I Learned to be a stuntman from Shorty Shea

Today we have a rare treat. "Pete P" was a child from Simi Valley who grew up to become a Hollywood stuntman. Pete became interested in movie stunts from his exposure to the stuntmen who worked at the ranches around Chatsworth, among them Shorty Shea. Pete is searching for any photos of himself with Shorty, so if you ever snapped any photos as Spahn he'd be appreciative if you checked your collection for him. You can reach him through us if you find any.

Pete, who is admittedly technologically challenged began searching the web in hopes of finding those pics. Searches for Spahn Ranch landed him in the good hands of MansonBlog friend Stoner van Houten, and now us. Below is his story:

Pete P. (center) with Eric Estrada (left) at a CHiPs reunion in Las Vegas

I would ride to Spahn Ranch on my mini-bike between the ages of 9 or 10 without my mother's knowledge. I was a bit of a black sheep to begin with, but after my dad bought me that mini-bike I was outta control. We lived on the corner of Elizondo Ave. and Currant Ave in Simi Valley.  A flood control wash was right across the street that runs right through the center of Simi. I rode that about 10 miles or so on the hard-packed parts. Then I rode a small service road along the railroad tracks for a few miles to Santa Susanna Pass Rd.

I was fascinated with stuntmen and I wanted to be one even at that early age. I knew Charlie (Manson) by sight and name, but I thought he was a stuntman. I figured everyone at the ranches were stuntmen. I already knew a couple of them from a neighboring ranch called Corriganville Movie Ranch - specifically Jimmy Babcock, Monte Laird and Joe Soto. Those guys would also frequently be at Spahn to do stunts for the various B movies that were filmed there.

I'm not computer savvy at all. I only learned to text a year ago. I was looking for photos of me at Spahn ranch. I do believe that people have them. People were always taking pictures there. The riding customers, the move people. Everybody. There was one in particular that I remember taking with Shorty. I was sitting on a corral gate. Shorty was standing next to me with his arm around me and with his other hand made a fist, like he was going to punch me. A girl who was frequently at the ranch took it, but I don't remember her name. If I could get one of those pictures it would be GREAT. So I started to look. When I got on-line, I was floored at how great the interest in this subject still is. It led me to Stoner, and now to you guys.

It was actually Charlie who introduced me to Shorty. I asked Charlie how to become a stuntman and he said, "First you have to be one" (He always talked in riddles). He also said, "You'll want to talk to Shorty". So that's when my career as a stuntman first began. My time with him lasted four or five months.

Shorty was a great guy. He taught me everything like how to take a saddle fall, how to throw a punch and how to take a punch. Most of my friends played sports, but I hung around Shorty. He took the time to show me things. He took a liking to me and an interest in teaching me. He also didn't treat me like a kid. He treated me like an equal. In exchange, I worked for him. I did things like clean horse stalls and other things. For instance, sometimes a ranch customer would be out for a ride and get off the horse to urinate and the horse would run away. So, part of the job was to go find that horse. I really liked it, even cleaning the stalls. If I got there early enough I got to help feed the horses. I loved things like that. My dad was a city boy and didn't like horses but I loved it. I liked cleaning and being a cowboy.

Charlie was always nice to me. He sometimes would ask to ride my mini-bike. I'd let him and he'd tear around on it and seemed to have fun like a little kid. But, Shorty didn't like Charlie and didn't want me near him. He said, "If you play with a bucket of shit long enough, you're gonna get some on ya". I know that people have the idea that Charlie was in charge of the ranch, but he wasn't. The wranglers thought he was a clown. They laughed at him - never took him seriously. Monte Laird slapped the shit out of Manson twice that I know about. I got there shortly after the first one. I witnessed the second, and Laird sure bloodied him up. I also saw Joe Soto throttle Manson good one day. You gotta remember, these guys were a different breed. If you pissed them off they didn't wonder "hey will this guy call the cops?". No, they'd rough you up and just laugh. Those guys were tougher than any bikers. I know that there are folks out there who see Manson as some mysterious guru, but he was a joke to those guys. I wound up having a long relationship with Joe Soto. From the time I met him as a kid at Corriganville Ranch until he passed away in 2009 at age 80.

