A Brief History of theSan Luis Obispo County

Sheriff’s Office

by

Gary L. HovingCaptain

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office has a rich history s panning from the “Old West”to the “Nuclear Age.” Over the years, the personnel have dealt with many tragedies, enjoyed manysuccesses, and has grown to provide a highly competent law enforcement service. Some of theevents, that molded the agency into its present form, are described in the stories within this briefpaper.

San Luis Obispo County was officially established on February 18, 1850, by legislative act and wasone of the State’s original 27 counties. California was then admitted into the union of the UnitedStates of America on September 9, 1850.

Measuring about 90 miles long and 64 miles wide when originally formed, the county comprised3,284 square miles. For comparison, the county is three times the size of the State of Rhode Island.

The entire population of San Luis Obispo County in 1850, was 336. That included a total of 60families and 53 dwellings. Its population comprised landlords and their employees on great rancheswhich covered a half a million acres.

An election was held on the first Monday of April in 1850, to fill the county’s most importantposition, the Sheriff. Henry J. Dalley was elected as the first Sheriff of San Luis Obispo County.He resigned after one year in office citing a concern for the dangers of the business.

The county was divided into eleven townships in 1852. These townships were Arroyo Grande,Atascadero, Cholame, Morro, Nipomo, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, San Miguel, San Simeon,Santa Margarita, and Templeton. These townships were accepted as judicial districts for theappointment of a Justice of the Peace and Constable.

Only one legal execution took place in San Luis Obispo County. On August 23, 1859, a man washanged for the murder of Francisco Alviso. Francisco Castro was the Sheriff and personallyconducted the execution in the courtyard of the San Luis Obispo Mission. Sheriff Castro was paida fee of $20.00 for executing the sentence of death in addition to his salary.

Concerns were not so drastically different in

times past. An advertisement appeared in theDecember 14, 1893, issue of the Tribune forthe Keeley Institute in Riverside. ThisInstitute specialized in the cure of alcoholismand the opium habit. They claim to havecured 150,000 patients during the 13 years ofoperation. They also cited their endorsementby the United States Government and saidthey were in use by the National Soldier’shouses.

A San Diego Deputy Sheriff, Will J. Ward,was fatally injured during the escape of aprisoner while on board a steamer ship at PortHarford (Port San Luis) on November 11,1899. Deputy Ward was transporting aprisoner from San Diego by ship to SanQuentin prison. The suspect had beensentenced to ten years in prison for a burglaryin San Diego County. As the ship approachedthe port, the prisoner caught the Deputy offguard and struck him with vicious blowsseveral times on the head with a heavy waterbottle.

Deputy Ward remained in a coma for severaldays until he finally died. His remains weretaken to Bowen’s Undertaking Parlor wherethey remained until sent by steamer to SanDiego accompanied by sorrowing relatives.

The suspect was eventually convicted on themurder of the Deputy Sheriff. On May 23,1900, Judge Unangst sentenced him “to be

hanged by the neck until dead.” Sheriff Ivinswas ordered to transport the defendant to SanQuentin prison and there, on July 26, 1900, hewas hanged by the Warden.

On July 12, 1901, The Breeze newspaperreported that former County Supervisor JohnB. Kester was attacked with a butcher knifeby Frank Hardie in Cayucos. The attackoccurred as Kester was sitting in his wagon.Fortunately, bystanders interfered anddisarmed Hardie. Under Sheriff McFaddenwent to Cayucos to search for Hardie. It wasdiscovered that Hardie had shaved his beardand disguised himself in other ways and hadprobably skipped the county. Both men werehighly respected in the community and Hardiewas at one time the Constable of Cayucos.The attack was believed to have stemmedfrom a long time feud between the men overa woman.

