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rk ‘none 4 ua noo (23 drdudulently prepared. To this the Director not What a trave ‘gangs! Nipon "blind justice’ the Ui; $.S.C. has become! H:" (44-7760) Ae ot CORDED - 0 ORDED - 7 ontre: » Quebec, Canada DEKED - 75: : i Dear Mr. Todrés: foe T.have received your lettex.of December 11, 1957, wo requesting information concerning Caryl Chessman and tie action » Cary? & ne taken by,the FBI." . . ~ 492 Chessman was indicted and tried in the courts of the ‘ State of California for offenses not within the investigative jurisdiction of this Bureay,, Fog your further information, data in the files of the FBI is gonfidential ¢nd aygilable for official use only. > 2 W me Sincerely yours, * 4, Edgar Hoover . i John Edgar Hoover \/s . Director « ‘ ob a ‘ if Aya Sx UY af” 7) o ean -p oc BEC 19 1957 Cc OMM. FRE NOTE: . Correspondent is not identifiable in Bufiles. Chessman is known as the "red light bandit" of Los Angeles and was convicted on 17 ag3counts of kidnaping, robbery and sexual assault in 1948. While awaiting execution, th he came to public attention by writing best-selling novels entitled "Cell ~2455 Death Row' and"Trial by Ordeal."" In July,: 1954,: one, Wenzell Brown, ‘ who identified himself as Chairman of the American Writers:Committee to.Save Chessman, sent the Director a copy of information addressed to the President of the U. S.’ alleging that there is doubt that:Chessman was guilty ‘= --of the cvimes‘of which he had been convicted. This letter was not acknowledgec cn “but was referred to the Department as a possible Civil Rights violation on 7-1- ay 54; and the Department advised that no investigation was desired. The U. S. se s Supreme Court ordered new State (Calif.) Court hearings concerning Chessman 1 hoe —— ® in July, 1957, on the basis tliat the court record of his original trial was