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RAPIST OUT OF MODESTO CALIF.
ANOTHER ONE OF HARRY ANSLINGER'S FAKE GORE FILE CASES:
This is yet another example of what “Golden Wonders,” can be found directly from Harry Anslinger's Gore Files. In this case we are expected to believe that Medical Cannabis was the cause of . . . . .
Name: - Otis Martin Fisk - Location: - Modesto, Ca. - Date: - Aug 10, 1939
What the Narc’s were claiming
1939 - Modesta, California - Assaulted a housewife. Sentenced, 50 years -- Article by James C. Munch; "UN Bulletin on Narcotics"-1966 Issue 2
1939 - Modesta, Calif. - M - Assaulted a housewife. Sentence 50 years -- 6th conference report - INEOA 1965
On August 9th, 1939, one of the inspectors of the Division of Narcotic Enforcement was sent to San Quentin Prison to interrogate a young man of twenty-one years of age, who had been committed there for a term of fifty years for criminal assault upon a young housewife at Modesto, California. He readily admitted that just previous to this assault he had smoked two marihuana cigarettes and could give no other explanation for his dastardly deed than that he did not know what he was doing, because of the influence of this drug. --- MARIHUANA - State of Calif. Dept. of Penology, Narcotic Enforcement (excerpt from report for the year 1939)
NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS:
MODESTO BEE
[S]- Aug 10, 1939 p 5 - “15 Previous Arrests of Sex Attacker Are Bared”
[Was arrested 15 times previously since mar 1934 on charges of robbery, rape, driving drunk, forgery and indecent assault --- claims he had been drinking and had smoked two marijuana cigarets on the day he assaulted the Modesto woman” -- “If I had not been under the influence of liquor and the drug,” he said, “I never would have done it.”
[S]- Aug 3/8, 1939 p 5 - “Marijuana Hunt is Aftermath of Brutal Attack”
[S]- Aug 7, 1939 p1 - “Sex Attacker of Modesto Mother Caught At Ceres” - Pix
[S]- Aug 7, 1939 p7 “Chowchilla Man Is Sent To Prison For Attack”
[S]- Aug 10, 1939 p 5 - “15 Previous Arrests of Sex Attacker Are Bared” Fresno Bee
[S]- Aug 11, 1939 – Editorial “Marijuana is to Blame for Another Vile Crime”
[Key-finder - Case #79]
GUILTY AS SIN - OR NOT SO FAST:
On the surface, this case appears to be very cut and dry. First (unlike so many others), this case seems to actually have an historical bases behind it. In other words (again, unlike so many others), it does not appear to have been totally fabricated. AND:
“If I had not been under the influence of liquor and the drug,” “I never would have done it.”Thus it would appear at first that Harry Anslinger had every right to tout this case as a perfect example of a bestial crime committed “While Under The Influence” of Medical Cannabis.
HOWEVER, a quick scan of the local newspapers -- As well as internal memo’s from Harry Anslinger’s own D.E.A. (then known as the Bureau of Narcotics) shows a different story.
Let’s first look at just one of the Newspaper articles written (at the time) about the case:
THE MODESTO BEE – Aug 10, 1939 p5
15 Previous Arrests Of Sex Attacker Are Bared
Otis Martin Fisk, 24, Chowchilla roofer, sent to San Quentin Prison here Monday for assaulting a Modesto mother, had been arrested fifteen previous times since March, 1934, on charges of robbery, rape, driving drunk, forgery and indecent assault. Modesto officers learned this for the first time today upon the receipt of Fisk’s record from the state bureau of criminal identification in Sacramento, and as a result, said it does much to blast his story that he was under the influence of marijuana when he attacked the Modesto woman.
First Arrested In 1934
The criminal identification records show Fisk first was arrested in March, 1934, in Berkeley, on a rape charge but disposition of the case was not given. Thereafter, he was picked up in Alameda County for forgery and drunk driving and various drunk offenses. In San Francisco he was jailed on a charge of petit theft and was sentenced to prison in Seattle, Wash., for indecent assault.
Blamed Marijuana
Fisk, after confessing the local crime, said he had been drinking and had smoked two marijuana cigarets on the day he assaulted the Modesto woman.
“If I had not been under the Influence of liquor and the drug,” he said, “I never would have done it.” Fisk was arrested in Ceres on the roof of a house there by Deputy Sheriff jack Hammett.
Later Confesses
After first denying the offense, he confessed to Hammett, Officer Ray Burge of the Modesto Police Department and Deputy William B. Zeff. “Fisk’s crime record,” declared Hammett, “pretty well blasts his story that he was under the influence of marijuana when he committed the local crime.”
NOTE that Mr. Anslinger (et al) conveniently failed to mention the fact the Mr. Fisk had been arrested, “15 times previously since March of 1934 on charges of robbery, rape, driving drunk, forgery and indecent assault” etc. As well as the fact that the local police thought he was fabricating the whole story about Marihuana, as a defense tactic -- “Gee, Judge, don’t blame me, blame that Medical Marihuana peddler that I met in the school yard, etc. . . “
In addition, the following [now declassified] internal memo's from the Bureau show that Anslinger was well aware of ALL of these facts.
In re: Otis M. Fisk.
Mr. J.A. Manning,
District Supervisor,
San Francisco, Calif.
Dear Mr. Manning:
I note in the Fresno, California, BEE under date of August 11, 1939, an article to the effect that one Otis M. FISK, who was convicted for the commission of a sex crime in Modesto, confessed that he was a user of marihuana and had smoked two cigarettes just before the crime.
Please let me have a report.
Very truly yours,
H.J. ANSLINGER,
Commissioner.
October 27, 1939
In re: Otis M. Fisk
Mr. H.J. Anslinger,
Commissioner of Narcotics.
Washington, D.C.
Dear Sir:
Reference is had to your letter of August 23, 1939 in which you write that you have noticed in the Fresno, Calif. “Bee” under date of August 11, 1939 an article to the effect that one Otis M. Fisk was convicted for the commission of a sex crime in Modesto, at which time he confessed he was a user of marihuana and had smoked two cigarettes just before the crime. Your direct that I submit a report.
I communicated with both the Chief of Police at Modesto and the Sheriff of Stanislaus County. The Chief wrote that the case was not handled by his office and he was not in a position to give me any information. The Sheriff of the County, G.M. Hogin, advised under date of October 25, as follows.
“Replying to your inquiry of October 2nd, please be advised that Otis M. Fisk was arrested here and plead guilty to a charge of RAPE, and is now doing an undetermined term in San Quentin State Prison. He stated at that time that he had smoked two marihuana cigarettes. The officers here all doubt this statement very much. We do know for a fact, however, that he had been using some liquor.”
Yours very truly.
Joseph A. Manning
District Supervisor
JAM:er
THUS, even Anslinger’s own field agents had doubts about the Marihuana story; --- As they should have. As this Museum sees it:
- Robbery
- Rape (other then the mentioned case)
- Drunk driving
- Forgery
- Indecent assault (what ever that is)
BUT WHAT IS THAT EXPRESSION, never let it be said, that Harry Anslinger ever allowed the truth to stand in the way of his findings.
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