The Life and Times of Lizzie Handley (Part Two)
To Dallas County Archives main page
List of Biographies

Part: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Sources |

(PART TWO)
The Life and Times of
Lizzie Handley

by Jim Wheat


April 13, 1878

INVENTORY OF REAL ESTATE
Situated in Dallas County, Texas

Name of Taxpayer:

HANDLEY, Lizza (sic)
50x100 foot lot, Block 98, Lots 1-2, Valuation $10.40;
State ad valorem tax: $5.00;
County ad valorem tax: $7.50
Total Tax: $12.50

- April 13, 1878, Dallas Weekly Herald, p. 2, col. 2.
- o o o -

_

1878-79
C. D. Morrison & Co.'s General Directory
of the City of Dallas, 1878-1879:

Wilson, Anna I., residence: 1112 Jackson, near St. Paul.
Chamberlin, Kittie, boards with Anna I. Wilson.
Harris, Josie, boards with Anna I. Wilson.
O'Neill, Ida, boards with Anna I. Wilson.

(Note: I suspect Lizzie was living in another town at this time. 1112 Jackson St. was the location of Lizzie's first bordello, with Anna ("Annie") Wilson apparently being the manager thereof)


_
__

March 1879

     The City of Dallas seized Lizzie's bordello on Jackson St. for non-payment of taxes ($18.50) for the year, 1877.  Lizzie remitted the amount owed on March 15, 1879, whereupon, title to the property was returned to her.19

 

March 20, 1880
LOCAL JOTTINGS.

     Henry Boyd, charged with stealing some wearing apparel from Lizzie Hanley (sic), gave bond yesterday in the sum of $300 and was released from custody.

- March 20, 1880, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 8, col. 1.
- o o o -


_

June 4, 1880

     Lizzie's parents, and her brother, Charles' and family, migrated from Missouri to Johnson Co., Texas, around 1876, where they appear on the 1880 Johnson Co. census,21 as follows:

HOWE, Charles J., head of household, white male, age 40, born in Kentucky; occupation: farming
H
OWE, Leander Jane, wife, age 32, born in Mississippi; keeping house
H
OWE, Charles J., age 5, born in Arkansas
H
OWE, Hattie Lee, female, age 3, born in Texas
H
OWE, Jesse May, female, age 1 month, born in Texas
H
OWE, Daniel B., father, age 69, born in Kentucky; at home; disability: neuralgia; father born in Germany; mother's birthplace: [blank]
H
OWE, Mary, mother, age 65, born in Kentucky; at home; parents born in Kentucky
H
OWE, Lucy M., sister, age 25, born in Missouri; at home


June 8, 1880

     Lizzie Handley appears on the 1880 Dallas County federal census,20 as follows:

1112 Jackson St.
H
ANDLEY, Lizzie, white female, age 30, born ca. 1850 in Kentucky; divorced, occupation: prostitute; both parents born in Kentucky

SIBLEY, Jennie, white female, widowed, age 37, born ca. 1843 in Louisiana, occupation: prostitute; father born in Indiana, mother born in South Carolina

LYNN, Lillie, white female, single, age 20, born circa 1860 in Wisconsin, occupation: prostitute; parents born in Germany

LOTH, Minnie, white female, [marital status not given], age 16, born circa 1864 in Kentucky, occupation: prostitute; father's birthplace not given, mother born in Georgia

HOWARD, Nellie, white female, [single?] age 22, born circa 1858 in New Jersey, occupation: prostitute; parents born in Ireland

BIBB, L. A., white female, [marital status not given], age 21, born circa 1859 in Tenn.; occupation: prostitute; father born in Iowa, mother born in Illinois

COMBS, Susanna, white female, [marital status not given], age 27, born circa 1853 in England; occupation: prostitute; parents born in England

(view 1880 census schedule)



1880-1881
Morrison & Fourmy's General Directory of
the City of Dallas, 1880-1881:

Handley, Mrs. Lizzie, residence: 1112 Jackson, between Ervay & S. Harwood.
Green, Miss Mollie, boards with Mrs. L. Handley.
Lee, Miss Ella, boards with Mrs. L. Handley.


_

1881-82
Gillespie & Work's City & County
Directory of Dallas, 1881-82:

Handley, Miss Lizzie, residence: 1112 Jackson.


_

April 4, 1883

     Lizzie was convicted in the Dallas County court for keeping a disorderly house in Dallas. The punishment of the appellant was fixed at a fine of one hundred dollars.23

 

June 13, 1883

     Lizzie Handley was placed on trial in the mayor's court of the City of Dallas for running a disorderly house.  Lizzie pleaded not guilty, and the jury returned a verdict of "not guilty."23

 

City Court.

     City vs. Lillie Scott, Annie Wilson, Lizzie Hanley (sic), keeping disorderly house; fined $100 each.

- November 1, 1883, Dallas Weekly Herald, p. 5, col. 3.
- o o o -

 

City Court.

     City vs. Lizzie Handley, disorderly house, fined $100.

- November 15, 1883, Dallas Weekly Herald, p. 5, col. 4.
- o o o -

 

Stolen Papers Returned.

