor ite to defeat Fletcher Bowron, incumbent, in the city election for Mayor Mar 26, yesterday commented on the State Crime Commission's report on gangsters In the IiOj Angeles area.

He wired his headquarters here quoting the above plank from his platform given here Feb. 18 before the Greater Los Angeles Press Club. "This assurance I have repeated time and time again in this campaign, and I re-em phasize it now once mor," Poulson said. Warning to Gangera "Any ganester who has the idea that he will find haven here in the event of my election had better buy his return tickets right now." Poulson ridiculed the state ment of Mayor Bowron, In reacting to the commission's report, that the key figures of America's organized crime "are poised on our doorsteps waiting to come In." Poulson said, "The Mayor knows these hoodlums have been living at Palm Springs for years, have been lionized in certain Southland society circles and have even bpen known to be in Los Angeles at times. Their presence has nothing whatever to do with the election and its prospective change in administration.

He told me Joyce and he had come home from the auto show and Joyce had poured them both a glass of milk. She had raised the glass to her lips and she had told him not to drink any. He had got some in his mouth and had spit it out. Also I made a remark that they should check the other bottles in the ice box to see if they were poisonous. Robert said the others were sealed.

He said Joyce had opened the bottle and had a glass oefore going to the auto show and it was all right. Q. Was there any further conversation with Robert about any poisoning Incidents? A.No, I don't think so. Raises Voice La Force leaned back comfortably in the witness chair. At first he spoke at the microphone but later pushed it out of the way and raised his voice.

As he paused now and then in his testimony he put the tips of his fingers together in a gesture of concentration. "Do you recall the date of Feb. 6, 1953?" asked McDonald. "Will you relate what happened then?" "I think it would be useful if I used the diagram," La Force interjected. He referred to the chalked diagram of the Haydens' home on a blackboard behind him.

He stepped from the witness stand and took a ruler to point to the diagram. He stood to one side and asked the Jurors solicitously if they could see. 'Waited for Officer' Q. Tell the jury what happened on that date. A.

That night I walked down Firestone Blvd. to the Haydens' driveway and went up the stairs into their apart-Turn to Page 5, Column 1 7l Yv tZ-" Winds Uproot TreesCut Off Power Sources Continued from First Page back the front end like a banana peel. A short time later the wind struck the Englander mattrest factory at 900 Slauson Ave. Two 10 by 10-foot skylights were splintered and the sprinkler system was set off, causing several hundred dollars damage, according to Superintendent Orval Goodmundson. Tree Uprooted At El Monte a twister uprooted a 75-foot black walnut tree in Mrs.

Rose Milille's back yard at 2206 Lee Ave. She said the tree was twisted out of the ground then fell across the settee she had just vacated. The upper branches of the tree crashed onto the roof at 2128 Lee Ave. where Mr. and Mrs.

Ray Kibbe and their son, Michael, 3, were wakened from an afternoon nap by the jolt. Earlier in the day several power failures were reported in foothill communities, most of them caused by tree branches being blown down on electric wires. Glendale Tower Cut In Glendale power was off in two widely separated sections, Verdugo Woodlands and the Lake St. area. Most service was reported restored before noon.

Traffic signals were out of order on Canada Blvd. from the Oakmont Country Club to Glendale College. A power failure in Sierra Madre put the Police and Fire Department radios out of commission from 6:19 a.m. to 1:10 p.m. Other minor power failures were reported by the Edison Co.

in Pasadena, Alhambra, Monrovia and Covina. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power had several score cases of service wires to homes being blown down. One 4800-volt feeder line in the Verdugo Hills was knocked out, affecting a small area. In Pasadena, 3-year-old John Nelson of 1562 Foothill Blvd. received a serious gash in his neck when-' a gust of wind Wew out a glass -panel in a kitchen door and smashed 'it over his head.

He was treated at St. Luke's Hospital. County firemen were kept jumping with 105 alarms, most, ly minor grass fires, between 8 a.m. and miriaftpmnnn. ritv firemen reported 185 alarms.

ine weather Bureau office at the Civic Center reported an wind at 11 a.m. with gusts to 25 m.p.h. Smog was swept from the air and visibility rose to 70 miles. Humidity Low Temperatures ranged from Sft deg. at 5:40 a.m.

to a high of 81 at 2:22 p.m. Relative humidity dropped to 3. tvinir the rec ord low for Los Angeles. For today the Weather Bureau predicted continued warm and dry weather with extreme fire hazard. High temperature today is expected to be near 85.

Gusty north to northeast winds locally strons at. times near tions to strike testimony and evidence submitted by Dep. Dist. Atty. Joseph L.

Carr. Unruffled and apparently at ease, he answered questions slowly and with much consideration. He looked the precocious science student, dressed in a gray suit and wearing a red bow tie. School Background His attorney, Ira McDonald, first had La Force sketch his school background. The counsel asked La Force about the six-hour examination for entrance to Caltech.