Sheriff Ernest C. Ivins died on Wednesday,August 1, 1906, at his Marsh Street home inSan Luis Obispo. Honest and upright, hiscareer as a public official stands forth in thehistory of the county without a stain. He wastwice elected to the Office of Sheriff and aslong as his health permitted, he gave all hisattention to the duties of the office.Mr. Ivins had been in failing health for threeyears past. He spent more than a year in the

southern part of the state, but the battle

against that dreaded disease consumption(TB) could not be won.

The Tribune newspaper made the exclusivereport on December 8, 1906, that SheriffMcFadden fired three shots at fleeing box carthieves. The Sheriff caught several menstealing liquor from a freight car in San LuisObispo. When the shots were fired, theymade a hasty departure and escaped. “A closewatch is being kept and arrests are expectedsoon,” according to the Sheriff and PeterLewin, Chief Detective from the SouthernPacific Railroad.

A large posse was formed to conduct raids on

opium dens in San Luis Obispo, according tothe December 13, 1911, issue of the DailyTribune. Sheriff Younglove, Under SheriffEd Van Gorden, Deputy Hankerson, Chief ofPolice Cook, Constable Taylor, and NightOfficer Alvares formed a ring of officials whoarranged the raid on the “Chinese joints”where opium was reported to be smoked. Theraid netted three arrests and the confiscationof opium and smoking outfits.

Bitten by the Christmas spirit, SheriffYounglove’s wife treated the inmates of thecounty jail to a fine dinner on Christmas Dayin 1911. Mrs. Younglove took it upon herselfto provide a dinner and it was a trulyexceptional one for the prisoners. The menuincluded roast chicken, dumplings, mashedpotatoes, brown gravy, baked beans, fruit andcoffee.

Mr. A.C. Jenson, an Inspector from the State,arrived in San Luis Obispo on May 21, 1918,to examine the county jail. His assignmentwas to inspect and photograph all jailsthroughout California. The San Luis ObispoCounty Jail was known as one of the flimsiestin the state. A number of criminals hadescaped by removing portions of the brickwalls with the aid of a fork or toilet handle.Mr. Jenson asked the assistance of UnderSheriff Pond in holding a flashlight while hephotographed the interior of the jail. Theflashlight failed to work properly and some ofthe fluid leaked out causing severe burns tothe Under Sheriff’s right hand.

The Eighteenth Amendment to theConstitution was adopted on January 16,1920. This amendment, known as theNational Prohibition Enforcement Act,outlawed all intoxicating liquors.

As could be expected, seasoned drinkersignored the new law that then occupied muchof the local lawmen’s hours. To assist in the

enforcement, the United States Treasuryappointed Prohibition Officers who were alsoknown as “revenuers.” One of the localProhibition Officers was John H. Vail wholater ran unsuccessfully for the office ofSheriff upon the death of Sheriff Taylor.

The bootlegging of liquor became verycommonplace on the central coast. Liquorwas smuggled aboard railroad cars and byships. Neither Canada nor Mexico had banson alcohol, so both countries were eager toprofit from the situation by selling theircommodity here.

The controversy over the EighteenthAmendment continued for 14 years. OnFebruary 16, 1933, the U.S. Senate finallyvoted to submit the Twenty-First Amendmentwhich repealed the Eighteenth and ended thenational prohibition.

On February 26, 1929, at 11:30 p.m., SheriffCharles J. Taylor was killed in a single cartraffic accident one mile south of SantaMargarita. The accident occurred in a county-owned vehicle as the Sheriff was travelinghome from an official investigation in PasoRobles. The Sheriff’s vehicle was located offof the roadway in a ditch. He was slumpedover the steering wheel with his head throughthe windshield.

The accident was investigated by DeputySheriff Harry Haskins and District AttorneyA.E. Campbell. It should be noted that thisaccident occurred prior to the establishment ofthe California Highway Patrol in 1936. Thecause of the accident was not determined.The county Coroner Ray F. Richardsonreported that the chest was badly crushed, thehead crushed, with the skull possiblyfractured, and that either injury would havecaused almost instant death.

