Mattson kidnapping case. Two boys standing on a path leading up the hillside below the Mattson home. Photograph ordered by the Seattle Star. On a peaceful post-Christmas night in 1936, the Mattson children and a family friend were watching area motorists drive up to view the Christmas light display in the front yard of the Mattson home at 4605 No. Verde. An armed and masked man broke in through a rear entrance of the home and seized Charles Mattson, the smallest of the group of children. He left a ransom note for $28,000. He then, it is believed, carried Charles down this path behind the Mattson home, down a steep bluff to Ruston Way and a waiting get away car driven by an accomplice. (T. Times 12/28/1936 - 1/25/1937, pg. 1)

Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Mattson, Charles--Kidnappings;

Mattson kidnapping case. View of Ruston Way and Commencement Bay from hillside below the Mattson home. On December 27, 1936, an armed intruder abducted ten year old Charles Mattson from his parents' home at 4605 No. Verde. He then carried the boy down the steep cliff behind the home leading to Ruston Way and the waterfront. A ransom note was left behind at the crime scene, demanding $28,000. Up to this point, no less than 12 well publicized kidnappings had occurred since the 1934 kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby. The previous year, 1935, young George Weyerhaeuser had been kidnapped and returned following payment of the ransom. Charles Mattson was murdered and his body dumped in a wooded area 200 feet off of the Edmonds-Everett Highway, 6 miles south of Everett. Despite an extensive manhunt, and numerous suspects, his murderer was never found. (T. Times 12/28/1936- 1/25, 1937, pg. 1)

Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Mattson, Charles--Kidnappings;

A child's dial typewriter used for ransom note, with a hand operating it. Photograph ordered by the Seattle Star. On December 27, 1936, Charles Mattson was kidnapped by an armed and masked intruder at his parents' home at 4605 No. Verde. The ransom note left behind appeared to be typed on a child's typing machine or made with a child's letter stamps. The note contained less than 25 words and demanded $28,000 ransom. Misspellings were corrected with pen and ink. (T. Times 12/28/1936- 1/25/1937, pg. 1) (filed with Argentum)

Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Mattson, Charles--Kidnappings;

Charles Mattson, on right, tied to a telephone pole while playing "G-men" with another boy. According to the Tacoma Times, FBI men were Charles' heroes and he and his friends often played "kidnap" where Charles doubled as the victim and the G-man. Later, in December of 1936 at the age of ten, Charles Mattson was kidnapped from his parents' Tacoma home and murdered. Despite the questioning of numerous suspects across the country the following month, the case was never solved. This photograph shows a younger Charles and appeared on the front page of the Tacoma Times December 30, 1936. (T. Times 12-28-1936 - 1-25-1937, pg. 1) (filed with Argentum)

Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Mattson, Charles;

Mattson kidnapping case. Warehouses and shoreline along Commencement Bay. Photograph ordered by the Seattle Star. On December 27, 1936, at around 9 p.m., ten year old Charles Mattson was abducted from his parents' home by an armed intruder. The man left a typed ransom note demanding $28,000. He then, it is believed, carried the 70 pound boy down a steep cliff behind the Mattson home, across the railroad tracks and to a waiting car on Ruston Way. The following day, the area was crawling with press attempting to fill their front pages. It was hypothesized the the abductor could have hidden the boy in one of the warehouses along the waterfront. (T. Times 12/28/1936- 1/25/1937, pg. 1)

Waterfronts--Tacoma--1930-1940; Piers & wharves--Tacoma--1930-1940; Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Warehouses--Tacoma--1930-1940; Mattson, Charles--Kidnappings;

Tacoma Police Department swing shift. The swing shift shows off the whiskers that they have grown for the Northwest Territory Centennial beard contest.