"I don't believe I was in' the first 20," La Force said, "but I don't think I was much below it." He said he moved to Downey from Compton about nine years ago, when he was in the fifth grade. He and the Haydens all met in school. La Force said he has a younger brother and an older stepbrother. Then McDonald turned his attention to last Jan. 31, when he had a conversation, with Joyce and Robert about contaminated 'Smelled Like Poison' Q.

What was that conversation? A I came Into their home and something was said about the milk bottle. The bottle was given to me to smelL I made some remark about it smelling bad. Robert, I think, said it smelled like poison. He also made a remark about tasting the same substance before, at which time it made him dizzy and he lost muscular control and experienced some sort of hearing abberation. These aren't the words he used, but that was the substance, of the conversation.

What else was said? A When he said that, I said something to the effect that it smelled like poison to me. Crime gives Los Angeles a clean bill of health. "You should not be misled by the Los Angeles Times, which is trying to make you believe that vice and organized crime are rampant in Los Ant geles. "What does the Crime Com mission's report actually say? Here it is: 'It is gratifying to this com mission to see the active work done by the Los Angeles Police Department to control and com bat this menace. "The Daily News pointed out that the Crime Commission report praised our Police Department for being 'more acutely aware of the dangers of the dread Mafia underworld or ganization than perhaps any other law enforcement agency in the State.

Distortion Charged "The Examiner summed it up saying, 'By comparison, Los Angeles apparently is entitled to be called the City of the "Only the Los Angeles Times took a story of such impor tance and completely distorted it for their own political pur poses. "The report of the State Crime Commission Is a warning of great significance to every good citizen of this city. Top racket men of the nation, vice ozars, mobsters, muscle men of the nation the key fig ures of America's organized crime are poised on our doorstep waiting for a change of administration which will open our door to them. "The lords of vice and crime have long seen Los Angeles as the lushest possibility for commercialized gambling, vice and narcotic syndicates. All they need is a foothold, a nod, a wink, even confusion or uncer tainty in the vigorous law enforcement that has made Los Angeles a white spot among large cities from coast to coast.

'Coming and Going' 'The State Crime Commis sion's report makes it clear that the vice lords are coming in and going out of Los Angeles; apparently they are making plans for operating in the city if I am out of office after the May 26 election. "The State Crime Commission's report makes it clear none of the vice lords are actually operating in Los Angeles now, and have not been for many years under my administration as Mayor. They dare not. They know they have to give Los Angeles a wide berth. "In other cities, by contrast, the report points out; 'Their influence has penetrated so deep ly into the political fabric of our country that they must be acknowledged as a real menace to democratic ''The State Commission on Organized Crime puts the question squarely up to the people of Los Angeles.

It says, in ef fect: Do you want your city to remain clean, a white spot, or no you want to take the chance that Los Angeles will be the biggest center in the country of organized crime, commercialized gambling, vice and narcotic peddling? Given Bad Time' "Today, Los Angeles is clean. The mobsters are forced to move on. They are prosecuted. They are put in jail wherever legally possible. They are given a bad time generally.

I want to keep our city clean. That's why I'm running for re-election on May 28. The report of the State Commission on Organized Crime makes it crystal clear that the vice lords want you to vote against me." Money Talks Begin BONN, May 11 () West German Vice-chancellor Franz Bluecher find Economic Minister Ludwig Erhard flew to London today for the first of a series of important Europe-wide talks on setting currencies free. SWINDLED Mrs. Olga and another as a jeweler, Woman Bilked of $1250 on 'Diamond' Deal A "Greek sailor" and an en thusiastic "jeweler" apparently pulled the old diamond switch yesterday that coat Mrs.

Olga Kelman, 50, of 307 Boyle $1250. Mrs. Kelman told Det M. E. Lowery that she had just withdrawn about $45 from a savings and loan company to pay her rent and was standing on the sidewalk at 9th and Hill Sts.i when a man approached her to ask directions.

'Smuggled Jewrta stranger told her, she aid, that he was a Greek sailor and showed her a small box containing seven diamonds which he said he had smuggled out of Czechoslovakia and wanted to sell. Another man sidled up and, after peeking at the diamonds, said he was a jeweler and that they were worth twice what the "sailor" was asking for them. 1 Mrs. Kelman hustled back Into the savings and loan office and withdrew $1250, which she gave to the "sailor." He gave her the box and the diamonds and disappeared. Then the turned to the "jeweler" who was to double her investment.

He had gone, too. Then, she opened the box of diamonds. They were glass. Writer Victim of Drug Overdose Mrs. Gertrude Purcell, 57, a motion-picture writer, was treated early yesterday at Hollywood Receiving Hospital for what police said was an overdose of pain-relieving tablets in a suicide attempt.

