Below you will find a list of various sodomy trials and other criminals cases found in newspaper archives which may refer to gay men. Please keep in mind that the terms "sodomy" and "crime against nature" have had different meanings at different times and locations. Although the terms were sometimes used to refer to bestiality and pedophilia (neither of which I conduct research on), they were also often used to prosecute gay men. The terms were also sometimes interchangeable within the same case while the additional term of a "nameless crime" or some variant might also be seen in newspaper accounts. Here I am making a list of all the cases I find so that I can eventually do further research on each and determine in what way the term "sodomy" was used in legal cases.
When I find that an individual is not worthy of further research, meaning their case was not in regard to two consulting adults (at least 14 years of age depending on the situation) - I will strike a line through their name and add the reason for the removal under notes. I'm not removing them entirely for reference purposes. If I come across them again in the future and can see that there is no reason to look further.
This list of cases are undetermined, meaning I have not yet discovered the exact nature of the sexual act involved. We should not assume that all of the men listed here were homosexual.
Key to Newspaper:
AL = Amador Ledger
DAC = Daily Alta California
DR = Daily Review (Hayward, CA)
EPW = Evening Post (Washington, DC)
IPV = Imperial Valley Press
LAH = Los Angeles Herald
NR = National Republican
SDR = Sacramento Daily Record
SDU = Sacramento Daily Union
SFC = San Francisco Call
WT = Washington Times
Arizona
| Name | Place | Date | Paper | Pub. Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. Rinerez | Yuma | May 1910 | LAH | May 3, 1910 | escaped |
California
| Name | Place | Date | Paper | Pub. Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raphael Gallenti | Monterey | Aug 1853 | SDU | Aug 10,1858 | The earliest known prisoner for "sodomy" in California |
| John Gardner | Sacramento | Feb-1856 | SDU | Feb 26,1856 | "STATE CONVICTIONS - John Gardner, sodomy, ten years" |
| Francis Burnham | Sacramento | Sep 1858 | SDU | Sep 22,1858 | sodomy, 8 years at San Quentin |
| John Keene | San Francisco | Mar 1859 | SDU | Mar 17,1859 | "unnameable crime", 5 years at San Quentin |
| Henry Williams | San Francisco | Sep 1862 | DAC | Sep 17,1862 | Charged but released |
| Julius Amadie Carl | San Francisco | Apr 1863 | DAC | Apr 22,1863 | "sodomy", listed among cases to be continued in the court. |
| J. Crane | Folsom | Apr 1864 | SDU | Apr 14,1864 | charged with sodomy, outcome unknown |
| Ah Chin | Sacramento | Apr 1864 | SDU | Apr 13,1864 | charged with sodomy, outcome unknown |
| Richard Cornell | San Francisco | Jul 1867 | DAC | Aug 17,1867 | counter charge of sodomy, dismissed |
| Lewis Miller | San Francisco | May 1868 | DAC | May 24, 1868 | arraigned and discharged from custody |
| Frederick Egan | San Francisco | May 1869 | SDU | Feb 20,1873 | 3 years and 9 months at San Quentin |
| Honore George | San Francisco | Aug 1869 | DAC | Aug 8, 1869 | "crime against nature" |
| Alexander White | San Francisco | Oct 1871 | DAC | Oct 23, 1871 | taken into custody |
| John Dally | San Francisco | 1872 | DAC | Sep 13, 1873 | five years, later pardoned |
| William Wright | San Francisco | Sep 1872 | DAC | Sep 13, 1872 | taken into custody, outcome unknown |
| C. S. Stylaus | San Francisco | Jul 1873 | DAC | Aug 1, 1873 | accused |
| Giovani Martin | Sacramento | Nov 1875 | SDU | Nov 17, 1875 | accused |
| Ah Joe | Sacramento | Jun 1876 | SDU | Aug 25, 1876 | 3 years |
| Ah Lee | Sacramento | Jun 1876 | SDU | Aug 25, 1876 | charged, outcome unknown |
| George W. Bruff | Sacramento | May 1879 | DAC | May 9,1879 | charged with sodomy, outcome unknown |
| Manuel Olivas | Bakersfield | Oct 1881 | SDU | Oct 12, 1881 | "crime against nature", pedophile |
| Artemus Miller | San Francisco | Aug 1884 | DAC | Sep 6, 1884 | found guilty, outcome unknown |
| Vangela Apostola | San Francisco | Oct 1884 | DAC | Oct 8, 1884 | "Vangela Apostola was acquitted of sodomy" |
| Charles Elliott | San Francisco | Dec 1884 | DAC | Dec 7, 1884 | 4 years at San Quentin |
