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John C. Cline - 1915-1921(second term)
John C. Cline was called back into public service by the citizens of the community after an
interim of twenty years. On November 3, 1914, he was again elected Sheriff of Los Angeles
County for a four year term. On November 5, 1918, he was re-elected for another term of four
years, but served only a little more than half his term. He resigned from office, serving litter
more than eight years as Sheriff of the County, thus becoming not only the twentieth but all the
twenty fifth Sheriff. However, he was only the seventeenth man to serve in that capacity, as
three of he predecessors had been elected after an interim of years between their first and
second elections. He was the fifteenth man to be elected to the office as two of his predecessors
had served on appointment by the Board of Supervisors and were not elected by the people.
During his second period in office, Will A. White, who had served as Sheriff for four years,
1903-1906, was Undersheriff. The Jailer was Oscar Macy, and William Cline was Assistant
Jailer. Some of the other Deputies appointed by Cline at this time were William J. "Bill"
Bright, and Walter D. Gilman. Bright entered the office in 1915, being transferred from the
District Attorney's office, where he served as an investigator since 1910. Gilman was appointed
in 1918. Mrs. Nettie J. Yaw, the second woman Deputy Sheriff to enter the Department was
appointed by Cline in March 1916. Mrs. Yaw recently retired with more than twenty years of
efficient and satisfactory service to her credit. Mrs. Belle De Wolfe, who also retired quite
recently, was appointed by Cline in September 1920.
Two other fine women were appointed by Cline as Jail Matrons during his administration, both
of whom are now retired. Mrs. Fannie Lowe appointed June 19, 1916 and retired late in 1937
after twenty one years of faithful service, and Mrs. Frances J. Wallis, appointed in June, 1919
and retired on account of her health in June 1936. On June fourth, 1919, Sheriff Cline appointed
as his private secretary, Miss Laura Bullock, who served in this capacity until his resignation
from the office. Miss Bullock was retained in the same position by Sheriff William I. Traeger
for the twelve years he continued in the office.
A number of important changes in the organizational set up of the office were effected during
Cline's administration which made for greater efficiency and better service. They were a
continuation of the program of improvement and expansion begun during the administration of
Sheriff Hammel, who immediately preceded him in his second incumbency of the office.
The Bureau of Identification was established by Cline, in 1915 and fingerprinting was introduced
into the work of the Bureau. This was the foundation of the present Division of Records and
Identification as organized in the Department of the present time.
It was also in 1915, under Sheriff Cline, that the Motorcycle Squad, which had originated in the
District Attorney's office a few years earlier, was transferred to the Sheriff's Department as a
working unit of that organization.
One of the most noted cases handled by Cline, was the spectacular robbery of the Hellman
Bank in 1919. He investigated this crime, apprehended the criminals, and secured their
conviction.
One of the Deputies in service when Cline took over the office on his second election was Frank
P. Cochran. Cochran was a most interesting and picturesque character with considerable
experience as a Peace Officer. He had been continually in County of City Police Service since
1891, a period of twenty-four years. He was a township Constable from 1891 to 1895 then for
eight years, he was a Los Angeles City Mounted Police Officer, and 1903 he had entered the
Sheriff's office under Will A. White. He served four years under Sheriff White and continued
during the eight years of Hammel's administration. He remained in the Sheriff's Department
through Cline's period in office and continued to serve under Traeger and then Biscailuz until
January 1935, when he retired after forty-four years of continuous service, thirty-two years
which had been in the Sheriff's Department of Los Angeles County. During this time he had
served as a transportation officer, in which capacity he had a record of transporting more than
six thousand prisoners to San Quentin and Folsom penitentiaries without a single escape.