The only other Manson Family person that I had any real exposure to was Tex. The thing I remember best was that he'd take us for ice cream. He had a pickup truck and we'd all (mostly kids and teenage girls) pile in the bed (since it wasn't illegal back then). Tex would spin the truck out leaving the ranch and we'd all slide around and bang into the sides and laugh. He was almost like a kid when we'd go on those ice cream rides. He was always nice to me.

I remember some of the girls, but I don't remember any of their names because I mostly hung around with the wranglers. I do though remember that sometimes they made brownies and would give me some. I also remember that they liked to take gum wrappers and fold them up to connect to each other and make chains. They had some really long ones going!

One day I got up early and went to Spahn Ranch because I wanted to help feed the horses. When I got there Shorty wasn't around and the horses had not been fed, so I did it. When I finished I saw Charlie talking to Tex and another guy. I asked about Shorty and Charlie said, "He went away on a trip." When I asked when he'd be back he said he probably wouldn't be back. I was very hurt. Shorty was my teacher and more importantly, my friend. He was also the first adult friend I ever had. It was the first time in my life that my heart was broken.

I first heard about Shorty's demise at home. My mom watched the news every evening because the Vietnam war was on and we had relatives over there. This one night the ranch was on the news. Miss Pearl (Ruby Pearl) was being interviewed. She said she was worried about Shorty and feared something very very bad had happened...

Donald Shea
1933-1969

Stoner's interview on Thursday:

Bobby's Parole Hearing Moved to February

I am not on Bobby Beausoleil's mailing list but a friend of mine is on the list.  That friend received an email saying that Bobby's parole hearing has been moved from October up to mid February.  Here is the text of the email.

My request to the Board Of Parole Hearings for advancement of my hearing was granted in consideration of the new materials Jason  submitted to the Board on my behalf. The hearing was advanced by ten months and is now scheduled to take place in mid-February. We have been preparing for this hearing for several years, and most of the prep work has been done; overall we are in good shape to proceed. However, there are still a few pieces that need to be done, such as gathering together some letters of support for my release from close friends and relations who may be inclined to write one. There is a bit of a scramble to get these things together in the weeks left to us before we must commence with the hearing.

A letter of support from you will be most welcome. If you would like to weigh in and express your point of view or your sentiments regarding my release on parole, I invite you to do so.

After so many years and so many parole hearings writing a letter may seem like an exercise in futility, especially with the politics that are unfortunately an influence in my situation. But there really is no telling in advance how these things will go. Parole dates are being granted, some surprising ones at that.  If the Board is leaning at all toward granting me a parole in this hearing a letter of support from you is likely to figure significantly in their consideration.

From experience I can tell you that a letter of support is most likely to be read by the Board if the length of the letter is kept to one page or less. Typewritten or handwritten, either way is fine, whatever your preference. The heading can be To the Board of Parole Hearings, In Support of Robert Beausoleil, or simply To Whom It May Concern. If you choose to write a letter, please address it to:

Support for Robert Beausoleil
c/o Jason T. Campbell, Esq.
Bay Area Lawyers PA
300 Montgomery Street, Ste. 660
San Francisco, CA 94104

Again, from long experience I know that there is no talking anyone into granting me a parole date. Doing the right thing is a choice we all make in the moment, and is not something that can be imposed on a person or entity by another. I am resolved to hold to the center and preserve my integrity whatever the outcome of this hearing may be. Honestly, this is the best I can do, and I will pray for the strength to hold true in this resolve.

I am grateful for your support, in whatever manner you choose
to express it.

In love and peace,

Bobby

LadyNoel's Gibbie Tribute Blog

Patty stumbled across the following cool site while researching whether or not Gibbie Folger was at the Monterey Pop Festival (she was).  She found a photo there of an article she pulled a few years back of Gibbie's debutante ball and was touched to see that LadyNoel gave Patty a photo credit. That's so nice! Patty has always thought that The Lady is a real class act. Thanks, girl.

Anywhoo, Patty would like to return the favor and plug LadyNoel's blog at http://abigailfolgertribute.blogspot.com/ where you can see the following cool photos of Abigail, and so much more:

Prison Tattoos

1488:

"1488" "1488" is an Aryan Brotherhood tattoo that stands for the number of words in the prominent Neo-Nazi David Lane quote:

"We must secure the existence of our people and a future for White Children".

