The Lynwood Poltergeist.
By Raymond Bayless.
One of the more fascinating and baffling types of physical [sic] activity is that general group of paranormal effects termed the “Poltergeist.” Actually, this name is very misleading inasmuch as its meaning, a noisy ghost, implies specifically a spiritistic origin. The difficulty arises from the fact that thhere are many different, and possibly unrelated, varieties of phenomena all lumped together under the classification of poltergeist phenomena.
We have “haunted houses,” paranormal rappings and movement of objects, mysterious lights, sounds including music and voices, fires, showers of rocks and other missiles, and many other numerous effects, all included in one name. Most of these phenomena, I might add, show no evidence for a spiritistic origin – intervention by spirit – but on the other hand certain types and cases are best explained by a spiritistic explanation. Some varieties are so very strange and truly fantastic that no theory advanced is really adequate.
And as a matter of fact a new kind of poltergeist is appearing and that is – the invented case. With the advent of widespread information given to the public concerning these mysterious cases, undoubtedly a good percentage of the stories now seeing print are merely invented cases copied from the real and it must be admitted that poltergeist tales have at least become a fad. As with all other physical phenomena, unsupported claims before they they can be taken in the least seriously [sic].
The particular case to be described was very limited as to variety and was restricted to a shower of rocks and other missiles, but was extremely interesting due to the fact that the phenomena was completely validated by the police, the mysterious nature of the rock-fall unexplained by normal causes, and perhaps most important of all, the chief “suspect” brought to trial and found innocent. The very fact alone that a jury trial was held with the subsequent implication that mysterious and paranormal phenomena took place establishes this case’s historically unique position and legal rarity.
My attention was first drawn to this case when reading the Saturday morning edition of the Sept. 10th Los Angeles Times. This article I include.
Los Angeles Times – Southland – Sept. 10, 1960.
Modern David? Rocks pelt used car lot in Lynwood. Lynwood, Sept. 9.
A modern day David today leveled his anger and his sling at a used car lot, hurling almost 200 egg-sized rocks at the business in a day-long attack that 18 policemen couldn’t stop. Was it a disgruntled car buyer? “That’s what we first thought,” said a police sergeant. “But we asked the owner and he couldn’t tell us anyone that has been mad lately. Now we don’t know who, why or how.”
Still A Mystery. All available officers were dispatched to the scene, the Harry W. Moore auto lot. Although they patrolled with binoculars and walkie-talkies, they didn’t have any luck. They began a house-to-house search for the stone thrower late today. One employee of the auto lot was hit by one of the stones and at least two cars were damaged, police said. The barrage started at 9.30 a.m. and ended punctually at 4.30 – just when the house-to-house hunt started.
“The man can sure shoot,” said a policeman who spent almost all day trying to solve the mystery. “Those rocks are coming from at least a block away and they are all hitting within a radius of 50 ft.” Officers theorized the rock bomber must be using a sling, a slingshot, or a catapult of some sort. One policeman said he thought the rocks were coming from at least three blocks away.
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Naturally interested to read of this rock fall of the previous day I quickly picked up Mr Attila von Sealay, a researcher of many years, and drove to Lynwood, a small town on the fringe of Los Angeles. We arrived at the car lot on Long Beach Blvd. at three o’clock and met the manager of the lot, Mr Claude H. Mock, who said that he was present during the rock fall. Mr Mock informed us that the shower began Sept. 9th, when the lot mechanic and Louis Giacomo, the lot handy-man, came to work at 9.30 a.m. and ceased at 4.30 p.m. when they left, and that the pattern was repeated Sept. 10th, except that the bombardment apparently was brought to a halt when the Lynwood police took Giacomo in custody at one o’clock and the rocks ceased falling at the same time. He was charged with obstructing officers in the course of doing their duty, and was taken to the Lynwood Police Station.
After discussing the entire affair with Mr Mock we then went to the Lynwood Police Station and there interviewed Capt. Mervil M. Miller who had directed the investigation of the strange rock fall. He reviewed the case in detail telling us how eighteen policemen had searched the surrounding neighbourhood as well as the car lot in an attempt to apprehend the theoretical marksman using a catapult to bombard the lot. No such suspect was found or even remotely suspicioned!
Capt. Miller emphatically insisted that Giacomo was definitely not responsible for the shower of stones and that this was completely demonstrated by the fact that he was under strict police surveilance while the rocks were actually falling. Capt. Miller also described how he had the handy-man under observation while the rocks were dropping by means of glasses from across the street and was so enabled to see that the stones fell apart from any action of Giacomo. The Captain stated that no evidence was forthcoming linking Giacomo to the bombardment other than one minor incident that he observed through the glasses. The handy-man was observed leaving the lot office and to pick up a small stone, striking a car with it, claiming that it had just fallen. Capt. Miller placed little importance to this act inasmuch as Giacomo previously had been proved totally innocent when other rocks fell.
Further, it was stated that no other evidence other than “circumstantial evidence” was to be found and this evidence was that in view of the obvious fact that Giacomo was not responsible for the falling rocks, then a conference in the neighborhood using a catapult must exist. In other words, it was admitted that the theorized confederate with a catapult was merely supposed due to the fact that Giacomo was innocent, and the fact that rocks do not fly through the air unaided. Obviously, the Lynwood police were not familiar with psychical research, or the the lore of the poltergeist! In spite of the intensive police search no confederate was discovered and Capt. Miller called attention to this.