| Lucillus Miller | San Francisco | Sep 1884 | SDR | Dec 21,1888 | |
| George Abbott | Sacramento | Aug 1885 | SDR | Aug 12, 1885 | 1 year at Folsom |
| George Polites | San Francisco | 1886 | SFC | Apr 29, 1892 | 20 years |
| John McCrink | San Francisco | Mar 1886 | DAC | Mar 10, 1886 | "In Department No. 1, John McCrink was convicted of sodomy." |
| "a Chinaman" | La Mesa | Apr 17, 1886 | LAH | Apr 20, 1886 | "warrant was issued out of Justice Austin's court" |
| W. L. Morely | Oakland | Apr 1887 | DAC | Apr 5, 1887 | charged |
| James P. Barry | Sacramento | Jul 1887 | SDC | Jul 16, 1887 | accused and released |
| Louis Stein | Los Angeles | Jul 1887 | LAH | Dec 17, 1887 | found guilty, sentence unknown |
| George Stedman | Los Angeles | Nov 1887 | LAH | Nov 23, 1887 | "crime against nature", found not guilty |
| Frank Ramos | San Francisco | Dec 1887 | DAC | Dec 30, 1887 | "crime against nature", no further info |
| Daniel McCabe | Solano | 1888 | SDU | Apr 27, 1892 | 14 years |
| John Baker | San Francisco | 1888 | LAH | Sep 24, 1892 | 20 years, commuted to 8 years |
| William Hubbard | San Bernardino Co. | Jun 1888 | SDR | Jun 7, 1888 | Folsom Prison |
| Joseph Franklin | Sacramento | Jun 1888 | SDR | Jun 11, 1888 | "held on charge of sodomy" |
| Richard Hurley | California | Nov 1888 | SDU | Nov 26, 1888 | 2 years |
| Pat O'Neil | Los Angeles | Mar 1889 | LAH | Mar 15, 1889 | guilty |
| William Griffith | Santa Monica | Oct 1889 | LAH | Oct 1, 1889 | hung jury |
| Peter Jones | San Francisco | 1891 | SFC | Apr 29, 1892 | 7 years |
| J. Miller | San Francisco | Feb 1892 | SFC | Feb 18, 1892 | "charged with sodomy" |
| Thomas Jones | San Francisco | Mar 1892 | SFC | Mar 13, 1892 | 8 years at San Quentin |
| G. W. McKay | Los Angeles | Nov 1892 | LAH | Nov 16, 1892 | "crime against nature committed on his wife" |
| Isaac Gregg | Los Angeles | Sep 1894 | LAH | Sep 20, 1894 | arrested |
| G. G. Cashin | Los Angeles | Nov 1894 | LAH | Nov 14, 1894 | arrested, outcome unknown |
| Thomas Harris | Oakland | May 1895 | SCR | May 23, 1895 | sodomy, later escaped |
| James Fay | Pomona | Jun 1895 | LAH | Jun 22, 1895 | found guilty |
| Robert Johnson | Pomona | Jun 1895 | LAH | Jun 22, 1895 | charged |
| Dick Rios | San Diego | Jun 1897 | LAH | Jun 10, 1897 | "crime again nature", pedophile |
| William Burke | San Bernardino | Mar 1898 | LAH | Mar 7, 1898 | 25 years at San Quentin |
| Harry Fisher | San Bernardino | Mar 1898 | LAH | Mar 7, 1898 | 25 years at Folsom |
| Pedro Aragon | Amador Co. | Aug 1901 | AL | Sep 6, 1901 | sodomy, outcome unknown |
| John McEver | Imperial | 1908 | LAH | Aug 12, 1910 | 10 years, commuted after 2 |
| Herbert V. Ready | San Francisco | Jan 1908 | SFC | Jan 15, 1908 | charged |
| John McEvoy | El Centro | May 1908 | IVP | May 23, 1908 | charged |
| Angelo Iacono | Amador | May 1908 | AL | May 29, 1908 | "crime against nature", pedophile |
| Elmer J. Kreuger | Modesto | Feb 1957 | DR | Feb 8, 1957 | lewd & lascivious conduct |
District of Columbia
| Name | Place | Date | Paper | Pub. Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Smith | Washington DC | Apr 1884 | NR | Apr 3,1884 | attempt sodomy, sent to reform school |
| Archie Hill | Washington DC | Apr 1884 | NR | Apr 3,1884 | sodomy, sentenced 11 months |
| Edward-Carroll | Washington DC | Apr 1884 | NR | Apr 21, 1884 | sodomy |
| William Smith | Washington, DC | Dec 1888 | EPW | Dec 6, 1888 | Criminal Court - Justice Montgomery |
| Asa A. Hugill | Washington, DC | Oct 1903 | WT | Oct 10, 1903 | sentence NJ State Prison, 4 years |
Massachusetts
| Name | Place | Date | Paper | Pub. Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capt. George Tabor | New Bedford | Oct 1870 | SDU | Accused in Mauritius |
Oregon
| Name | Place | Date | Paper | Pub. Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warren Hathaway | Oregon | Apr 1875 | SDU | May 1,1875 | slander case |
Pennsylvania
| Name | Place | Date | Paper | Pub. Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry W. King | Philadelphia | Mar 1890 | LAH | Director of asylum for the blind |
Washington
| Name | Place | Date | Paper | Pub. Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward McGuire | Washington | bef 1901 | SFC | Feb 18, 1901 | Imprisoned for sodomy, later escaped |