Police--Tacoma--1950-1960;

ca. 1949. Called both a "wonder of the age" and "an architectural monstrosity" the old Pierce County Court House stood at 1012 South G Street just northeast of the Armory. Modeled after the courthouse in Pittsburgh, PA, the brick walls were faced with stone quarried in Tenino and sandstone from Wilkeson. Included in the building plans were secret stairways, hideouts, a hanging room and dungeons that would have done credit to a 15th century castle. The four clock faces in the tower were each 8 feet in diameter and had concealed lights which enabled Tacomans to read the time by day or night. The county commissioner moved his offices in the as yet unfinished building on June 21, 1893. It was demolished in 1959. (TNT 4/7/1959 p. C-16) Bowen # 1062-1

Illegal stills at courthouse. Theodore Mohrbacher, Joe Desmond and Jack Bodaylea, left to right, of the county dry squad examine confiscated stills at the county courthouse on January 19, 1924. These are just a few of the dozens of huge liquor stills that will be converted into junk by jail trustees in the near future. The stills are now piled up in the lobby of the county jail. Stills can range in size from small tea kettle types to huge commercial boilers capable of holding hundreds of gallons of mash. The manufacture of alcohol was made illegal by the passage of the 18th amendment and the Volstead Act, which went into effect in January of 1920. Prohibition was abolished with the passage of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution in 1933. (TNT 1-19-24, p. 1) G24.1-074; TPL-9895

Stills (Distilleries); Mohrbacher, Theodore; Desmond, Joe; Bodaylea, Jack;

H.L. Phillips and Willliam Farrar of the city dry squad are shown emerging from the tunnel dug under the home at 7813 A St. on September 6, 1924. The residence was raided that Saturday afternoon and after two hours of searching, elaborate moonshine stills were discovered and confiscated. Barrels, bottles and other distillation apparatus along with a shovel are pictured above. The stills and other equipment, including 200 gallons of finished moonshine, were taken as evidence. One man was arrested in the raid. (TDL 9-8-24, p. 1) G24.1-073

Stills (Distilleries); Phillips, H.L.; Farrar, William; Tunnels--Tacoma;

Large barn on J. Thomas Benston's Farm in Graham that held a bootlegging operation that operated for 6 months undisturbed before it was raided by federal agents in July of 1931. The barn was in clear view of the highway and received frequent shipments of fuel oil, sugar and supplies. It is estimated that it took 25 tons of sugar to produce 1 filling of mash for 1 of its 8 redwood vats. The highway also carried frequent shipments from the farm, trucks loaded with cans and kegs of alcohol. Little trouble was taken to disguise the enterprise and its operation was common knowledge in the neighborhood. The still operated for 6 months and produced over a half million dollars worth of alcohol before it was raided by federal agents. (TNT 7-17-1931. pg 1)

Benston, J. Thomas--Homes & haunts; Barns--Graham; Prohibition--Graham; Stills (Distilleries); Police raids--Graham;

Unidentified men pose with several of the large redwood fermenting vats used in illegal alcohol production in the barn located on the property of J. Thomas Benston in Graham, WA. The barn contained eight of these huge circular vats, each having a capacity of over 5,000 gallons. It is theorized that the operation could produce $20,000 of alcohol every 24 hours. Little effort was made to disguise its operation, and it managed to remain in business six months before it was raided. Operators were said to have paid up to $8,000 a month in protection. In an odd twist of fate, the operators were producing their last batch and getting ready to clear out when the barn was raided. Benston maintained his innocence, stating that he only rented the barn and was not aware that it was being used for illegal purposes. (TNT 7/17-19/1931, pg. 1)

Benston, J. Thomas--Associated objects; Prohibition--Graham; Stills (Distilleries); Police raids--Graham;

An insider's view of some of the details of the bootlegging operation at Benston's Farm raided by Federal agents in July of 1931. One Federal agent, in his sleeveless T-shirt, inspects a pipe on part of the still. Another agent climbs a wooden ladder. There are metal beds in the middle of the "room". The fire for the still had to be maintained 24 hours a day. There is a large stack of metal containers waiting to be filled with alcohol, the still actually used an automatic filler system. The distillery operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Ironically, the actual dismantling was done by inmates of McNeil Island, some of them incarcerated for bootlegging. The copper and vats from the distillery became the property of the prison and were put to legitimate use. (TNT 7/17-19/1931, pg. 1)

Benston, J. Thomas--Associated objects; Prohibition--Graham; Stills (Distilleries); Police raids--Graham;

