Empire of Sin (60 page)

Authors: Gary Krist

Tags: #History, #United States, #State & Local, #South (AL; AR; FL; GA; KY; LA; MS; NC; SC; TN; VA; WV), #True Crime, #Murder, #Serial Killers, #Social Science, #Sociology, #Urban

18
the classic Southern anthem …
The publication of “Dixie” per Stanonis, “Woman,” 8.

19
a blueblood through and through
… For Philip Werlein’s biography, see
American Biography: A New Cyclopedia
.

20
Werlein proposed to erect a wooden screen …
Werlein’s screening proposal was described in the NODI of January 27, 1910.

21
the aldermen ended up defeating it soundly …
The vote on screening in the city council per the NODI of February 1, 1910.

22
the so-called Gay-Shattuck Bill …
The best source for Gay-Shattuck is Long,
Babylon
, 181ff.; see also the NODI of July 16, 1908.

23
barrooms in New Orleans would be forced into bankruptcy …
Item
’s prediction of about half of the barrooms going bankrupt per the NODI of June 16, 1908.

24
“the saloon-men and divekeepers …”
is from the NODP of January 7, 1909.

25
“antique sandwich” …
For the exploitation of loopholes in Gay-Shattuck, see Leathem, “Carnival,” 226; Landau, “Spectacular Wickedness,” 202; and the NODI of January 5, 1909.

26
a new enterprise—Liberty Oil …
Founding of Liberty Oil as per Levy, “Bards and Bawds,” 130.

27
Olive Anderson had become sick
… as per the NODP of December 28, 1907.

28
they had another ceremony performed …
The marriage of Tom and Olive as per
Succession of Anderson
.

29
Two days later, the funeral was held …
Attendees at Olive’s funeral per the NODI of December 29, 1907.

30
“If an absolutely truthful man …”
Quotes from Collins and Smith per the NODP of March 2, 1908.

31
conducting his own undercover investigation …
For the investigation of Anderson launched by Reverend Lawrence, see various editions of the NODP from June 28 to September 13, 1910.

32
no judge or prosecutor …
For difficulty finding anyone willing to try the case, see Levy, “Bards and Bawds,” 128.

33
a large sign outside the establishment …
The issue of the sign listing Anderson as proprietor per the NODI of August 8, 1910.

34
lacking a valid address for the saloon …
Problem in the affidavits per the NODP of August 16, 1910.

35
“No good excuse …”
is from the NODI of August 22, 1910.

36
Anderson agreed to plead …
Outcome of the trials per the NODPs of September 12 and 13 and October 18, 1910.

37
Josie Arlington had retired …
See Long,
Babylon
, 182, and
Succession of Deubler
.

38
“Josie Arlington solved the problem …”
The arrest of respectable women at Anderson’s ball is recounted in Rose,
Storyville
, 64.

39
increasingly morbid and religious …
Characterization of Josie per
Succession of Deubler
.

40
an elaborate red-marble tomb …
See Harris, “Whatever Became of Josie Arlington,” 45, and Rose,
Storyville
, 49.

41
“I am living only for Anna” …
is per
Succession of Deubler
.

42
“Because men are dogs” …
is per
Succession of Deubler
.

43
“The one thing that all Southerners agree upon …”
is quoted in the NODI of February 1, 1910.

44
One pair of brothers from New York …
For the arrival of the Sapir or Parker brothers, see Levy, “Bards and Bawds,” 147, and Rose,
Storyville
, 67.

Chapter 13: An Incident on Franklin Street

Much has been written by and about Louis Armstrong. For the account in this chapter, I have relied most heavily on his own
Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans
, and his collected occasional writings in the book
In His Own Words
. [NB: Armstrong’s
Swing That Music
was ghostwritten, and apparently in a way that gives doubt to its accuracy, so I have generally not used it.] Numerous biographies exist, but I have drawn on three in particular—Teachout’s
Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong
, Bergreen’s
Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life
, and Brothers’s
Louis Armstrong’s New Orleans
.

1
A dance craze had been sweeping the country …
See the NODP of March 30, 1913.

2
numerous dance halls and cabarets had opened …
Levy, “Bards and Bawds,” 170–74, gives a good list of the establishments operating in the District in 1910.

3
Their first target was John “Peg” Anstedt …
For the incident with Anstedt, see Levy, “Bards and Bawds,” 148, and Rose,
Storyville
, 67–8, 72, 92.

4
Phillips renovated the building and reopened it …
The opening of the 102 Ranch is from Rose,
Storyville
, 68–70. (For Tom Anderson’s occasional retreats to the Ranch, see Rose,
Storyville
, 152.)

5
they opened the Tuxedo …
Details about the Tuxedo as per Rose,
Storyville
, 95–96; the NODP of March 24, 1913, and Charters, “
Storyville
,” 3.

6
“I worked at my trade all week …”
is from Lomax,
Mister Jelly Roll
, 91.

7
“a noisy, brawling barn of a place …”
For Pete Lala’s, see Rose,
Storyville
, 88.

8
“Pete Lala’s was the headquarters …”
is quoted in Shapiro and Hentoff,
Hear Me Talkin’ to Ya
, 12.

9
“all the big-time pimps and hustlers …”
is from
Hear Me Talkin’to Ya
, 5.

10
“the most famous nightspot …”
as per Rose,
Storyville
, 94.

11
“My first job was in Billy Phillips’ place …”
quoted in Shapiro and Hentoff,
Hear Me Talkin’ to Ya
, 41.

12
“After Buddy died …”
Bechet,
Treat It Gentle
, 84.

13
Cornetist Joe Oliver …
For details on Oliver, see Rose,
Storyville
, 119.

14
“How he could make it talk!” …
For Oliver’s “freak” style, see Shapiro and Hentoff,
Hear Me Talkin’ to Ya
, 41–42.

15
“Something got into Joe …”
is quoted in Ramsey and Smith,
Jazzmen
, 62–63 (Rose says the incident was at Abadie’s, not Aberdeeen’s).

16
Hoping to discipline their wild child …
For Bechet’s childhood years, see Chilton,
Bechet
, 12–14.

17
“I’d always catch hell …”
Bechet,
Treat It Gentle
, 78.

18
“We could never keep our hands on that Sidney …”
Chilton,
Bechet
, 16.

19
pouring Musterol ointment …
Bechet,
Treat It Gentle
, 73.

20
“I’m sure I can support a wife …”
Bechet,
Treat It Gentle
, 75.

21
“One night we ended up in jail …”
Chilton,
Bechet
, 18–19.

22
“more assertive than ever before” …
See Mitchell,
All on a Mardi Gras Day
, 126.

23
a melee on Burgundy Street …
For the 1908 Carnival incident, see Mitchell,
Mardi Gras Day
, 113.

24
“The objectionable feature …”
Mitchell,
Mardi Gras Day
, 126–27.

25
“I went carefully up one side …”
is quoted in Leathem, “Carnival,” 216 (also the NODP of March 6, 1911).

26
Born on August 4, 1901 …
Armstrong discovered late in life that his birthday was not, as he always believed, July 4, 1900. His Battlefield birth per Teachout,
Pops
, 29.