Attorney Ward Sullivan confers with defendant Jack Santo while know what to do.". truth? plans and enthusiasm Posing as a fixer who could provide her with a fake alibi, an undercover officer met with Graham and secretly recorded their conversations, including a forced confession. She was a brunette bombshell, a diabolical dame, a femme fatale with a sordid past and unsavory ties to Los Angeles' criminal underworld. He said, "A lot of important people called Governor Knight and asked that she not be executed. Barbara Graham was asked to come along to get Monohan to open the door. a familiar story?). Following this she moved to Reno, Nevada and then Tonopah, Nevada working in a number of different jobs, working in a hospital and as a waitress. She Proof of Guilt: The Tragic Life and Public Death of Barbara Graham. I patted her on the leg and told her to take a good whiff and she said 'how the hell do you know?' 2 O'clock in the morning. was pronounced dead at 11.42 a.m. Barbara strained against the [11], The press nicknamed Graham "Bloody Babs", reflecting the public disgust for her alleged actions. After the gang left, Santo assumed Monohan was dead. Three hours later the two men were executed, side by side. Your donation supports our high-quality, inspiring and commercial-free programming. "Bud" Kieser, Calle de los Negros: L.A.'s "Forgotten" Street, The Chinese Massacre: One of Los Angeles' Worst Atrocities. After many failed appeals and on her execution day multiple stays of execution, Barabara Graham was taken to the death chamber. And, she had a nephew who worked the gambling tables in Vegas. wouldn't turn state's evidence. "She could be used as a symbol for both sides. Thank you very much in advance. On October 10, 1929, at the age of 23, Hortense married Joseph Wood (1901-1930) in Alameda. The mayor is expected to discuss issues such as the homelessness crisis, public safety and ways to move the city forward. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "[20] Los Angeles Herald-Express reporter Bill Walker also exposed the inaccuracies of the film in his article in the April 1959 issue of Cavalier, "Exposing Hollywood's 'I Want to Live' Hoax", and in a 1961 book titled The Case of Barbara Graham. So according to policemen were recorded. LOS ANGELES, Calif. (FOX 11) - "Bloody Babs" - that's what she was called by some! Barbara Graham died within minutes of inhaling the gas. Appeals dragged on for 18 months, continuing all the way to the execution day, June 3, 1955, when Calif. Gov. old and thus Barbara was raised by neighbors and got little education. fourth gang member called John True went to the old lady's house and demanded ", Noyes added, "She was quivering and shaking to her death.". Birth information. It may well be that Barbara did not pistol whip and suffocate Mrs. Mahon her death had been much easier than Mabel Monahans. large sums of money and jewelry in her house. Susan Hayward signed on to play Graham. Barbara also tried to bribe another policeman to say she was with him on It was with a profound feeling of sadness, and an uneasy heart that loved ones and family members, as well as colleagues, and colleagues announced the sudden death of . Following the classic sob-story vector from orphan to juvenile delinquent to petty criminal, Graham found her calling as femme fatale. Although Graham's story is largely forgotten today, Cairns said, she remains a powerful symbol of a woman marginalized by society, abused by the legal system and besmirched by the media. This arrangement lasted until March 1953, when Perkins decided to try a different game of chance. Evelita Juanita Spinelli was the first woman executed in California in 1941. At 10:43 am, Knight stayed the execution until 11:30 am; Graham protested, "Why do they torture me? She prepared herself and dressed in a beige wool On March 26th, 1953, police made five arrests and questioned all 5 men in connection with the first-degree murder of Monohan. Unlike other crime dramas of the era, "I Want to Live!" The law in most countries has always argued that we should. herself. They had a guy standing guard outside watching for the cops and they beat the hell out of Mable Monahan.". the a familiar story?). The film is from Graham's point of view and includes details differing from real life; in particular, the manner in which the police found and arrested Graham. Shorters version of events claims that when he entered the house, Mabel Monohan was already gagged and bleeding. She won an Oscar for the portrayal. trouble with the law. She married again but this marriage lasted lawyers asserted she had been "framed" by police because she Nicknamed "Bloody Babs" by the press, Graham was the third woman in California to be executed by gas.[1]. At best, Hortense was an indifferent mother, and often a hostile one. huge interest in and protests over the execution of Karla Faye Tucker in Texas One of the policemen who Nicknamed \"Bloody Babs\" by the press, Graham was the third woman in California to be executed by gas.DISCLAIMER .Death Row is a Channel that educates and also does not in anyway encourage any actions or behaviors, that might land anyone in jail or on death row.Death row channel does not accept any racial, profanity,sexism or any negative discussion aimed at an individual. Henry Graham was a drug addict and was known as a hardened criminal, all be it one of a low level. old and thus Barbara was raised by neighbors and got little education. ", One of Graham's strongest allies was San Francisco Examiner reporter Edward S. Montgomery, who, by his own admission, usually sided with the prosecution. All When Graham was two, her mother, who was still in her late teens, was arrested and sent to reform school and Graham was placed in foster care in which she alleged that she was beaten and treated poorly. A call he spoke about so many years later. Got down on her knees and cried and pleaded and said 'you know the Governor. As they prepared to leave, True said, Graham slipped a pillowcase over Monahan's head while Perkins tied her hands together and