William Westhause 1943

A black and white photo from the book, Death Scenes, is titled "JL Westhouse. Police Brutality case. Westhause  was arrested for drunk, died in city jail. Relation claim he was beat up in jail. The above photo and autopsy shows he died from filth, he had wine sores, scales and lice in his hair. "

William Westhause, aged 57 and residing at 639 South Main Street in Los Angeles, died in the General Hospital prison ward two days after his transfer from the City Jail in Lincoln Heights. Records indicate that Westhause was arrested for intoxication and initially booked at Central Jail at 9:05 a.m. He was subsequently transferred to the Lincoln Heights facility, where his condition rapidly deteriorated. He lost consciousness and was moved to General Hospital for treatment, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. The police homicide unit was called in to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death, and an autopsy was performed.

Doctors at General Hospital initially attributed Westhause’s condition to starvation and dehydration, both of which they believed were exacerbated by alcoholism. However, the autopsy revealed a fractured skull, which was ultimately determined to be the cause of death. This raised further questions regarding the events leading up to his passing, as Westhause had reportedly been unconscious since the morning he was due to appear in municipal court. He had been arrested on a Wednesday and never regained consciousness thereafter.

Born on September 7, 1885, in Missouri, William Emil Westhause had lived in California for eight years prior to his death. His last recorded residence was on East 5th Street in Los Angeles, and he was employed by the Gospel Mission. He had married Elizabeth "Lizzie" Reiser in 1907, who passed away in 1928. He is survived by his daughter, Viola Anna Westhause Clark of Van Nuys, his son, Reverend E.C. Westhause of Clintonville, Wisconsin, and four grandchildren. Funeral services were held at Pierce Brothers Valley Mortuary, with Reverend Thomas Nalback officiating, and he was laid to rest in Valhalla Memorial Park. William Westhause’s life, marked by hardship and a tragic end, concluded on February 14, 1943, in Los Angeles.

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