In the matter of Paul Degaston

California and Western Medicine Vol. 45, No. 5, c. 1936

Tracy sent me a note this morning.

So, do you still think that "they" could be the same man?  I am doing a family tree for a friend right now and finding the same confusion in records.  Will it help to see the 1940 census....it will be released soon.
T

My answer at this point is that I just don't know. I am no closer to wrapping my head around this matter than I was at the beginning of the pursuit, a mere 10 days ago. And hey, I am new at this cybersleuthing business. KJ has always accused me of writing like Mickey Spillane and now I have my very own Damon Runyan mystery.

What do we know to date? A man or possibly two men, one or both philanderers with many wives and a penchant for using multiple identities. Both with multiple birth dates. Both married to a woman named Violet. One still a principal suspect in the Elizabeth Short murder. One married to Leona, the other Cleona. Both artists. One might have taught at the art center and possesses very advanced skill in printmaking. One has a social security number, with  roots in China, Los Angeles and Washington State, the other New Jersey, San Francisco, Hawaii and elsewhere.

Percy DeGaston's book - Library of Congress No. DS721.D38

One man serves time as a german sympathizer. One is a stoolie who may have upset some very powerful people. And on and on, you can read the previous posts.

I have been leading to think that we were definitely talking about two different men, one a man with a bit of a darkside, Paul Robert and the other a mere artist. Now I am really not so sure. While they may be in fact two different people, they both appear to have a similar dark mien.

I followed a link back to one of Percy DeGaston's great grandsons and he mentioned that the man was not only a serial philanderer but a pedophiliac. I thought that that was strange, having no knowledge of anything like that in my limited research. He also says that he was on the FBI's 10 most wanted list. I believe that he is confusing him with Paul Robert DeGaston, something admittedly easy to do.

I have seen a picture of one of the DeGaston's on Degaston.com but never a picture of the other, a shame.

Paul DeGaston Photograph circa 1920's.

I received a note from a different family member yesterday discussing the molestation of a young relative by Paul Percy and the cheating and subsequent divorce. So it is true. I am not going to post the letter, there are people still alive with direct knowledge of events and I want to respect their privacy. This is real and sensitive. But now I know that both men were involved in some nefarious, if not evil business. Leaving aside the big question of the day, of course.

But the writer also made mention of Percy dying in 1958. Now, that is strange, death records say 1963. The other DeGaston, Paul Robert, supposedly died in 1956, closer to the 1958 date. Paul Robert having not one but two children named Paul De Gaston doesn't make matters easier. But it still leads me to ask myself a question:

Are we talking about one or two men?

Man known as Paul Robert DeGaston in World War II internment camp c. 1943-4.