Presenting 15 famous cases from Fresno, California, set in the first part of the 20th century, a long-time detective in the sheriff's office introduces key figures such as a bootlegger, an unfortunate local dubbed Alligator Jack, and a perpetrator known as the Fig Garden Fiend. Featuring local landmarks such as Mussel Slough--the setting for Frank Norris's ""The Octopus--""and offering additional commentary that compares these sensational past cases to current high-profile criminal cases. A consideration of the changing face of crime, this history reveals a modern upswing in child abuse, multiple murders, and kidnapping cases and highlights the extended nature of the current legal process as compared to the open-and-shut character of the early 1900s.
- | Author: Scott Morrison
- | Publisher: Craven Street Books
- | Publication Date: Apr 01, 2006
- | Number of Pages: 159 pages
- | Binding: Paperback or Softback
- | ISBN-10: 0941936996
- | ISBN-13: 9780941936996
