Ottumwa Weekly Democrat, October 5, 1882 * * * SMOKY ROW. Smoky Row is located in the lower part of the city. It has fame. That fame is not to its advantage.
If, in the natural course of events, a man transgresses the law, he hides in Smoky Row. When a woman falls from virtue and there is no other place left, she goes to Smoky Row. It always has been so, and perhaps always will be so, unless Smoky Row is abolished. Yesterday a woman well raised, fairly educated, fair to look upon, and born to adorn society, after having gravitated to that place, and tired of life, undertook to cross the river of Styx by the sugar of lead route. It is a fact that she was so determined that the kind physician had to fight her to bring her back to life, and even in spite of his efforts, at last accounts it was an even chance whether she would live or die, the latter being her preference. Throw the stone if you want to, you who are guiltless. Only a few weeks or months ago this girl came to the city, as innocent and as pure as the snow. It was a soft word, a loving look, a stolen meeting, an appointment at some trysting place, wine, late hours, other rooms than those of virtue, a back stairway, fine clothes, giddy companions, the first false step, loss of respect, down hill to Smoky Row and an attempt to cheat the ferryman out of his fees to the other side. The way of the seduced is always easy on the down grade. The seducer is petted and feted. Throw the stone if you want to, but remember that Him of Nazareth said that the man to make the throw should be without sin.
1880 US Federal Census, Ottuwma IA - First Ward.
House 74 / Family 82
Boon, Lewis, w/m/22/head/marr/Laborer/born in IA
Boon, Elizabeth, w/f/17/wife/marr/Keeping house/born in IA
Boon, Marion, w/m/20/brother/marr/Laborer/born in IA
Boon, Mary, w/f/sister-in-law/marr/Keeping house/born in IA
House 74 / Family 83
Fuinken, Margaret, w/f/46/head/wid/Keeping house/born in IND
Fuinken, Enoch, w/m/25/son/single/Works in Pork House/born in IA
Fuinken, Joseph J., w/m/15/son/single/At school/born in IA
***RESEARCH FOUND IN THE NEWSPAPERS -- JUST ENOUGH TO CREATE MORE QUESTIONS***
Muscatine Weekly Journal
Muscatine, Iowa
December 06 , 10, 1880
[Note: this same news item was on the front page of both issue dates]
TRAGEDY AT OTTUMWA.
Ottumwa, Ia., Dec. 3.
Nancy Hough, a disreputable creature, shot John Wilhite, a man with whom she has been living, this evening. Wilhite is dying, and the woman is in jail.
Fairfield Ledger
Fairfield, Iowa
Wednesday, December 8th, 1880
THE WEEK’S NEWS.
--Ottumwa had a murder Friday night, Nancy Hough, a prostitute, shooting a railroad man named John Wilhite, with whom she had been living.
IOWA STATE NEWS.
Nan Hough, of Smoky Row, Ottumwa, perforated her “boarder,” John Wilhite, of whom she had grown jealous for alleged attentions to another frail sister, on Saturday night of last week. The shooting was quite effective: Wilhite is liable to pass in his checks, and Nan is in limbo awaiting developments.
Ottumwa Daily Democrat
December 23, 1881
SMOKY ROW.
Smoky Row is assuming prominence again, and another lot of dirty linen is to be washed in Esq. Devin’s court, at the expense of the county. The court is not to blame, but if Smoky Row could be abolished, it would be a big thing for Wapello county.
Ottumwa Weekly Democrat, December 29, 1881
DISTRICT COURT.
A special term of the District Court commenced yesterday. There was but a little business transacted except of a chancery nature. There are eighteen cases on the docket, divides as follows:
One replevin, damages one, two for divorce, two set aside conveyance, two to quit title, one for foreclosure, to restrain foreclosure one, to appoint receiver one, to foreclose mortgage one, one case for injunction, two partition cases and one case for custody of child, and two cases not stated.
Nancy Haugh (sic Hough) sues John Hough and Lucy Brooks sues Albert Brooks for divorce.
Ottumwa Democrat
Saturday, June 2, 1883
A very spicy case came up before Justice Lewis yesterday, in which a woman named Nancy Hough appeared as plaintiff and a farmer named T. J. Sellers as defendant. Nancy is after the hirsute ornament of the festive T. J. to the tune of $80.50, asserted to be due her for labor performed as housekeeper for him. From the character of the evidence, it would seem that the relations which these two people occupied toward each other was at the best “equivocal.” If we mistake not, Nancy is the same female who once figured rather conspicuously in a shooting scrape in Smoky Row, in which she shot and severely wounded a man who took undue liberties with her. The case was adjourned until this morning at 9 o’clock.
**[Research Note -- Apparently John Wilhight DID NOT die of a gun shot wound to the gut by Nancy Hough. Nancy went on to marry several more times. MORE RESEARCH reveals that John Wilhight/Wilhite married the woman in House 80 named Mary E. Hevlin. However -- Research makes one suspect that perhaps the little MAUD child in House 79 might have been fathered by the Boarder, John Wilhigh in House 80 -- Which could have trigged the HOSTILITY resulting in "gun fire" by Nan Hough!