     The papers in the case of the City versus Lizzie Handley, charged with keeping a disorderly house, which were stolen from the city court Thursday morning, were found yesterday morning on the Mayor's desk where they had been replaced. The officers have an idea who took the papers, and an arrest of the party will follow.

- December 20, 1883, Dallas Weekly Herald, p. 7, col. 2.
- o o o -

_

1883-84
Morrison & Fourmy's General Directory
of the City of Dallas, 1883-84:

Handley, Miss Lizzie, residence: 1112 Jackson.


__

Lizzie purchases property in the "South End," on which to build her second brothel

_

January 8, 1884
JOHN WOODS to LIZZIE HANDLEY

     John Woods, of the County of Dallas, sold to Lizzie Handley, also of the County of Dallas, a 100x140-foot parcel of land, situated on the west side of S. Austin St., in Block No. 346 (original Block No. 69), on January 8, 1884, for $1,600, and was the location of Lizzie's 2-story brothel.24

 

Real Estate.
_____

The Tone of the Market as Indicated by
Transactions of the Past Week.

_____

Transfers in the City and County.

     Reported by Murphy & Bolanz, successors to Jones & Murphy, real estate agents and collectors. Office, No. 709 Main street, opposite St. George Hotel.
...
     John Woods to Lizzie Handley, 100 by 140 feet on the west side of Austin street, south of block 340 [346] for $1,600.

- January 17, 1884, Dallas Weekly Herald, p. 6, col. 4.
- o o o -

 

1884
A DAY AT DALLAS.

_______

Mardi Gras Visitors - A Young Girl
Saved from a Life of Shame.

...

Special to the Gazette.
     Dallas, February 19.- A large number of Dallasites have arranged to visit New Orleans to witness the Mardi Gras festivities.
     Lizzie Handley, keeper of a house of ill-fame, sent for Chief of Police Arnold this morning to take away Annie Debreck (sic), a fourteen-year-old girl of East Dallas, who came to to her house late last night, saying her school mates continually taunted her about the life of shame of a female relative [Georgia DeBeck], and she had determined on leading a life of shame.  Madame Handley locked her in a room by herself till morning, when Chief Arnold took her to her parents.  The girl professes to have abandoned her terrible resolve.

- February 20, 1884, Fort Worth Daily Gazette, p. 2, col. 5.
- o o o -

 

Saved.

     Yesterday morning, City Marshal Arnold received a note from Lizzie Handley, the proprietress of a bawdy house on Jackson street, which stated that she desired to see him at once on important business. The official reported promptly, and was informed that a young girl who gave her name as Anna or Edith De Beck, residing near the fair grounds had come to her house and requested that she be admitted as an inmate.  The proprietress declined to admit her, but when the girl wept and begged to be cared for during the night, she took her in, and after locking her up in a room, sent a messenger with a note to Marshal Arnold, who did not get it until the next morning.  The girl, who has just entered her teens, expressed a desire to lead a life of shame, and when the officer took charge of her to take her back to her parents, she wept bitterly.  Her story is to the effect that persons have accused her of leading an unchaste life, and that so long as she got the credit of it, little was the difference to her. The unfortunate young girl was returned to her parents and home.

- February 21, 1884, Dallas Weekly Herald, p. 4, col. 3.
- o o o -

 

Affairs at Austin.

Austin, April 22 -- [Special].
     The Commission of Appeals reported to the Supreme Court, to be affirmed: ... Handley vs Houston & Texas Central Railway, from Dallas; opinion by Delancey, J.

- April 24, 1884, Dallas Weekly Herald, p. 1, col. 6.
- o o o -

 

Building Boom.
...
List of Improvements.

     Below is a list of the improvements that are now actually in course of construction -- not houses that were completed one week ago, nor houses that are to be commenced next week, but those that the workmen are this day at work on to finish to completion.

Buildings for residence.
...

     Miss Annie Wilson, south end of Market street, $5,000.
     Miss Lizzie Handley, near the south end of Market street, $9,000.

- May 22, 1884, Dallas Weekly Herald, p. 4, col. 2.
- o o o -

 

June 18, 1884

     Texas Court of Appeals, Austin, reverses and remands Lizzie's conviction of running a disorderly house, to the lower court.23

 

Crimes and Casualties.
______

Arrested in Fort Worth.

FORT WORTH, Sept. 9.-- [Special.] ---
     Marion Cole, a lewd woman from Dallas, was arrested here to-night by Ed Cornwall, of your city. It is said she obtained goods from Patterson & Co. and Sangers and signed the name of Lizzie Handley. The officers here think the Handley woman is prostituting the law to her use, to collect a board bill. Nettie Levine, who is sick, accompanies the Cole woman. Cornwall does not believe the forgery tale will wash.

