Special Report on Vice Conditions in and Around the City of Tulsa, by H. H. Townsend.
For the purpose of securing first hand evidence, after a conference with Mr. J. a. Hull and Rev. Harold Cook, we arranged an automobile party to leave on this trip about 10 o'clock P. M. We first went to the Queen City Livery barn, located at 110 S. Detroit, for the purpose of going in the Kitty Brown's rooming house over same, No. 108-1/2 S. Detroit. This rooming house was formerly known as one of the red light houses of the city of Tulsa, and Kitty Brown was at one time one of the land ladies of one of the red light houses. At this time, and during the past two years, this house has been run as an open house of prostitution with a number of girls there for this purpose at all times. On various occasions I have had operatives investigate this place and found that at no time has it been run as a legitimate rooming house. On this occasion we found that a number of the girls were hanging out of the window as we approached the place, and believe that they were warned of some police raid we did not go inside. We then left and drove out on Admiral across from the Admiral Hotel, or Joe Baker's place of business, where we interviewed a woman regarding whiskey and taking a girl out with us. She said that we were too late and that she couldn't do anything for us at this hour. The house was dark and from indications they were all in bed. We then drove to nigger town and went to a notorious place known as Pretty Belle's place. At this place three of the party entered where music and dancing was going on and secured corn whiskey and choc beer, which they brought back to the car. While they were in the building I remained in the automobile and while sitting there three automobile loads of men and women, part of whom were young girls, came to the front of the place and got out. Some of them went in and some of them remained outside on the porch drinking from bottles furnished them by two negro men. Two drunken
Report on Vice Conditions in Tulsa, 1921 May 18, Box 25, Record Group 1-2, State of Oklahoma vs. John A. Gustafson, Chief of Police Tulsa (Tulsa Race Riot Investigation Vice Condition); Civil Case No. 1062, Attorney General, Oklahoma State Archives Division, Oklahoma Department of Libraries, Oklahoma City, OK
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Oklahoma State Archives Division, Oklahoma Department of Libraries. For further information regarding the rights to this collection, please visit www.crossroads.odl.state.ok.us/cdm4/rights.php
Special Report on Vice Conditions in and Around the City of Tulsa, by H. H. Townsend.
For the purpose of securing first hand evidence, after a conference with Mr. J. a. Hull and Rev. Harold Cook, we arranged an automobile party to leave on this trip about 10 o'clock P. M. We first went to the Queen City Livery barn, located at 110 S. Detroit, for the purpose of going in the Kitty Brown's rooming house over same, No. 108-1/2 S. Detroit. This rooming house was formerly known as one of the red light houses of the city of Tulsa, and Kitty Brown was at one time one of the land ladies of one of the red light houses. At this time, and during the past two years, this house has been run as an open house of prostitution with a number of girls there for this purpose at all times. On various occasions I have had operatives investigate this place and found that at no time has it been run as a legitimate rooming house. On this occasion we found that a number of the girls were hanging out of the window as we approached the place, and believe that they were warned of some police raid we did not go inside. We then left and drove out on Admiral across from the Admiral Hotel, or Joe Baker's place of business, where we interviewed a woman regarding whiskey and taking a girl out with us. She said that we were too late and that she couldn't do anything for us at this hour. The house was dark and from indications they were all in bed. We then drove to nigger town and went to a notorious place known as Pretty Belle's place. At this place three of the party entered where music and dancing was going on and secured corn whiskey and choc beer, which they brought back to the car. While they were in the building I remained in the automobile and while sitting there three automobile loads of men and women, part of whom were young girls, came to the front of the place and got out. Some of them went in and some of them remained outside on the porch drinking from bottles furnished them by two negro men. Two drunken
Oklahoma State Archives Division, Oklahoma Department of Libraries. For further information regarding the rights to this collection, please visit www.crossroads.odl.state.ok.us/cdm4/rights.php
Identifier
001_Report on Vice Conditions in Tulsa, 1921 May 18; Page 1.tif
