Arthur Luther Beecher Sr. ^{2 3 4 5 6 7}

   FamilySearch ID: L81S-S42.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Census in 1910 in Tulare, Tulare, CA. ² Renting at 373 King St: William J. Beecher, 33, was married for 9 years to wife Emma, 26. She had given birth to 7 children, 6 alive in 1910. Living with them: Edith, 8; Anne, 7; Willie, 6; Arthur, 5; May, 3; John, 2; and William's father, Hiram, 68, widowed. Everyone and their parents were born in Pennsylvania. No one had an occupation.

2. Census in 1920 in Castroville, Monterey, CA. ⁹ William J. Beecher, laborer in salt works, 43, was living with wife Emma, 36; William J., 16; Arthur, 14; May, 13; John L., 11; and Benjamin Franklin, 10. Everyone and their parents were born in Pennsylvania. William was renting his home, and had served in World War I.

3. Newspaper: The Californian: Beechers Arraigned, 26 Jun 1929, Salinas, Monterey, CA. ¹⁰ TRIO ARRAIGNED; FORMALLY CHARGED
The four men allegedly implicated in the burglarizing of the Vapor laundry, Monterey, last year, and arrested last Monday by Sheriff Carl H. Abbott and constable George Kinloch were arraigned late yesterday afternoon before Judge Ray Baugh, at Monterey. Three members of the quartette formally were charged with burglary, while the fourth, William Beecher, was released on grounds of insufficient evidence. The three who were returned to the county jail here are Art Beecher, Fred Jackson and Elmer Perry. Officers still are seeking a fifth man, John Beecher, who is said to have figured in the laundry robbery. The Vapor laundry was entered on the night of September 23, 1928, when 24 suits of clothing and an adding machine were stolen. The adding machine and several of the suits have been recovered with the arrest of the Monterey men.

4. Court: Convict 47349. Arthur Beecher. Received 22 Jul 1929. County Monterey. Crime Burg. 2nd. Sentence 1-15. Occupation truck driver.. Tattoo lower right out -"U.S." sailor, flag. on 22 Jul 1929 in San Quentin Prison, Marin County, CA. ¹¹

5. Newspaper: Oakland Tribune: Burglars Sent To San Quentin, 24 Jul 1929, Oakland, Alameda, CA. ¹² Burglars Sent To San Quentin
Monterey, July 24. -- Arthur Beecher and Elmer Perry were found guilty of second degree burglary and taken to San Quentin yesterday. They were tried in connection with the burglary of a Monterey cleaning establishment last year.
John Beecher, implicated in the burglary by confession of Perry and Beecher, is being sought by the sheriff's office.
More than a score of suits, a typewriter and an adding machine were stolen from the cleaning establishment. Several weeks ago the adding machine and several suits were found at the Beecher home. Beecher and Perry were subsequently arrested by Constable George Kinlock and Sheriff Carl Abbott.

6. Census in 1930 in San Quentin Prison, Marin County, CA. ¹³ The 1930 Census shows living in San Quentin Prison an inmate Arthur Beecher, age 23, born in Pennsylvania.

7. Court: Mugshot photo of Arthur Beecher Burgl. 2nd Monterey 1:15 Penn. 23 Truck driver. 5'8" 171 lbs. Cpl. rud. eyes hazel hair black. Recd 7/22/29. Par 9/25/30. Disch 11/22/31. on 25 Sep 1930 in San Quentin Prison, Marin County, CA. ¹⁴

8. Newspaper: Santa Cruz Evening News: Brother Trio Arrested in S. C. Thefts, 28 Mar 1938, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA. ¹⁵ Brother Trio Arrested in S. C. Thefts

At least nine burglary jobs in Santa Cruz county and the looting of some 80 homes near San Jose were believed cleared up with the arrest Saturday in Gilroy and San Francisco of three brothers, Benjamin, John and Arthur Beecher, ranging in age from 27 to 32 years.
The three, all WPA workers, who are charged with having carried on wholesale burglaries over the weekends, are suspected of nine jobs in the Green Valley region near Watsonville where a systematic looting of homes was carried on. The brothers are also suspected of having stolen some $5000 worth of copper wire at Gilroy recently, discovery of wire-cutters and other tools at their San Francisco hideout strengthening the belief.
All three of the Beechers have criminal records, it was disclosed by Sheriff George W. Lyle of San Jose, and all, at one time or another, have used aliases.
John Beecher has been taken into custody 13 times in the last 11 years on charges ranging from vagrancy and petty theft to burglary and arson, and has served several county jail terms.
In 1929, Arthur Beecher was sentenced to 1 to 15 years in San Quentin following his conviction on second degree burglary charges. After serving 14 months of this sentence, he was paroled and 14 months later was discharged from parole.
Ten times Benjamin Beecher ran afoul of the law in the last 11 years on charges of burglary, petty theft, robbery, grand theft and vagrancy. He has served several county jail terms ranging up to 100 days.

