Researching Criminal Records; The Ups and Downs

I started researching criminal records when I found my great-aunts son was involved in a stream of robberies in St. Paul, MN and was sentenced to Stillwater Prison in the early 1900's.

I have since researched many countries and many records. Ancestry has a large array of records if you know how to search through them. Some are not easy. I have been digging through theirs and on google for many years now.

My next step is going to be Federal records, I will add that research at a later date.

When I start my research I usually only have a photo (Mugshot) and a name, sometimes I don't  even have a photo. It's important to know what place the person was in prison, but if you don't have that information you can still find a record with some detective work.

The first story I wrote "Her Name Is Valarie" Lead me through a journey I will never forget. I started with only her photo (Mugshot) I found in Google Images. As I looked at her photo she spoke to me to tell her story. I do not know how to explain it any other way. This happens often to me, where a photo will reach out and grab me, and want me to tell a story. Maybe these individuals are reaching out to me somehow and need someone to know what happened to them.



Valarie Lowe 


Many times families want to keep those skeletons locked away in that closet. In the past bad things were not talked about, so many times in genealogy there's a criminals story waiting to be told. I have notice many, many times while researching that people have added that person to their tree but there is nothing stated about their criminal life. I don't know if they know or just don't know how to find it, or have even thought about looking.

I look for mugshots, prison records, but also I look through newspaper articles. There is a goldmine there. It will tell you when and why they were arrested or about a trial or how many years they got. If the person was paroled or pardoned.

Beware in searching these records the dates of birth and places are not always accurate. I have come across this many times. This is because of who was transcribing the record. Once I found a birth place as Grass Valley, PAL I thought it was California or Colorado, I did a google search and Grass Valley is in California. So remember to use your search engine to help with where places are.







The most inaccurate records I have come across so far are in the California Criminal Records on Ancestry. They either mis-spell the names or the birth dates and places are wrong. Now this perhaps could be the fault of the person in the prison at the time, they may not have asked how it was spelled or half heard. Who knows, so take it with a grain of salt.


Sometimes these records only have initials and they aren't always accurate either, such was the case of  a few I researched. One was Dr. R. G. Alcorn which his name is acually DR. Reilly Jefferson Alcorn. Which I found in newspapers and Ancestry Family Tree. He was sentenced to Idaho prison for manslaughter of Cora A Burke, Illegal Abortion resulting in her death. His wife was also a doctor, Dr. Cora Elnora Hilton. Not one of the many trees I found had any information or newspaper clipping about his incarceration. That amazed me.



There are some very interesting finds in researching these records. In some instants you can find out that the person actually may have been innocent. In such case as William B McGraw Inmate # 737 in Idaho Prison, who was sentenced 15 years for Rape of an underage girl by the name of Florence Cartwright. 



One never knows where your research can lead you.

New Mexico Prison records lead me down a path of finding several inmates that had died of T.B. they were not incarcerated together at the same time. 

Inmate # 3367 Sumner F Marshall was in Prison in 1914 and died 23 Oct 1923
Inmate # 3518 Lucas Dela O in prison 1915 died 9 Dec 1927
Inmate # 3183 Felipe Flores was in prison 1913 died 1 Feb 1928
Inmate # 2200 Elmer L Price letter from prison doctor stating he had T. B. dated 1913 he was in prison 1907 and supposedly escaped, but was never heard from again, I found no records after his escape not even a death record...HUM

I Think the Prison was killing it's inmates and burying them in their cemetery on the property. Just a very strong theory I have. 



Elmer L Price See my blog on him


The farther back in time you go the harder it is to research that persons life, sometimes I only find census records. Sometimes nothing. England Gaol and pardon records are very good source of information.

Like Harriet Abbots in her 1860 England Prison (Goal) record. 



It lists all her priors and in some cases in these records there are a photo and letters written from family. Which to me would be a goldmine.


There are also State Industrial School Records such as Ione & Whittier in California, these juvenile records have lots of photo's of the children but they maybe very dark because of the quality and they look like they were photocopied into Ancestry's database.

Victorino Ortez Whittier Reform School

This little guy Victorino Ortez was born 23 Mar 1904 in Colton, CA
Thomas Ortez & "Louisa" Gerarda Contreras. HIs mother died when he was a young boy. on 12 Oct 1906 in Colton, CA. He had several siblings and one brother died young according to his juvenile record.


At age 12 this little boy was employed picking grapes. He got into trouble with some neighborhood kids and on 22 Nov 1915 he was admitted to Whittier Reform School in Los Angeles, CA. He father Thomas at the time was employed at the Colton Cement Co..

Why placed in Juvenile Custody?

1. Conduct
2 Family Conditions
3. Mental Conditions
4. Physical Condition
5. Summary of influences caused conditions
6. Recommendations

He was stealing, bicycle, $25, brass
wont listen to his father or his sisters
truancy

He would spend the money on picture shows.

He was placed on parole 23 Oct 1919 and finally discharged on 25 Mar 1920 when he became 16.


He married Amelia Molina born 1909 married 7 Aug 1929 Orange Co., CA. He died 11 Nov 1980 Anaheim, Orange, CA. I did not find a Findagrave memorial for him.

I am so happy he seemed to have a good life after he grew up. I didn't find any more criminal records for him. Losing his mom had to of been so hard on this family. His 14 year old sister was left in charge while dad had to work so they could live. How heart breaking.


So these are my tips in researching criminal records and remember tell the whole story, listen to what they tell you. Happy hunting!!!!


Comments

  1. so did you find the story of Valarie Lowe?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I did find out some yes but no family members

    ReplyDelete
  3. http://criminalgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/11/her-names-is-valerie.html

    ReplyDelete

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