Bekins Van heiress nabbed and fined
for speeding at 23 miles an hour
83-year-old pauper is determined to become a citizen despite opposition of a large San Fernando Valley landowner
Amazing photograph from Mt. Wilson of L.A. at night

Los Angeles in the 1900s

February 1908

by
George Garrigues

Los Angeles Daily Times, February 15, 1908

TWENTY-THREE

Beauty’s Fast Drive an Invitation Affair

Miss Ruth Bekins, a beautiful girl of 17, and popular in the younger society circles, had an invitation to drive an automobile Thursday evening, and [she] drove so fast that she fractured two city ordinances and was fined $15 . . . .

[She was the daughter of the founder of the Bekins Van and Storage Company.]

The young lady was out for a spin with her friend, Linford Lull, son of the general manager of the Auto Vehicle Co., in his car. On West Seventh Street, near Alvarado, he offered Miss Bekins the wheel; and then the street lamps begin to look like a blur as they flew by.

The officers of the police motorcycle squad immediately became interested . . . .

The pursuing officers peered through the darkness and just saw the red lamp on the rear of the machine disappearing. . . .

Over the smooth asphalt road the auto ahead dashed, taking on speed at every jump. The 12-mile [speed] limit was quickly broken to smash, and the speedometer crept up toward the 20-mile mark.

On went the car, 21 miles and hour, 22 an hour — and still the girl put on a little more speed. The officers raced madly in pursuit.

She was arrested on the 13th, while going 23 miles an hour. . . .

Miss Bekins, accompanied by two girl friends, appeared before Justice Rose in the Police Court yesterday afternoon. . . .

Miss Bekins carried her books under one arm and her purse under the other. She was prettily dressed in a tailor-made suit of tan, with lace collars and cuffs, and a dark blue hat. . . .

“You have violated two laws,” said the court. “One, in that you were breaking the speed regulations within the 12-mile limit, and the other that you were breaking the general city limitations of 20 miles an hour.

“I will fine you $15 or fifteen days.”

Miss Bekins evidently intended paying her fine out of her pin money, and she found she did not have enough with her. . . . she went back to where her two friends were sitting.

Miss Ruth Bekins, a well-known young society girl, who was fined in the Police Court yesterday on a charge of overspeeding an automobile. Sketched by John Coxon, while [she was] handing the money to the clerk.

There was a consultation, punctuated by giggles, and finally Miss Bekins marched forward, deposited the $10 with the clerk, and then counted out the remaining $5 in . . . dimes, quarters and half dollars.

She then smilingly left the courtroom.

For a happier story about Ruth Bekins, go here.
 

LOS ANGELES BASIN
FROM THE MT. WILSON OBSERVATORY
Source: L.A. Bureau of Street Lighting.

Go here for more on the Mount Wilson Observatory, which was founded in 1904.

Los Angeles Daily Times, February 6, 1908

GRIT

Would Begin Life Again

Inmate of Poor Farm Applies for Citizenship

Burdened with his 83 years, Andrew Sackey hobbled to the witness stand with the aid of a cane yesterday to tell Judge Monroe that he wants to become a citizen of the United States.

Strange to say, there were lawyers in court for the express purpose of opposing the granting of citizenship to the old man, who is an inmate of the County Farm.

. . . it is the first time on record that attorneys have appeared to fight the granting of citizenship. . . .

 

In a quavering voice, the told Judge Monroe that he had . . . taken out his citizenship papers . . . [in St. Charles, Missouri] and had voted in both Missouri and Texas. . . .

Judge Monroe was evidently impressed with the story of the old man . . . .

Then it developed why there is opposition to the old man becoming a citizen.

“Your honor, we will show that the applicant has not lived upon the land he has taken up,” remarked one of the attorneys.

“I have nothing to do with that,” replied the judge. “The land office will deal with that question.”

Judge Monroe instructed Deputy Sheriff Botillo to write to the clerk of the court at St. Joseph, Missouri, and find out if Sackey really took out his papers there and, if so, to send on a certified copy.

 

Then he turned to the bewildered witness:

“You don’t belong to any society which teaches that it is right to kill kings and presidents, do you?” he asked.

“I belong to a lodge,” replied the applicant, fearfully.

“Oh, that’s all right,” remarked the judge, with a smile . . . .

[President McKinley was assassinated by an anarchist in 1901 and King Charles I of Portugal was assassinated early in 1908.]

 

The case is curious.

Sackey in his extreme old age wants to begin life again. He says he is tired of being a pauper through no fault of his own, and to remedy this he some time ago filed a homestead claim on a tract of land in the San Fernando Valley, near Chatsworth Park.

Pete Lopez is the reputed “boss” of this district. He claims a large tract of land there and objected to have Sackey file in the vicinity.

[This Lopez was probably related to Don Pedro Lopez, who was appointed mayordomo of the San Fernando Mission (the civil administrator in charge of agricultural operations) in 1834 under Mexican rule.]

He employed attorneys and filed a contest in the local land office . . . .

It was stated yesterday that the old man’s claim will probably be thrown out because he is a county charge.

But Judge Monroe has taken an interest in the almost friendless applicant, and it is a foregone conclusion that . . . the judge will grant him the boon of American citizenship, and he will have the satisfaction of at least dying . . . an American citizen.
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