Santo fastened a piece of cloth around her neck. As a teenager, she was promiscuous and in There are some questions about her guilt. she hand it over to them. Her execution was originally scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on the 3rd of June, 1955. Mabel Monahan was a retired vaudeville performer whose past work included working with the Keith Albee Orpheum Corporation. ", His advice provoked a sneering, "How the hell would you know?". The 1958 movie was based on real events. In the movie "I Want to Live" Susan Hayward plays murderess Barbara Graham. gas chamber there in 1955. in the murder. And, Barbara Graham and the two meatheads she worked with they decided that he was probably laundering ill-gotten gains with Mable Monahan," said Retired KTTV Investigative Reporter Pete Noyes "So, they broke into her house. Barbara was In He was 59 years old and is survived by his wife, Pamela Thomas-Graham, two sons, Gordon and Harrison, a daughter Lindsey and . by Deputy Sheriffs. in the murder. . To keep creating Her ex son-in-law was 74-year-old Luther B. Scherer (1879-1957), a multi-millionaire who was well known through his ownership of various gambling clubs in locations such as Palm Springs and casinos in Las Vegas. Barbara was sent to the California Institute for All of the men knew Monohan through Scherer however they were all released due to lack of evidence. In She got married and enrolled in a business college and soon had her This attempt to illicit perjury plus her previous perjury conviction made Graham seem unreliable to the jury and was convicted of Mabel Monohans murder. However Shorter, once alone, purportedly called for help from a pay phone. Doomed to die in the gas chamber, Barbara Graham is interviewed That makes Graham not guilty of the beating but responsible for Monohan's death, the cause of which was determined to have been asphyxiation. One of the policemen who On Wednesday police identified the woman as 74-year-old. the reporter, "If I have to spend the rest of my life in prison - if I She either wouldn't or couldn't. Barbara Graham Obituary: In the loving memory of Barbara Graham, we are saddened to inform you that Barbara Graham, a beloved and loyal friend, has passed away. "I want to live. Lawrence Otis Graham, Chappaqua resident, respected attorney, author, media commentator, board member and lifelong advocate for diversity passed away on February 19, 2021. In her shocking confession she admitted she drove [10], Upon hearing of Shorter's disappearance and probable death, William Upshaw, a convicted felon, volunteered to testify before the grand jury. [8] One rumor that was widely circulated amongst criminals and in local bars was that Scherer, due to his deep trust of Monohan, had left $100,000 ($1,044,292 value in 2022) cash stashed in a safe within the residence.[4][9]. Graham - California1955. Barbara Graham's hands. In 1942 she travelled to long beach, California and San Diego and was arrested on vice charges. guards were present in the viewing area. was two years old at the time of his mother's execution. She married Harry Kielhamer (19131993), a U.S. Coast Guardsman, in 1940, and enrolled in a business college and soon had her first two children. Her last words were, Good people are always so sure theyre right.. . crime. After a series of delays, final hours. Cairns tackled the topic of rehabilitating female inmates in 2009's "Hard Times in Tehachapi: California's First Women's Prison." , the execution finally got under way. And, I said Barbara we know the whole story. Mr. Graham had already made partner at a Manhattan law firm and written 11 books when, . Mrs. Mabel Monohan. dubbed "Bloody Babs" by them. Footage: Robert Adams San Bernardino Ca Shooting, Who Killed Zack Tv? He contacted Hollywood producer Walter Wanger, who specialized in "socially significant message films that challenged power structures.". Interestingly when Barbara was interviewed on death row she told have to serve more than seven years - I want it the way it is. The movie was said to have given Graham something she never had - a little understanding - and fueled public sentiment opposing the death penalty. As a teenager, she was arrested for vagrancy and sentenced to serve time at Ventura State School for Girls, the same reform school where her mother had been. Next of kin and family origins. to death. Word on the street had it that an elderly, infirm widow - Mabel Monohan - was the former mother-in-law of a high-flying Las Vegas gambler. But if there was an earthly power who helped both raise him up and keep his . demanded the death penalty. Her appeals failed, and on June 2, 1955, she was transferred to San Quentin State Prison. Chessman, who wrote the bestselling," "Death Cell 2455," in 1954 from San Quentin's death row, was the poster boy for abolishing the death penalty. Barbara was left in the care of a loose network of family and friends, shuttled from place to place until her mother was deemed ready to mingle in polite society and set free. been an inmate. Graham denied having any role in the Monohan caper or killing, and might have convinced a jury had she not made one serious mistake. the answer? "Stories like Barbara Graham's are really significant because they show you how the system works - or doesn't. "In a situation like this you don't moan, you don't beg, she was secure, he said to her "Now take a deep breath and it won't bother Old enough to start raising her own hell, Barbara soon entered her Mom's alma mater, the Ventura reformatory. Iris later got remarried and moved to New York, leaving her mother Mabel to reside in the house. She took the drugs and cash, left him with the baby, and moved in with the unsavory Emmett Perkins, a friend and business associate of her husband. All three were found guilty of . lady's death and was hardly most peoples' idea of a "nice girl" but large sums of money and jewelry in her house. Barbara Graham was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery, San Rafael, California. 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