Copy photograph of Charles Mattson, as a young child. Ten year old Charles Mattson was kidnapped from his parents' Tacoma home, at 4605 No. Verde, at gunpoint December 27, 1936. A ransom of $28,000 for his return was demanded in a note left at the crime scene. Conflicting and confusing demands from the kidnapper by phone and mail prevented his parents, Dr. and Mrs. William W. Mattson, from paying the ransom. Charles' battered body was found in a wooded snowbank near Everett by a teenage rabbit hunter on January 10th, 1937. He had been murdered 5-6 days before. The kidnapper had continued to make ransom demands even after the boy's death. Many suspects were questioned, but the murder remains unsolved. The investigation centered on the theory that the kidnapper was a madman. For Seattle Star. (T. Times 12/28/1936- 1/25/1937, pg. 1)

Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Mattson, Charles;

A roll of knotted bed sheets remains dangling from a window at the jail in the Public Safety Building, 621 Pacific Ave., on July 3, 1950. Federal prisoner Stanley P. O'Carter, age 34 of Phoenix, Arizona, made a daring attempt at escape from the multi-floored jail at 3:50 a.m. that morning. Only by chance was he captured as Officers Ed Cutler and Robert Hubert were passing nearby in the darkness at the time Mr. Carter dropped 12 feet onto the ground from the makeshift "ladder." Mr. Carter was one of only three federal prisoners in the government tank and had been alone in his cell for several days. It was believed that tools smuggled to him enabled him to cut a hole through the back of his cell and allowed him access to a small unbarred ventillating window on the north side of the building, immediately above the driveway. No tools were found on the prisoner nor in his cell. Mr. Carter did not resist arrest and was returned to the jail. (TNT 7-4-50, p. 1-article) TPL-6665

Public Safety Building (Tacoma); Prison escapes--Tacoma; Jails--Tacoma--1950-1960;

ca. 1937. Sentencing of Stanley G. Morrison, Tacoma broker tried for mail fraud, 1937. Mr. Morrison would be sentenced to a five-year term for using the mails to defraud. He would be released on parole from McNeil Island federal penitentiary after serving three years. He then would be tried in Superior Court on 11 counts of fraud in 1941. (T.Times 10-14-41, p. 1)

Crimes--Tacoma; Morrison, Stanley G.--Trials, litigation, etc.;

ca. 1937. 1937 sentencing of Stanley G. Morrison, Tacoma investment broker tried for mail fraud. Courtroom filled with people. A courtroom awaits the sentencing of Mr. Morrison on federal charges of mail fraud. He would be sentenced to a five-year term at McNeil Island federal penitentiary and serve three years before being released on parole. He would be charged in 1941 with eleven counts of fraud stemming from a 1937 situation where Frank Berry, Old Town fisherman, lost $30,000 through investments made through the Morrison Investment Co. (T. Times, 10-14-41, p. 1)

Crimes--Tacoma; Morrison, Stanley G.--Trials, litigation, etc.;

A Washington State Patrol officer knocks on the door of room 305 at the Winthrop Hotel where officers questioned Frank Olson who had confessed to the Mattson kidnapping. Olson, also known as Lester Mead and Charles Thorp, had walked away from the Medical Lake Asylum and fabricated his part in the crime. He was found to be harmless and returned to the Asylum. The state officers were accused by the Tacoma Times of blowing up the entire incident with poor investigative technique. To make matters worse, the Times claimed that special editions were released by the Tacoma News Tribune and a Seattle morning paper proclaiming that the crime had been solved. (T. Times 7/13/1938, pg. 1; TNT 7/13/1938, pg. 1)

Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Washington State Patrol (Tacoma); Mattson, Charles--Kidnappings;

Evidence in the kidnapping case of nine year old George Hunt Weyerhaeuser; communication by letter from the kidnappers and correspondence written by George. One of the later ransom notices, containing specific information for the delivery of money, was accompanied by this letter from George dated 5/25/1935, the day after the kidnapping. In it, he gives information about his family for verification and assures them that he has plenty to eat. A letter from the kidnappers received May 29th sets up a meeting at the Ambassador Hotel in Seattle and is signed "Egoist, Egoist." Phil Weyerhaeuser kept this appointment, signing the register as James Paul Jones as instructed, and attempted unsuccessfully to deliver the ransom on this attempt. He was successful in a second attempt. (T. Times 5/25/1935, pg. 1 plus succeeding days)

Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Weyerhaeuser, George H.--Correspondence; Evidence (Law);