I asked if Giacomo had any previous police record, and if any abnormal events had ever been recorded in connection with him, and was informed that neither had taken place. I again asked – with considerable emphasis – if the case was considered “baffling” and Capt. Miller replied that it definitely was not solved. Giacomo still strongly maintained his innocence and was released on bond Sept. 11, 1960, pending trial.
Mr von Sealey managed to question Giacomo’s mother by telephone, but little information was actually gained. Any previous paranormal events were denied, but one interesting remark was noted. This was the observation that her son had expressed a certain degree of resentment concerning his work and pay. Here, we have an important point similar to certain other poltergeist cases. She also remarked that Giacomo admitted hitting a car with a rock, but that he maintained his innocence otherwise. This fact of genuine phenomena occurring with a “fraudulent” effect intermingled actually presents little significance to the experience psychical researcher, for such is a very common event in many cases. At the worst it merely complicates investigation. Dr Richet’s comment referring to a particular case, “There is no incongruity in admitting the genuineness of the earlier phenomena and also young March’s trickery, made possible when his movements were not watched,” is quite applicable to the case under consideration.
On Sept 12, I questioned Mr Harry W. Moore, the owner of the used car lot carefully and he proved very informative. He remarked about the “terrific speed” that the rocks manifested a number of times, and was plainly impressed by this feature. He said there were periods when no stones were projected into the lot, some lasting as long as fifteen minutes. I also was informed that Giacomo had been working for two days before the stone throwing began, the fall beginning on Friday. Upon inquiry I was told that no temperature oddities of the rocks were noted due to the rush of events and excitement that prevailed. Mr Moore stated that near the end of the fall various types of objects were being thrown.
Mr Moore told me in some detail how Giacomo was in the car lot office with him under complete observation at the same time that rocks were hitting outside the office and also remarked that the “suspect” was under strict surveilance by the police many times as the rocks were falling. He said that Giacomo was most certainly not responsible for the stones falling in the main in spite of the one time that he left the office, picking up a small stone, to throw it at a car. The police, who were watching with glasses then swooped down upon Giacomo and took him into custody. Mr Moore, as did Capt. Merril, consider that the handyman was definitely not responsible for the rock bombardment and was, to be exact, proven absolutely innocent on many occasions when rocks were pelting the lot.
I think it well at this point to quote from the Sept. 11, Los Angeles Times edition an observation of Capt. Merril’s which states concisely his opinion as expressed to the reporters and therefore in print. This opinion completely coincides with that of Mr Moore. … “Some fell Friday and this morning that Giacomo couldn’t have been responsible for. He was standing next to officers when the rocks landed.”
On Nov. 22, 1960, Louis Giacomo was brought to trial at the Compton Municipal Court and Judge Sidney W. Kaufman presided. Giacomo was, as mentioned, charged with obstructing officers in doing their duty and after a very interesting trial was declared by the jury to be not guilty. The entire proceedings can be well summed up by the prosecutor’s final argument which, I must admit, was so very vague as to be near ridiculous… “Rocks fell on a car lot. The defendant has not been charged with throwing rocks per se, but he has been charged with obstructing officers in doing their duty.” A general resume of the rock case followed and one of the prosecution’s last remarks was that having found reporters and photographers on the lot, Giacomo then created a disturbance for publicity. In other words, he found an entire crowd watching the rock fall so therefore he proceeded to cause the bombardment for publicity. As ridiculous as this remark was, it nevertheless was actually said.
The final argument of the defense is quite worth while to repeat… “Absurd, ridiculous attempt to prosecute a man for God knows what.” Thirty policemen in all called to investigate the case and testified that rocks were falling, but Giacomo was not responsible. He is on trial for obstructing the police, but no evidence has been heard that he resisted arrest. The public defender then made reference to the fact that a search by up to thirty policemen was unable to find any source, or cause, for the rock throwing. One of the defender’s last remarks I found most significant. Due to the mysterious nature of the case there must be a “supernatural cause, a cosmic disturbance,” etc., responsible.
Today, information concerning poltergeist phenomena is common knowledge and quite a sizeable group of scientists in various fields recognize the reality of such paranormal effects. For purposes of comparison I give below two rock fall cases of a very similar nature that I believe the reader will find of interest even though they are well known.
One of the most fascinating cases on record occurred in the town of Chico, California during the early part of 1922. Numerous newspapers reported this amazing event including the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Examiner, the San Francisco Call, etc. For a period of about three months stones had been falling intermittently, almost always upon two warehouses. The police investigated, searching the surrounding neighborhood while stones fell, but were unable to find any normal cause. The only theory they were able to offer was that somebody was using a catapult. This someone was never found.
IThis case was reported in the London Times, April 27, 1872. “From four o’clock, Thursday afternoon, until half-past eleven, Thursday night, the houses 56 and 58 Reverdy Road, Bermondsey, were assailed with stones and other missiles coming from an unseen quarter. Two children were injured, every window broken, and several articles of furniture were destroyed. Although there was a strong body of policemen scattered in the neighborhood, they could not trace the direction from whence the stones were thrown.”
I do believe that this rock fall case is most certainly mysterious in origin, as proven in court, cannot be attributed to normal causes, and is paranormal in nature. It seems obvious that Louis Giacomo was the focal point of the phenomena and was a “poltergeist medium.” The very fact that the rocks fall ceased when he was taken into custody demonstrates that. The case is of great scientific value and can be added to the long list of just such cases that have happened before, and will happen again and again, and presents an extraordinary legal rarity.
Psychic Observer, Vol XXV, No. 1, January 1963.