Mr. Taylor had been a peace officer since

1907, when he became a member of the citypolice force, continuing in that duty until 1910when he was appointed Deputy Sheriff. In1911, he was elected Constable of San LuisObispo township, holding the office untilJanuary 4, 1914, when he took the oath asSheriff.

Jess P. Lowery, Chief Deputy under the lateSheriff Taylor was appointed to the Office ofSheriff by a special meeting of the Board ofSupervisors held at the District Attorney’sOffice.

Sheriff Lowery had been a resident of thecounty for six years, the past two as ChiefDeputy under Mr. Taylor, and head of theBureau of Criminal Identification and

Investigation oft h e c o u n t y .Prior to enteringthe office here,Mr. Lowery wasSheriff Taylor’sDeputy at PismoBeach.

“ R e d - L i g h t ”a b a t e m e n t

actions were filed against four Pismo Beachresidents, by District Attorney Van Wormeraccording to an article in the Tribune onMarch 1, 1935. The complaint alleges that thesubjects own and operate a house of “illrepute.”

Another action concluded with the“padlocking” of another house at 400 OceanView in Pismo Beach for violation of thestate’s “Red-Light Abatement Act.” Thisjudgment was filed by Judge T.A. Norton at

the office of Gwen Marshall, County Clerk.

The County Board of Supervisors voted onTuesday, May 14, 1935, to enact a county slotmachine ordinance. The new countyordinance required a license for slot machineowners that cost $100.00 per year for anoperator who had more than two machines. Aperson with two or less slot machines had topay $20.00 per year. Additionally, the lawprohibited the use by persons under 18 yearsof age, and all machines had to be at leastthree hundred feet from a school. Violation ofthis ordinance could have resulted in a fine ofup to $500.00, or six months in county jail.The Friday issue of the Herald-Recorder,dated January 7, 1938, reported that the SanLuis Obispo County Sheriff’s Officeinvestigated the theory that rival dope gangsmay be the answer to a series of mysteriousattacks. The crimes included the beating ofDouglas Reviera, a Morro Bay abalone diver,in front of the Sheriff’s Office and a shot firedthrough a window at Frank Brebs.

Deputy Sheriff Les Bardin investigated theincidents that revealed that the attacks grewout of a gigantic dope smuggling ring alongthe coast with headquarters in Morro Bay. Itwas reported that the dope was thrownoverboard in cans by Japanese oil tankers thatanchor off Morro Bay, and the cans picked upby divers.

Federal and State Narcotics Investigators

assisted in investigating marijuana sales aftera local arrest. State Narcotics InvestigatorJ.W. Perry filed charges against three menwho had been arrested by Pismo Beach Policefor possession of marijuana cigarettes.

The ease with which the marijuana can begrown makes the problem of stamping out thesmoking of “reefers,” as the cigarettes werecalled, an extremely difficult one, accordingto officers in the October 7, 1938, edition ofthe Herald-Recorder.

Murray C. Hathway was elected Sheriff ofSan Luis Obispo County in November 1938,and was sworn into office on January 2, 1939.Sheriff Murray C. Hathway served as theCounty Sheriff longer than any other man. Hewas elected to four terms serving 16 years.

The Office of the County Coroner wasabolished with those duties absorbed into theSheriff’s Office on January 1, 1955. One ofthe most published death investigations in thiscounty occurred during the first year of theconsolidated service, with the death of actorJames Dean. Dean was killed in anautomobile accident on September 30, 1955,near Cholame.

On June 9, 1961, Deputy David Harvey Stahlattempted to arrest a man suspected of

committing a series of crimes, includingkidnaping. The incident occurred at 1:40p.m., on Old River Road near Atascaderowhen the suspect was stopped. During theattempted arrest, Deputy Stahl was shot in the

head. This occurred just hours before Stahlwas to attend his daughter’s graduation fromPaso Robles High School.