On May 24, 1935, nine year old George Weyerhaeuser was kidnapped near the grounds of the Annie Wright Seminary. The ransom demand was for $200,000. Reporters from around the country camped out outside the pictured home of the J.P. Weyerhaeuser Jr. family at 420 No. 4th St. hoping to get a story. The Weyerhaeusers managed to move secretly, pay the ransom and obtain the freedom of their son. Ironically the democratic efforts of the parents, in moving to a smaller home, in sending their son to public school at Lowell and in allowing him to walk alone the five or so blocks to meet his sister at Annie Wright, contributed to the ease in which he was kidnapped. To their credit, on his release on June 1st, they allowed him to return to his normal life without restrictions. (T. Times 5/25/1935, pg. 1 plus succeeding days)

Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Weyerhaeuser, John Philip--Homes & haunts; Weyerhaeuser, George H.--Kidnappings;

Two men associated with the investigation into the kidnapping of young George Weyerhaeuser. The man on the left is believed to be US Attorney Owen P. Hughes and the man on the right is Pierce County Sheriff John Bjorklund. On May 24, 1935, the boy was abducted from the grounds of Annie Wright Seminary where he was planning to meet with his sister and travel home for lunch. (T. Times 5/25/1935, pg. 1 plus succeeding days)

Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Weyerhaeuser, George H.--Kidnappings; Bjorklund, John;

George Hunt Weyerhaeuser, after his release from abductors on June 1, 1935. Nine year old George had curly hair and dark eyes. On May 24, 1935, in the most sensational crime in Tacoma history, George was kidnapped as he walked from Lowell School to Annie Wright Seminary to meet with his sister and travel home for lunch. He was held for $200,000 ransom. After the ransom was paid by his father J. P. (Phil) Weyerhaeuser, Jr., George was released near Issaquah and made his way to a local home to request help. His recollections of his abduction and imprisonment helped to convict the three kidnappers. To his parents' credit, he was allowed to resume his normal life on his return. (T. Times 06/02/1935, pg. 1 plus succeeding days)

Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Weyerhaeuser, George H.;

Nineteen year old Margaret Waley covers her face with her coat after her arraignment on charges of kidnapping and extortion relating to the May 24, 1935 abduction of George Weyerhaeuser. Margaret, with her small stature, wavy brown hair and soft spoken ways, was generally pitied by the press. She was represented, in most cases, as being only an accessory to the kidnapping crime. She had married ex con Harman Waley against her parents' wishes. She seemed truly to love Harman however, exchanging kisses with him after the arraignment. The judge in the case, US Judge Edward Everett Cushman, later refused to accept her guilty plea and remanded her to trial. She was found guilty and sentenced to twenty years. (T. Times 06/13/1935, pg. 1 plus succeeding days)

Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Waley, Margaret; Weyerhaeuser, George H.--Kidnappings;

Nine year old George Weyerhaeuser seems a bit perplexed by reporters' questions at a press conference given by the family after the boy's release from kidnappers on June 1, 1935. George, who exhibited courage and spunk throughout his captivity, earned the admiration of the reporters with his relaxed appearance after his ordeal. His recollections of his captors and his description of the house in which he was held helped in identifying the kidnappers. Original photo (series 2700, image 61) has been enlarged and cropped to make George more prominent for the newspaper photo. (TNT 6/1/35, pg. 1) TPL-9069

Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Weyerhaeuser, George H.;

In May of 1935, police officers stand posted at the corners of the home of J.P. Weyerhaeuser Jr., 420 No. 4th St., keeping the press and the curious away while the family negotiates with their son's kidnappers. On May 24, 1935, nine year old George Weyerhaeuser was kidnapped from the grounds of the Annie Wright Seminary. Reporters from around the country camped outside the Weyerhaeuser home hoping to get a story. The Weyerhaeusers managed to move secretly, pay the ransom and obtain the freedom of their son. The boy was returned safely on June 1st. (T. Times 5/25/1935, pg. 1 plus succeeding days) (filed with Argentum)

Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Weyerhaeuser, John Philip--Homes & haunts; Weyerhaeuser, George H.--Kidnappings;

The La Gasa children pose with a vehicle. Photograph taken in connection with the kidnapping of George Weyerhaeuser and the resulting investigation and trial. The trio are most probably the children of Dr. and Mrs. James La Gasa. Photo ordered by the Seattle PI.

Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; La Gasa, James--Family; Weyerhaeuser, George H.--Kidnappings;

Mattson kidnapping case. An open Bible and a poinsettia plant are seen on a wrought iron table at Charles Mattson's bedside. The Bible, treasured by the murdered boy, is said to be as he left it. The Bible had been won by the boy by attending Sunday School regularly. He had returned it to his bedside table after attending Sunday School the same day as the kidnapping. On Sunday, 12/27/1936, at around 9 p.m., Charles Mattson was abducted at gunpoint from his parents' home. A ransom of $28,000 was demanded for his return. As the days dragged on, the kidnapper's demands became more confused and conflicting. Dr. Mattson was unable to obtain clear instructions on paying the ransom. Charles' battered body was found in the snowy woods outside of Everett on January 10, 1937. His murder remains unsolved. (photograph T.Times 1/2/37 p. 10; story T. Times 12/28/1936- 1/25/1937, page 1)

Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Bibles--Tacoma; Mattson, Charles--Associated objects;

Mattson kidnapping case, playmates of Charles Mattson. Three boys posed on the sidewalk for their portrait, ordered by the Seattle Star. At approximately 9 pm. on December 27, 1936, Charles Mattson, his 16 year old brother William, his 14 year old sister Muriel and a 14 year old family friend Virginia Chatfield sat in the front room of the Mattson home at 4605 No. Verde watching motorists drive up to view the large, living Christmas tree illuminated on the front lawn. The childrens' parents, Dr. and Mrs. William Mattson, were attending a social function. The idyllic scene was interrupted by the shattering of glass as an armed intruder broke through a french door at the rear of the house. He made a pretense of searching William for money and then bodily carried ten year old Charles out the rear of the house, leaving a ransom note. The Mattsons were an unusual target, although living in a wealthy neighborhood, the family was only moderately well-to-do. Dr. Mattson had lost much of his savings in the Great Depression and their home was mortgaged. He raised the $28,000 ransom with difficulty but was unable to receive clear instructions from the kidnapper on how to deliver the money. Charles Mattson was killed by a blow to head and dumped in a wooded area off of the Edmonds-Everett highway. His body was discovered January 10, 1937, he had been dead 5-6 days. Despite questioning and holding many suspects, the FBI and police were unable to locate his murderer. The canny and well planned kidnapping varied greatly from the kidnapper's later disjointed and confused communications. The authorities were led to believe that the kidnapper was a madman. (T. Times 12/28/1936 - 1/25/1937, pg. 1)

Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Boys--Tacoma--1930-1940; Mattson, Charles--Kidnappings;

Mattson kidnapping case, marina showing boat houses and boats. Telephone and power lines in the background. Photograph ordered by the Seattle Star. On the evening of December 27, 1936, Charles Mattson was abducted from his home at 4605 No. Verde by a masked gunman in full view of his older brother, sister and family friend. Because the teens did not hear a car pull away, it is believed that the intruder carried the boy down a path at the rear of the house that winds down a steep embankment to a wooded gulch below. He would then escape by car on Ruston Way or by boat at the waterfront. The gunman demanded a $28,000 ransom for the boy's return. As days passed, subsequent communications by the kidnapper were confusing and conflicting. The frantic parents were unable to get clear instructions on how to deliver the ransom. The boy's body was found near Everett on January 10, 1937; he had been dead 5-6 days. The kidnapper had made ransom demands even after he had murdered the boy. A massive manhunt turned up many suspects, but no one was indicted in connection with the murder. The story slipped from the front page on January 26, 1937 as leads began to peter out. (T. Times 12/28/1936 - 1/25/1937, pg. 1)

Waterfronts--Tacoma--1930-1940; Piers & wharves--Tacoma--1930-1940; Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Mattson, Charles--Kidnappings;

On March 24, 1941 Officer John Hickey, behind the wheel of the Tacoma Police department's new "sound" equipped patrol car, warned two absentminded pedestrians that they were about to step into danger - and break the law. To launch the Tacoma Junior Chamber of Commerce sponsored spring traffic safety week campaign, the specially equipped car cruised the streets of Tacoma warning both pedestrians and drivers of their impending violations. Reading the paper are: (l to r) George Wilson, chairman of the Junior Chamber of Commerce safety drive, and Bill Geppert. (T.Times 3/26/1941 p.15)

Tacoma Police Department (Tacoma); Hickey, John; Wilson, George; Geppert, Bill; Junior Chamber of Commerce (Tacoma);