Charles H. Crawford

Charles H. Crawford (April 22, 1879 – May 20, 1931) was an American political figure. In the 1920s, his loosely organized crime syndicate in Los Angeles, California, was known as the "City Hall Gang". Crawford was reportedly a model for some of Raymond Chandler's villains. During the 1910s, Crawford moved to Southern California, where he opened a bar that reportedly also included a casino and bordello frequented by local politicians, judges and public officials. The charges against Crawford were ultimately dismissed.

In 1930, Crawford was indicted for bribery in connection with a securities scandal involving the Julian Petroleum Corporation. Prosecutors alleged that Crawford and the former State Corporations Commissioner conspired to accept bribes in exchange for business privileges. Those charges were dismissed in October 1930 when the government's main witness refused to testify.

In November 1930, Crawford made a further gift of $25,000 to be used in building a parish hall to be named Amelia Crawford House in honor of his mother. The press had noted that Crawford's conversion followed shortly after his indictment on bribery charges, but Briegleb noted that the $25,000 gift was not announced until after the bribery charges had been dismissed. Crawford died several hours later at the hospital, as the bullet had ruptured his liver and one of his kidneys. Crawford regained consciousness before undergoing surgery, but declined to identify his assailant to the police. Crawford reportedly told the police that, if he had to die, the secret would go with him to the grave. He also had extensive real estate holdings, including a residence on North Rexford Drive in Beverly Hills and an entire block along Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.

Rev. Briegleb delivered his eulogy for Crawford "through tear-dimmed eyes", as he told of Crawford's generosity to the church. He called Crawford a "true friend" and said the funeral was "the most difficult task I have ever faced in my twenty-five years as a minister."

Trial of David Clark Several weeks after the shootings, David H. Clark, a prosecutor and candidate for judge, turned himself in to the police and admitted that he had shot Crawford and Spencer. His trial in August 1931 was attended by "the largest throng ever to attend a trial in Los Angeles." Crawford's widow built Crossroads of the World (pictured) on the site where Crawford was shot. The prosecution disputed Clark's account, pointing out that the police found no guns in Crawford's office and offering testimony that investigators found a cigar, not a gun, in Crawford's dead hand. In 1936, Crawford's widow built the historic Crossroads of the World, a shopping center shaped like a ship, on the site where Crawford was shot.