9. Newspaper: Salinas Morning Post: Beecher Boys Arrested, 2 Apr 1938, Salinas, Monterey, CA. ¹⁶ Officers Uncover Former Crime Career
(photos of Ben and John Beecher)
With the arrest of "those bad Beecher boys," former Seaside residents and asserted "pillowslip" burglars, by San Francisco and San Jose authorities early this week, deputy sheriffs at the county jail disclosed here Friday that two of the three brothers had local crime records. The three brothers, Arthur, John and Ben, are held in San Jose as the asserted thieves who burglarized more than 75 homes in five counties, looting them of an estimated $20,000 in furnishings, money, clothing and jewelry, and stole thousands of feet of copper wire from power and telephone lines in the Moss Landing and Springfield districts in Monterey county. Arthur, who does not have a local record, was arrested in San Francisco. John and Ben were arrested in Gilroy after allegedly "casing" several residences in San Jose preparatory to looting them.
Crime Record
Their local crime records follow: John Beecher, 30, was first arrested in this county August 8, 1927, as a vagrant. He was released October 5. He and Ben were arrested together on charges of burglary and grand theft August 5, 1931. Ben was released August 18 and John was released October 14 after officers failed to secure enough evidence to hold them for trial. Again, March 30, 1933, John was arrested with others on a charge of arson following the burning of a building on the Monterey peninsula. In a jury trial he and the other defendants were acquitted and he was released May 23, 1933.
Started Early
Ben was first arrested as a juvenile October 25, 1927, on a charge of petty theft. He was convicted and sent to Preston Reform school at lone. He was paroled from the school November 20, 1929. Arrested and released on the burglary and grand theft charges August 18, 1931, he stayed out of trouble until February 26, 1935, when he was sentenced to 100 days in the county jail for petty theft. He was paroled April 13, before half his term had been served. Petty theft again proved his downfall, and he was arrested and sentenced January 21, 1936, to 90 days in the county jail. He was released April 19, serving his full term. Authorities refer to the Beecher boys as the "pillowslip" burglars because they allegedly remove their booty from the scene in pillowslips taken from the residences they loot.

10. Court: Convict 61990 Arthur Beecher nativity PA. Crime: Burg 1st 7CTS-CS sent from Santa Clara county age 31 laborer 5' 8 1/2" medium complexion hazel eyes brown hair. on 20 May 1938 in San Quentin Prison, Marin County, CA. ¹⁷

11. Census in 1940 in Granite Judicial Twp.: Folsom State Prison, Sacramento, CA. In the 1940 Census, Arthur Beecher, age 33, inmate, was in Folsom State Prison. He was born in Pennsylvania.

12. Court: Arthur Beecher. Recd. 5-20-38. Tranferred Folsom Prision 7-25-39. Ret. from Folsolm 8-10-40. Paroled 1-7-41. Disch. 5-11-44. on 7 Jan 1941 in San Quentin Prison, Marin County, CA. ¹⁸

13. Census in 1950 in Seaside, Monterey, CA. ¹⁹ The 1950 census recorded at 1427 Mingo Avenue: William J. Beacher [sic], 73, living with wife Emma, 66. They were born in Pennsylvania.
Living next door at Mingo & Darwin is Charlotte C. Beecher, divorced, houseworker in private homes, 42; her daughter Kathleen M. Cardinelli, 20; and granddaughter Margaret L. [surname originally recorded as Cardinelli but crossed out and replaced with Beecher], 4. They were born in California.
Next door on Darwin is crossed out: Arthur L. Beecher, 43, born in Pennsylvania, occupation "inmate in prison" followed by his wife, who is not crossed out: Viola P. Beecher, 34; her daughter Arlene M. 12; son Arthur L., 7; and son William E., 6. All were born in California.
.

14. He was divorced in Feb 1967 in , Monterey, CA. The divorce of Arthur L. Beecher and Viola P. Duckworth is recorded in Monterey County in February, 1967.

15. Residence: in 1969 in Marina, Monterey, CA. ⁴ In his later years until his death he lived with his son, William E. Beecher.

16. Obituary: Monterey Peninsula Herald: obituary of Arthur L. Beecher Sr. on 8 Aug 1969 in Monterey, Monterey, CA. ⁸ Arthur L. Beecher Sr., a resident of the Peninsula for the past 50 years, the last three in Marina, died yesterday afternoon following a brief illness. He was taken by ambulance to the Monterey Hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival. Mr. Beecher was born July 23, 1906, in Mount Carmel, Pa. He was operating engineer for the Marina Plumbing Co. and made his home at 131 Kailua Circle. Surviving are two sons, Arthur L. Beecher Jr. of Seaside and William E. Beecher of Oakland; brother John Beecher of Portland, Ore.; two sisters, Mrs. Edith Kelly of Idaho and Mrs. May Peterson of Santa Cruz; and eight grandchildren. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday in the Dorney and Farlinger Memorial Chapel, with the Rev. Wayne Shirley officiating. Burial will take place in Mission Mortuary.

Arthur married Viola Pearl Duckworth, daughter of Raymond Duckworth and Maclovia Rodriquez.¹ The marriage ended in divorce in Feb 1967. (Viola Pearl Duckworth was born on 26 Jan 1916 in Watsonville, Santa Cruz, CA,^{5 20 21 22} died on 18 May 2001 in Las Vegas, Clark, NV ^{4 20 21 22} and was buried in Los Banos: Los Banos Cemetery, Merced, CA, USA ^{4 22}.)