Journal Notes

Enter now to win a copy of

An Open Secret: The Story of Deadwood’s Most Notorious Bordellos and a Kindle!

A steady stream of miners, ranchers, and cowhands filtered in and out of the Saloon No. 10 in Deadwood, (present day) South Dakota. An inexperienced musician playing an out-of-tune accordion squeezed out a familiar melody, ushering the pleasure seekers inside. Burlap curtains were pulled over the dusty windows, and fans that hung down from the ceiling turned lazily.

A distressed mahogany bar stood alongside one wall of the business, and behind it was a surly looking bartender. He was splashing amber liquid into glasses as fast as he could. A row of tables and chairs occupied the area opposite the bar, every seat was filled with a card player. Among the male gamblers was one woman; everyone called her “Poker Alice.”

She was an alarming beauty, fair-skinned and slim. She had one eye on the cards she was dealing and another on the men at the game two tables down.

Warren G. Tubbs was studying the cards in his hand so intently he didn’t notice the hulk of a man next to him get up and walk around behind him. The huge man with massive shoulders and ham-like hands that hung low to his sides peered over Tubbs’ shoulder and scowled down at the mountain of chips before him. Alice’s intensely blue eyes carefully watched the brute’s actions. He casually reached back at his belt and produced a sharp knife from the leather sheath hanging off his waist. Just as he was about to plunge the weapon into Tubbs’ back, a gunshot rang out.

A sick look filled the man’s face, and the frivolity in the saloon came to a halt. He slowly dropped the knife. Before dropping to his knees, he turned in the direction from which the bullet had come. Alice stared back at him, her .38 pistol pointed at his head. The man fell face-first onto the floor. His dead body was quickly removed to make way for another player. In a matter of minutes, the action inside the tavern returned to normal. Tubbs caught Alice’s gaze and grinned. He nodded to her and waggled his fingers in a kind of salute. She smiled slightly and wholly turned her attention back to the poker game in front of her.

Alice Ivers never sat down to play poker without holding at least one gun. She generally carried a pistol in her dress pocket, and often she also had a backup weapon in her purse. The frontier was rough and wild, and wearing a gun, particularly while playing cards, was a matter of survival. It was a habit for Poker Alice.

To learn more about Poker Alice read

An Open Secret: The Story of Deadwood’s Most Notorious Bordellos

Enter now to win a copy of

An Open Secret: The Story of Deadwood’s Most Notorious Bordellos

along with a Kindle

Historians believe the scandalous Eleanora Dumont was one of the first madams to arrive in Deadwood Gulch in 1876. Her time in the Black Hills was brief. She was in her late forties, and much of her life as a prostitute and gambler had already been lived by the time she traveled to Deadwood. “Madame Mustache,” as she was also known, stayed in town long enough to fleece a few residents at the faro tables and spend an evening or two with curious men who knew of her reputation. Three years after making her way to the Dakota Territories, Eleanora was living in a gold mining town in California and reminiscing about life in Deadwood.

In 1854, Eleanora Dumont became the first woman to open a saloon in Nevada City, California. Every night she invited thrill seekers to take her on in a game of twenty-one or blackjack. Her establishment was tastefully decorated and furnished with expensive chairs and settees, carpets, and gas chandeliers. Her resort was open twenty-four hours a day, and patrons were offered free champagne. Even though customers were required to clean off their boots before entering and were ordered to keep their language clean as well, Dumont’s place soon became the favorite spot for thirsty gold miners and other characters passing through.

To learn more about Madam Dumont read An Open Secret

Enter now to win a copy of

An Open Secret: The Story of Deadwood’s Most Notorious Bordellos

Gold, gambling, guzzling booze as well as prostitution are all part of Deadwood, South Dakota’s history. In An Open Secret, Chris Enss and the Deadwood History Inc. folks have gathered stories from the bordellos of madams, soiled doves, and the men who visited them from Deadwood’s beginning in 1876 up until 1980 when Pam’s Purple Door and other houses of ill repute were closed for good. The book describes the poor working girls’ hard lives and some of their tragic ends. It relates how girls were tricked into the profession by evil Gem Theater owner Al Swearingen. Some madams such as Madame Moustache met tragic ends while others were fairly successful such as Poker Alice. An Open Secret reveals a sad facet of Deadwood’s past.