John Wilhite lost the wife Mary Hevlin due to death. He married again to his brother's ex-wife and helped raise his nephew and another male child that John and his wife raised in Colorado. John and his wives never had children of their own together. Maybe the gun shot wound killed that ability? John Wilhite died in Colorado in 1921, after retiring from the Railroad.]
House 80/ Family 93
Hevlin, Mary E., w/f/33/head/divorced/Keeping house/born in MO
Hevlin, Alexander, w/m/16/son/single/Working Coffee shop/born in IA
Hevlin, Axel P., w/m/10/son/single/At school/born in IA
Ramsen, Harrison C., w/m/22/Boarder/single/Laborer/born in NEB
Lange, Anna, w/f/20/single/Servant/born in IA
[Interesting Note: John G. Hobbs, of House 81, was the 4th Husband of Mrs. Nancy Hough (her maiden name being Izzard.) Additional research reveals Nancy had at least one more husband after Hobbs. It is evident that even though Nancy Hough pulled the trigger on Wilhite, she was not charged with any crime. Most likely cause Wilhite did not die.]
House 81 / Family 95
Haunef (?Spelling), Sarah A., w/f/44/head/wid/Keeping house/born in VA
[Many hours of Research done by Linda Ziemann. SMOKEY ROW, during its flourishing years, reveled in bad reputation and murder.]
HEADLINE FROM 1910 READS BELOW -- HOWEVER, Research has NOT REVEALED WHO RAISED THE YOUNG CHILD, named MAUD. All the descendants of Maud ever knew was her birthday, August 2nd, Her father's name was John Wilhite, and the only mother name the family knew was the name "Anna." That's All folks!
Ottumwa Daily Review
May 3, 1910
OTTUMWA’S UNDERWORLD VANISHES LIKE MAGIC
Hand of Progress Purifies Smoky Row with New and Sanitary Structures—Keefe Bros. Investors—Vice and Crime Spots Are Razed.
It may not be a great while until the classic district euphoniously known as Smoky Row shall have all its glory behind it. Smoky Row has a most malodorous history, so had the Seven Dials in London, so had the Five Points in New York. But the Seven Dials and the Five Points are but memories now. Smoky Row is rapidly losing its identity, and as a synonym for degradation the term will soon be valueless.
A great number of old tumble down, ramshackle structures that were dignified with the name of home, have been razed and their sites will, before very long, be either devoted to manufacturing or to railroad business.
KEEFE BROS. ACTIVE.
Keefe Brothers, the well known contractors, have secured eight out of a parcel of nine lots in Fisher’s subdivision enclosed by Samantha, Plum and Union streets. In addition they have bought lots 390 and 391 on Samantha street, between College and Union streets. They have torn down already seventeen rickety old houses that masqueraded under the name of homes, and it is probable that many other structures of the same character will go to the ground.
The C. B. & Q. railroad will, it is said, cover a great portion of this land with tracks, anticipating the location of new factories.
LOCALITY UNSAVORY.
Unsavory for years has been the reputation of Smoky Row, and a few unacquainted with its purlieus had the temerity to enter its precincts after dark. Crooks of all kinds and of all colors took refuge there as in a sanctuary, and women of the wiliest type, and likewise all colors, plied their nefarious trade there with more or less impunity.
It is but six or seven years since Mary Chesser, whose husband was then in the penitentiary, was found with her throat cut from ear to ear. A man named Homer Wright was arrested on suspicion, but he was acquitted for lack of proof. Perhaps the woman committed suicide. Perhaps she was foully done to death. Police, Judge or jury have never determined.
Seven or eight years ago a man named Houdyshell was found shot through the head. Eva Bliss was arrested, charged with the shooting. For lack of evidence, she was acquitted.
MILES MORROW CRIME.
It will be three years on Tuesday since Ben Farrell, a colored boy, was shot and killed by Miles Morrow in an altercation over Mary Judson. Morrow was indicted and tried but acquitted on the plea of self defense. In having proved that Farrell got after him with a knife, and that he had to shoot to save himself. He subsequently had a quarrel with the Judson woman and slashed her with a knife. For this he is serving a five years sentence in Anamosa. Mary Judson is serving an indeterminate sentence on a statutory charge.
Several men have been found mutilated on the railroad tracks that thread the vicinity of Smoky Row. In some instances police had reason to believe that the men were placed deliberately in the path of moving trains, but all efforts to prove their suspicions were futile.
Crimes of minor character flourished in this underworld with the luxuriance of tropical vegetation. It was the Gehenna of Ottumwa. The law-abiding citizens of this community will welcome the day when the stench of Smoky Row will cease to vitiate the atmosphere. Its character has been changing of late years. They who lived there are not all bad. There are many families who through stern necessity are forced to abide in an unpleasant environment and who keep themselves untainted by the rottenness which surrounds them. But a short while and Smoky Row will be a manufacturing center and what homes there may remain will be worthy of a growing Ottumwa.