Harold Israel
Encyclopedia
Harold Israel was a defendant wrongly accused of murdering a priest in Bridgeport, Connecticut
in 1924. The charges against Israel were dismissed by the prosecutor, Homer Stille Cummings
, who later became Attorney General of the United States.
The case, which gained national attention, became the basis for a 1947 film by Elia Kazan
, Boomerang!
. The Israel prosecution was praised in the Wickersham Commission
report on law enforcement in the United States, which criticized police interrogation methods.
Israel, a vagrant and former serviceman, was charged with the murder of Father Hubert Dahme, a popular Catholic priest, at the intersection of High and Main Street in downtown Bridgeport in the evening of Feb. 4, 1924. Twelve thousand people attended the funeral.
Newspapers pressed authorities to find the killer, and police conducted an intense search for the perpetrator. Eight days later, Israel, who had been arrested in Norwalk, Connecticut
on a gun-possession charge, was accused of the murder. He was described as a “transient indigent, and a person of low mentality of the moron type.”
Homer Cummings, the prosecutor, said the evidence was so strong that "upon its face, at least, seemed well nigh a perfect case." Israel met the general physical description of the gunman, was in the vicinity at the time of the shooting, and he was in possession of the gun that the police believe had been used in the crime, a black .32 caliber revolver. The police case included identifications by seven eyewitnesses, and Israel confessed to the crime, though he later recanted and protested his innocence.
At arraignment on May 27, 1924, Cummings dropped the case, entered a plea of nolle prosequi
, and proceeded to discredit the evidence compiled by the Bridgeport police in a 90-minute presentation to the court.
Cummings rebutted the circumstantial case against Israel, who was serving a 90-day jail term for possession of the .32 caliber revolver.", and said that the confession was coerced from a person of diminished mental capacity. Three physicians had found that Israel was exhausted and overwhelmed, and Israel said he would have confessed to anything just to get some sleep. Cummings called expert witnesses who undermined the ballistics evidence.
Cummings told the court that "it is just as important for a state's attorney to use the great powers of his office to protect the innocent as it is to convict the guilty."
Cummings' decision to drop the case surprised and outraged Bridgeport police, and Cummings received criticism from the Democratic Party
, where he was a national committeeman. However, despite being snubbed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
, who was United States Secretary of the Navy
at the time, he was chosen by Roosevelt as his first Attorney General.
The case was never solved. In 1954, a Bridgeport resident admitted to witnessing the killing, said that he was threatened with death if he spoke about it, and said that Israel was not the killer.
Israel later married and had "a house, a Ford, a wife, and a child." In Boomerang!, which was largely filmed in Stamford, Connecticut
, Israel was played by Arthur Kennedy
.
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
in 1924. The charges against Israel were dismissed by the prosecutor, Homer Stille Cummings
Homer Stille Cummings
Homer Stille Cummings was a U.S. political figure who was United States Attorney General from 1933 to 1939. He also was elected mayor of Stamford, Connecticut, three times before, founding the legal firm of Cummings & Lockwood in 1909...
, who later became Attorney General of the United States.
The case, which gained national attention, became the basis for a 1947 film by Elia Kazan
Elia Kazan
Elia Kazan was an American director and actor, described by the New York Times as "one of the most honored and influential directors in Broadway and Hollywood history". Born in Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, to Greek parents originally from Kayseri in Anatolia, the family emigrated...
, Boomerang!
Boomerang (1947 film)
Boomerang! is a 1947 film based on the true story of a vagrant who was accused of murder, only to be found innocent through the efforts of the prosecutor...
. The Israel prosecution was praised in the Wickersham Commission
Wickersham Commission
U.S. President Herbert Hoover established the Wickersham Commission, officially called the National Commission on Law Observance and Enforcement, on May 20th, 1929. Former Attorney General George W...
report on law enforcement in the United States, which criticized police interrogation methods.
Israel, a vagrant and former serviceman, was charged with the murder of Father Hubert Dahme, a popular Catholic priest, at the intersection of High and Main Street in downtown Bridgeport in the evening of Feb. 4, 1924. Twelve thousand people attended the funeral.
Newspapers pressed authorities to find the killer, and police conducted an intense search for the perpetrator. Eight days later, Israel, who had been arrested in Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
on a gun-possession charge, was accused of the murder. He was described as a “transient indigent, and a person of low mentality of the moron type.”
Homer Cummings, the prosecutor, said the evidence was so strong that "upon its face, at least, seemed well nigh a perfect case." Israel met the general physical description of the gunman, was in the vicinity at the time of the shooting, and he was in possession of the gun that the police believe had been used in the crime, a black .32 caliber revolver. The police case included identifications by seven eyewitnesses, and Israel confessed to the crime, though he later recanted and protested his innocence.
Nolle prosequi
Nolle prosequi is legal term of art and a Latin legal phrase meaning "to be unwilling to pursue", a phrase amounting to "please do not prosecute". It is a phrase used in many common law criminal prosecution contexts to describe a prosecutor's decision to voluntarily discontinue criminal charges...
, and proceeded to discredit the evidence compiled by the Bridgeport police in a 90-minute presentation to the court.
Cummings rebutted the circumstantial case against Israel, who was serving a 90-day jail term for possession of the .32 caliber revolver.", and said that the confession was coerced from a person of diminished mental capacity. Three physicians had found that Israel was exhausted and overwhelmed, and Israel said he would have confessed to anything just to get some sleep. Cummings called expert witnesses who undermined the ballistics evidence.
Cummings told the court that "it is just as important for a state's attorney to use the great powers of his office to protect the innocent as it is to convict the guilty."
Cummings' decision to drop the case surprised and outraged Bridgeport police, and Cummings received criticism from the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, where he was a national committeeman. However, despite being snubbed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, who was United States Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
at the time, he was chosen by Roosevelt as his first Attorney General.
The case was never solved. In 1954, a Bridgeport resident admitted to witnessing the killing, said that he was threatened with death if he spoke about it, and said that Israel was not the killer.
Israel later married and had "a house, a Ford, a wife, and a child." In Boomerang!, which was largely filmed in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
, Israel was played by Arthur Kennedy
Arthur Kennedy (actor)
Arthur Kennedy was an American stage and film actor known for his versatility in supporting film roles and his ability to create "an exceptional honesty and naturalness on stage" especially in the original casts of Arthur Miller plays on Broadway.- Early life and education :Kennedy was born John...
.