Bill Markley, Will Rogers Medallion Award Winner

Enter now to win a copy of

An Open Secret: The Story of Deadwood’s Most Notorious Bordellos

Fearless actress Geri Jewell, from the HBO series Deadwood, graciously provided the foreword for An Open Secret: The Story of Deadwood’s Most Notorious Bordellos. Here’s a bit of what she had to say about the book.

“And after reading Open Secret, I now have become more aware of what life was really like for the soiled doves, whores or prostitutes. Open Secret was an eye opener to what women have gone through just as a means of survival. It gave names and faces to the women, the madams, and the bordellos of ill repute.

It was fascinating to read about the hardships, the abuse, the fines and prison time that was served for the crimes committed and the battles just to survive. This book does not glorify the profession of prostitution, but rather present well documented and researched facts of life, supporting the truth about lives in a society that are generally frowned upon, and judged without really understanding what is actually going on behind the red lights, purple doors or cozy rooms.

Also, it was quite interesting to read about the real Al Swearingen, the man that Ian McShane played so brilliantly in the HBO series, Deadwood. Yes, he was even more ruthless than I previously understood. He was a shrewd businessman, an abusive pimp, and just as complex as McShane portrayed him in the series.”

Thanks, Geri!

Enter now to win a copy of

An Open Secret: The Story of Deadwood’s Most Notorious Bordellos

along with a new Kindle!

Enter now to win a copy of

An Open Secret: The Story of Deadwood’s Most Notorious Bordellos

Legend has it that some of the first fallen ladies in Deadwood arrived in the same caravan with lawman James Butler Hickok, wagon master Charlie Utter, and frontierswoman Calamity Jane in July 1876.  A few of those ladies opened their own brothels, and others went to work for businesses already established in town. Many were employed at hurdy-gurdy houses. A hurdy- gurdy is a musical instrument with strings that vibrate by a resin wheel turned by a crank and shortened at will by keys operated by the fingers of the player. The women that worked at the hurdy-gurdy houses performed high kicking, prancing dances that appealed to lonesome miners. Hurdy- gurdy girls charged the men for each dance and persuaded the men to buy them drinks. The hurdy-gurdy houses and many of the brothels were located in a section of town called the Bad Lands.

Among the most notable Deadwood soiled doves, or supposed soiled doves, in 1876 and 1877 were Belle McMahon, Jenny Hines, and DiGee, also known as China Doll. Belle was frequently arrested and charged with prostitution. Jenny Hines, also known as Popcorn Jenny, was apprehended several times for operating a bawdy house. An incident that occurred on February 21, 1877, marked the beginning of the end of Jenny in Deadwood.  Police raided her business after a complaint was made by neighbors about the numerous men coming and going from the location at all hours of the day and night.

Enter now to win a copy of

An Open Secret: The Story of Deadwood’s Most Notorious Bordellos

Buttonwillow Books

5.0 out of 5 stars Miss Enss Has Done It Again….

Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2023

Verified Purchase

Turning history into a fascinating can’t-put-it-down read takes real talent, and in this case exhaustive research. What a fascinating and FUN read. Don’t miss this peek behind the curtain in one of the old west’s most fabulous gold-rush towns.

Linda Wommack

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid research.

Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2023

A refreshing look at prostitution in the Old West – particularly Deadwood, South Dakota. Chris Enss and Deadwood History, Inc. have offered fine research to bring the reader a true sense of what life was like for these ladies in that bawdy gold camp of yesteryear.

Enter to win a copy of the new book

An Open Secret: The Story of Deadwood’s Most Notorious Bordellos along with a new Kindle.

Enter now to win a copy of

Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother along with a new Kindle!

In a time when notorious Depression-era criminals were terrorizing the country, the Barker-Karpis Gang stole more money than mobsters John Dillinger, Vern Miller, and Bonnie and Clyde combined. Five of the most wanted thieves, murderers, and kidnappers by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the 1930s were from the same family. Authorities believed the woman behind the band of violent hoodlums that ravaged the Midwest was their mother, Kate “Ma” Barker.

Alvin Karpis, Harvey Bailey, and Bernard “Big Phil” Courtney walked quickly out of the Citizens National Bank in Wahpeton, North Dakota, on September 30, 1932. Each was wearing long overcoats, and if not for the Thompson machine guns or .45 caliber revolvers they carried in their hands, they could have passed as bank examiners to the casual observer. An alarm screamed behind them, and Fred Barker and Lawrence Devol charged out the double doors of the bank, each having a female hostage in front of him. Fred pulled a Tommy gun from under his coat and opened fire on law enforcement agents collecting on the sidewalk across the street from the bank. The police didn’t dare exchange bullets with the bank robbers for fear of hitting one of the captives.