The suspect was arrested and convicted of themurder of Deputy Stahl. He was sentenced todeath and retried in 1964 due to a technicalityand again sentenced to die. However, in1966, the California Supreme Court reducedthe conviction to second degree murder. Hewas then released from prison on parole in1975, and freed from his parole in 1978.

In 1964, the Sheriff's Office consisted of 67employees including all sworn and civilianpositions. The office included the

Sheriff, one Under Sheriff, one Captain, fourLieutenants, seven Sergeants, one CivilOfficer, 40 Deputy Sheriffs, five Matrons,four female Clerks, two female deskDispatchers for substations and one BusinessManager.

The first black and white Sheriff’s patrol carsappeared in 1969 under the direction ofSheriff Mansfield. These Dodge Polara patrolcars were equipped with 440 cubic inchengines and fondly remembered as the fastestpatrol cars ever used.

On May 17, 1969, Sheriff Mansfield openedthe South County substation in Oceano. Thestation was staffed by one Lieutenant, oneSergeant, eight Deputy Sheriffs, and oneDispatcher/Clerk.

The main Sheriff’s Office facility and Jailwere moved to its own facility at Camp SanLuis Obispo in 1971, by Sheriff Mansfield.The single-story block structure cost$1,200,000 and was overcrowded shortly aftercompletion. To relieve some of the spaceproblems, the detectives were moved to aformer military building next to the mainfacility. These buildings are both still in usetoday.

On January 6, 1975, the Office of theConstable was abolished by the Board ofSupervisors. Those services were combinedwith the Sheriff’s Office now providing theservices of the Sheriff, Coroner, andMarshal’s Departments.

The county’s largest bomb exploded on thebalcony of Casa del Sol at Hearst Castle onFebruary 12, 1976. A joint investigation wasconducted by the Sheriff’s Office, FederalBureau of Investigation, and Federal Bureauof Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Thebomb, which caused several million dollarsdamage, detonated just seconds after a tour of

53 had left the building. Although no arrestswere made, the bombing was linked to aterrorist group known as the New WorldFederation League.

The Coast Patrol Station and CommunicationsCenter were moved into the newly constructedP.G.&E. Emergency Operations Center nextto the main facility in 1984.

Edward C. Williams was elected Sheriff-Coroner of San Luis Obispo County inNovember of 1986. Williams was sworn intooffice in January 1987.

The county’s worst air disaster and massmurder occurred on December 7, 1987, nearOld Creek Road and Highway 46, betweenTempleton and Cambria. The investigationwas conducted jointly by the Sheriff’s Office,the National Transportation Safety Board, andthe Federal Bureau of Investigation. The teamconcluded that a disgruntled former airlineworker had smuggled a pistol on board theaircraft. He then shot an airline executivewho had sat on a disciplinary hearing panelwhich terminated the employee. The suspectthen shot the pilot, resulting in the planecrashing. All 43 persons on board PSA Flight1771 perished in the disaster.

The Sheriff’s Office moved the Coast PatrolStation from the Emergency OperationsCenter in San Luis Obispo, to Los Osos on

Monday, April 3, 1989. Sergeant Greg Slanewas the first commander for the stationlocated at 2099 10th Street. The remodeledbuilding was formerly occupied by the TenthStreet Gym.

On January 27, 1989, at the annual awardsbanquet, Sheriff Williams announced theadoption of a Sheriff’s Office motto. Themotto was the result of a contest sponsored bythe Sheriff’s Advisory Council. The motto,“Sworn to Serve”, has been placed on all ofthe patrol cars.

Sheriff Patrick Hedges and members of theSan Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office arejustifiably proud of their heritage andaccomplishments over the many years ofservice. As the oldest and largest lawenforcement agency in the county, they arecommitted to providing the best possibleservice in order to preserve the quality of life.

GLH/glh

© 11/19/95; 01/18/00 & 05/25/2003All rights reserved by Gary L. Hoving805-781-4528