Police quoted her as saying she had been out of work for more than a year and planned to end her life at her apartment, 183314 Grace St. Police said she was found by the apartment manager. Hospital workers said she was to be transferred to the Motion Picture Relief Home for further treatment. Elizabeth Taylor Suffers Eye Injury Actress Elizabeth Taylor was treated at St John's Hospital in Santa Monica yesterday for an eye injury she received last week. Miss Taylor's right eye was pierced with a tiny steel filing while she was working on a film.

RETURNED Gl TO WRITE KIN OF MEN HELD Joseph L. Jewell, a recently exchanged prisoner of war held In Korea, prepared yesterday to begin writing relatives of some 200 American prisoners of war he left behind In prison camp, including Ave Southern Califbrnians. Jewell said In Cincinnati that he has the names and addresses of the men In a book. Among them are Raymond Arias of 11745 Duncan Compton; Richard Sallordo, 10936 Ollnda Sun Valley; Al Estrada, 179 Vance Chula Vista: Blyther Berkhamer, 150 97th and Eddie Monte-jano, 120 Delhi Road, Santa Ana. "We don't want to cast aspersions on our pious Mayor but the great and pure city he talks about just does rot line up with reports we've heard in recent months and years about sex murders, marijuana escapades and the narcotics scandals," Poulson said.

The Congressman was particularly biting in his comments on Bbwron's remark that the vice lords "apparently are making plans for operating in the city if I' am out of office after the May 26 election." Dictator Complex Rep. Poulson said, "How ridiculous can he get? What more self-serving political declaration can anyone make than that? Again it's a reaffirmation of the Bowron dictatorship complex. It's the old canard that he Is the only man in a city of 2,000,000 people who wouldn't sell out to the gangsters. It's the now-familiar idea that Bowron Is right and everybody else is wrong." Poulson observed that Bow-ron'y "platitudes about Los Angeles as a pure city could bear some looking into" and reiterated that "upon my election, I pledge that Los Angeles will become the hottest city in the United States for gangsters, vice kings and hoodlums. The farther away from this city they stay, the better off they will be." Department is aware that three of the men listed In the report Malcolm Clarke, Max Kuffer- man and Artnur Samish are residents and property owners here.

'Snhjprt to Arrest' "Concerning the others, we haven't heard of them in the past and they apparently haven't been here for any length of time. If anyone comes to Palm Springs and Is subject to our ex-convict registration law and they fail to comply, they are subject to arrest. "We have enforced this law at all times, but with hone of the men mentioned in the re port." The commission report, carrying photographs of luxurious swimming pool desert estates maintained by some of the alleged gangland figures in the Palm Springs area, named the 12 men, in addition to Clarke, Kufferman and Samish, as: Al-braham Teitelbaum, "formerly an attorney for the Capone syndicate, Joseph (Doc) Sta- cher, "who has 10 aliases and an arrest record dating back to 1021;" Joe Fusco, described CRIME REPORT Continued from First Page further study the Mafia, the Los Angeles Police Department has prepared a survey report entitled, 'Gangland Killings, Los Angeles Area, This is a good picture of the rackets, illustrating the problem that the department has to contend with, and is typical of the problems which confront other law enforcement agen cies. "The survey reprt deals with some 57 murders which have been committed In the Los Angeles area from the year 1000 to 1951. It is true that the so-called Mafia killings are surrounded with the secrecy which has proved most difficult to penetrate.

However, the study of these crimes over the years shows a definite pattern, the repetition of which in case aft er case cannot be laid to coincidence." Ostracism Proposed While pleasing Chief Parker and his department with, praise of their efforts to control gang sterism here, the Crime Commission severely criticized authorities and citizens of Palm Springs for allowing that desert resort to become a Merea for "murderers, blackmailers, pimps, dope dealers and ganv biers." The commission called for public ostracism of 12 men it described as shady gangland figures who maintained at least part-time headquarters in Palm Springs. In reply to these blunt asser tions by the commission, Capt. Orest Johnson, acting Police Chief of the desert resort town, said yesterday: as a onetime Capone lieutenant; Abe Zwillman, "branded by the FBI as a puhlic enemy;" Frankle Carho, Gerald Catena, Meyer Lansky, Ed Levinson, Allen Smiley and Willie Bis-choff all of whom the commission connected with various underworld activities and associations. Oreanslde Improvement In Oceanside, to which the commission pointed 'a stern finger in its report, declaring it had received evidence of almost open trafficking in narcotics Tarn to Page 4, Column WHEW! THAT WAS CLOSE! Mrs. Rose Milille sot for a time yesterday on lawn settee in shade of 75-foot black walntit tree at her home, 2206 Lee El Monte.

Only minutes ofter she left the spot a high wind toppled the mighty tree. Tlmii nht "The Palm Springe Police canyons are anticipated..