The bandits kept a careful eye on the reinforcement of officers that quickly arrived. Alvin shot at the incoming officers, forcing them to take cover behind parked cars and streetlights. The hostages screamed and tried unsuccessfully to break free. Thomas Holden, driver for the Barker-Karpis Gang, revved the engine on the 1932 Hudson, passenger sedan and drove it evenly and quickly out of the nearby alley.

The gangsters loaded into the vehicle as it paused momentarily. They shot more rounds at the officers to keep them pinned to the ground. The police cowered under the gang’s gunfire. Both Fred and Lawrence pulled the hostages onto the running boards of the car. The women were panicked but complied. The vehicle roared away from the bank as the women cried out for help.

In a few short moments, law enforcement was chasing after the gangsters in their police vehicles. The police were careful when they returned fire because the women were still being used as human shields. The pursuit was slowed when one of the bank robbers broke open the rear window and threw two five– gallon milk jars full of roofing nails onto the road. The police swerved their vehicles to miss the objects. Some didn’t make it. They hit the nails, and their tires blew. A flurry of fast gunfire from the fugitives dissuaded the officials from traveling too close to the getaway car.

Enter now to win a copy of

Ma Barker: America’s Most Wanted Mother along with a new Kindle!

16 Jan 1935, Florida, USA — Original caption: 1/16/35-Oklawaha, Florida: Ma Barker and her son, gangster Fred Barker, in morgue of Iklawaha, Florida, after they were shot. Photograph. — Image by © Corbis

“I’ll never have a close relationship with anyone other than my boys. After all, they know what my heart sounds like on the inside.” With that being said, Arizona Barker, Ma Barker to the world, set out to raise four sons to be criminals. It’s believed by many that the Ma Barker image was originated by J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI in an effort to justify the killing of an old lady. She has been portrayed as the mastermind of the Barker-Karpis gang, while surviving gang members absolutely denied the allegations. However, evidence indicates that she was much more involved in criminal activity than some think, whether she was the “mastermind” or not is debatable.

To say the least, she was a willing accomplice, if nothing else. Arizona Donnie Clark was born near Springfield, Missouri, the exact year is not known, though most agree that she was born on October 8, 1873. In 1892, she married George Barker and in time gave birth to four of the meanest examples of humanity ever to exist! The boys were named Herman, Lloyd, Arthur and Fred. After the birth of Fred, George Barker left the family, though it may have been at the insistence of his wife. At some point, she began using the name Kate Barker. On several occasions Kate faced the authorities on behalf of her sons, trying to keep them from serving jail time. She was usually successful. It all came to an end for Ma in early 1925.

Posing as J.E. Blackburn and wife, Ma and her son Freddie rented a house on the northern banks of Lake Weir, near the town of Ocklawaha, Florida. The neighbors thought they were an odd couple with him being so young and her being so much older. They didn’t associate with the neighbors and frequently large cars were seen entering and leaving the place. Unknown to the Barkers, the FBI had the map they had taken from Doc’s apartment and had been checking their mail through the postal service to positively identify them.

Disguised as county road workers, the FBI kept surveillance on the house. Upon seeing the Blackburns, the FBI positively identified the Barkers. The FBI was under the impression that several members of the gang were in the house. Just before daybreak on January 16, 1935, the FBI arrived outside the two-story house. There were agents from Jacksonville, reinforced by agents who had been flown in from Chicago and Cincinnati. A call for their surrender was met with no response. After a few moments, Agent Earl Connelly of Cincinnati yelled, “Unless you come on out, we’re going to start shooting!” Ma replied, “Go ahead.” What followed was the longest gun battle the FBI was ever involved in; it lasted four hours and there are reports that a minimum of 1500 rounds of ammunition were poured into the house. The FBI requested that the bodies of Ma and Freddie be held in a morgue for an extended time, thinking that other gang members would show up to pay their respects – and be captured. Eight months later, they were removed from the morgue, transported to Welch, Oklahoma and buried alongside Herman, in the Williams Timberhill Cemetery.