The 88 stands for the 88 precepts laid out by David Lane in his white power manifesto.

Aryan Brotherhood:

The gang was founded by Irish-Americans and as such much of their iconography is celtic, with Shamrocks being a common feature in A.B. tattoos.

Cobweb:

A cobweb is a frequent tattoo seen in prisons and it means a lengthy prison sentence. Usually the cobwebs are found on the elbows with the symbolism being that the inmate is sitting on his elbows for so long he is collecting cobwebs.

A spider web with a spider tattooed inside of it can bean a drug addiction.

E.W.M.N

"E.W.M.N." across the knuckles means "Evil. Wicked. Mean. Nasty". The tattoo doesn't have any gang affiliation, it is more of a way of life.

Tattoos across the knuckles became popular in the United States in the 1950s and many different variants exist.

Five Dots:

Five dots on the hand stands for the amount of time a prisoner has done in a prison. The four dots on the outside represent the walls of the prison and the dot in the center represents the inmate bearing the tattoo.

Clock with no hands:

A clock with no hands is a symbol for the inmate and being in prison. The lack of hands on the clock depict that the prisoner has an extra-ordinarily long sentence.

A set of cards:

A set of cards indicates an inmate that likes to gamble, both inside and outside of prison. The suit of cards can carry many different meanings with diamonds meaning the inmate is an informant or a heart which can mean the inmate is available for romantic partnership (both suits would be unwillingly applied).

Teardrop:

The teardrop is the most famous prison tattoo.

The teardrop can indicate many different things, such as that the bearer has murdered someone, or has had someone close to them murdered or even the amount of times they have been raped in prison.

Necrorealist art...

Ladies & Gentlemen, please allow me to show you the somewhat disturbing paintings of David Van Gough. I saw Mr. Van Gough's paintings recently on a documentary currently streaming on Netflix called "Serial Killer Culture" by John Borowski. The documentary is about collectors, and artists that are fascinated by serial killers. No big surprise, Tex Watson doesn't make one appearance in the documentary, even though, technically, he is more of serial killer than Manson. Nobody collects, or paints Tex? Are you surprised? Manson looks better on canvas, I suppose. Actually, Tex was a spree killer, right? Anyway, continuing.....

I have to admit, the documentary, and Mr. Van Gough's paintings are highly disturbing to me, and I could never display them in my home. The third painting down is supposed to be Sharon Tate alive on the left, then Sharon Tate dead on the right. He included the cut on her face that Tex felt the need to do when murdering her. Jeepers Creepers!

From David Van Gough's website, the reader is told "Mining the dark recesses of a fevered subconscious, combined with the post millennial paranoia of impending doom, David Van Gough is a Necrorealist painter." Yep-I agree with that description, but hey-to each their own! He is talented, I will give him that! A link to his website can be found here.

TLB Murders Quizzes

Fairly easy. I only had to think on one but that's because I thought it was a trick question.

Take quiz #1

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This one was easier than the first one. I answered all of the questions correctly but it gave me a score of 886/1000. Maybe there's a timer? I don't know how I could have answered quicker.

Take quiz #2

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I answered #3 incorrectly but I think the question is incorrect. Do you agree?

Take quiz #3

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How about a Manson Crossword Puzzle?

Charlie in Weekly World News!

Thumbing through my favorite periodical "Weekly World News" proved to be quite successful today, ladies & gentlemen. Upon looking at the archives, I found this:

Sorry I had to break it up like that in sections, but I couldn't save it correctly to my computer. Isn't it great?

Jolly Holly Daze!

Thanks to everyone for a wonderful year!  From Matt, Panamint Patty, Austin Ann and DebS

Lucifer Rising Is Stolen 1967

Here is an article from the September 29, 1967 issue of the Berkeley Barb when Kenneth Anger first reports that his film Lucifer Rising is stolen.  It does not appear that Anger initially suspected Bobby Beausoleil of stealing the film.  There were thefts from other performers at the Straight Theatre around the same time, too.

Charles Manson as a baby