Suspected Topanga Canyon arsonist David E. Trewitt confronted by Sheriff Eugene Biscailuz, Los Angeles, 1938

Title: Suspected Topanga Canyon arsonist David E. Trewitt confronted by Sheriff Eugene Biscailuz, Los Angeles, 1938
Date Created: November 24, 1938
Date: 1938-11-24
Publisher: Los Angeles Times
Language: No linguistic content
Collection: Los Angeles Times Photographic Collection

Description: Date on negative sleeve presents time conflict since image was published in the Times on the 25th. It was likely taken the day before, on November 24, 1938.
Sheriff Biscailuz, left, holds an ash box from the wood range that caused the fire, in front of suspected arsonist David E. Trewitt, center. The two men are seated while detectives and investigators stand around them.
This photograph appears with the article, "Suspect Tells How Ashes From His Range Caused Blaze," Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov 1938: 2.
David E. Trewitt was jailed under suspicion of arson when one evening, as he was hurriedly preparing his dinner, ashes from the antiquated wood range scattered onto nearby grass, setting the area ablaze. He attempted to put the fire out but had to phone for assistance. The fire spread across the Santa Monica Mountains, burning approximately 7,000 acres of brush.
Caption: Text from newspaper caption: Tells How Conflagration Started. David Trewitt, left, shoes Sheriff Biscailuz ash box form which he dumped hot coals in preparing to build fire. The coals are believed to have started the fire.
Text from negative sleeve: 15198 -- Sheriff Gene Biscailuz with arson suspect, Trewitt,-- (Topanga Canyon) 11-26-38 [stamped:] Calvert

Genre: cellulose nitrate film
news photographs
Names: Trewitt, David E., 1901-1968
Biscailuz, Eugene W., 1883-1969
Location: Los Angeles (Calif.)
Resource type: still image
Subjects: Criminal investigations--California--Los Angeles
Sheriffs--California--Los Angeles

Repository: University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections
Local Identifier: uclamss_1429_11901
ARK: ark:/21198/zz002h8rjs
Manifest url

Rights statement: copyrighted
Rights Holder: UCLA Charles E. Young Research Library Department of Special Collections, A1713 Young Research Library, Box 951575, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575. E-mail: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu. Phone: (310)825-4988
Rights Country: US
Funding Note: Access to this collection is generously supported by Arcadia funds.
Access to this collection is generously supported by Haynes Foundation funds.
License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License .