- September 11, 1884, Dallas Weekly Herald, p. 1, col. 5.
- o o o -

_

1884-85
Morrison & Fourmy's General Directory
of the City of Dallas, 1884-85:

Handley, Miss Lizzie, residence: west side of Austin, between Columbia, creek.
Boykin, Miss Blanche, boards with Miss Lizzie Handley.
Clark, Miss Jennett, boards with Miss Lizzie Handley.
Cole, Miss Marian, boards with Miss Lizzie Handley.
Erwin, Miss Nettie, boards with Miss Lizzie Handley.
Harrison, Miss Josie, boards with Miss Lizzie Handley.
Lancton, Miss Ida, boards with Lizzie Handley.
O'Donnell, Miss Essie, boards with Miss Lizzie Handley.
Parker, Miss Edith, boards with Mrs. Lizzie Handley.
Wilson, Miss Carrie, boards with Lizzie Handley.


_

1885

     Dan Stuart founds the Coney Island Jockey saloon in Dallas.35

_

Lizzie remembers the prisoners
_

Christmas at the Jail.

     The following are the names of the citizens of Dallas who remembered the prisoners of the Dallas county jail on the 25th of December, Christmas day: ... L. Handley, box of cigars ...
     The prisoners desire to return their heartfelt thanks to the donors.

- January 1, 1885, Dallas Weekly Herald, p. 6, col. 4.
- o o o -


SANBORN FIRE INSURANCE MAPS SHOWING BLOCK 425
_

1885

ABOVE: 1885 Sanborn fire insurance map showing the 2-story brothel, at 118 Sam Cross St., occupied by Lizzie Handley, and the 3-story brothel, then owned by Annie Wilson, at 100 Sam Cross St.  The latter address was sometimes designated as "777" Sam Cross St. - Sam Cross shown here as still an alley.  Following Annie's death in 1891, Lizzie Handley purchased the 100/777 Sam Cross St. property.

_

1899

ABOVE: 1899 Sanborn fire insurance map showing Lizzie (Handley) Duke's two brothels -- at 100 and 118 Sam Cross St. -- the former being Annie Wilson's former brothel, then managed by Anna Pepper.  The map indicates only a two-story structure for the 100 Sam Cross St. address, and suggests that the third story, damaged in the fire of 1898, had not been replaced by 1899.

_
   


ABOVE: Portion of the "Jones & Murphy's Map of the City of Dallas, 1878," showing the location of Lizzie's
three brothels -- the original 1-story bordello
(1), on Jackson St.; her 2-story brothel (2), and her 3-story
brothel
(3) -- formerly owned by Annie Wilson, in relation to the county courthouse (upper left). The latter
two brothels were located on Sam Cross St., between S. Austin St., on the east, and S. Market St., on the west.

_

1888

ABOVE: Portion of the "Birds Eye View of Dallas, Texas, Looking East, 1888" map, showing
Lizzie Handley's second bordello ("2"), at 118 Sam Cross St., and her third bordello ("3"),
at 100 Sam Cross St.


_

1886

City Court.

     John Carroll, fighting; continued; Harry Williams, fast driving, continued; Lizzie Handly (sic), keeping a disorderly house, $100; Annie Wilson, keeping a disorderly house, $100; Lillie Scott, keeping a disorderly house, $100; Blanche, Tray, Sweetheart, and eighteen others of the same species, were fined $5 each.

- March 25, 1886, The Dallas Morning News, p. 5, col. 4.
- o o o -

 

August 6, 1886
N. K. WRIGHT to LIZZIE HANDLEY

     N. K. Wright, of Dallas, Tex., sold to Lizzie Handley, also of Dallas, Tex., a 40x110-foot tract of land, near S. Austin St., on August 6, 1886, for $800. [This is presumably a portion of Block 425]

_

1886-1887
Morrison & Fourmy's General Directory
of City of Dallas, 1886-87:

Handley, Miss Lizzie, residence: southwest corner of Austin, Cockrell.
Allen, Miss Lillie, boards with Miss Lizzie Handley.
Bennett, Miss Josie, boards with Miss Lizzie Handley.
De Almay, Miss Lulu, boards with Miss Lizzie Handley.
Hurt, Miss Fannie, boards with Mrs. Lizzie Handley.
Mayberry, Miss Frankie, boards with Miss Lizzie Handley.
Mitchell, Miss Bertha, boards with Miss Lizzie Handley.
Murdock, Miss Blanche, boards with Mrs. Lizzie Handley.
Penington, Miss Lola, boards with Miss Lizzie Handley.
Porter, Miss Minnie, boards with Miss Lizzie Handley.
Watkins, Miss Essie, boards with Miss Lizzie Handley.


_

Lizzie apparently leased her former Jackson Street brothel to Frank DeBeque, who used the facility as a boarding house for his Mascotte Athletic Theatre employees
_

1886-1887
Morrison & Fourmy's General Directory
of City of Dallas, 1886-87:

Mascotte Athletic Theatre (variety), 831 Main, Frank De Beque, propr.
DeBeque, Frank, proprietor and manager, Mascotte Athletic Theatre (variety), 831 Main, boarding house, 1112 Jackson.
Black, William, stage mgr., Mascott Athletic Theatre, boards with Frank DeBeque.
Bridges, Jennie (colored), cook for F. De Beque, residence: same.
Brown, Thomas, bartender @ Mascotte Theatre, boards with F. De Beque.
Carey, Charles, waiter @ Mascotte Athletic Theatre, boards with Frank De Beque.
DeHaven, George, actor@ Mascotte Theatre, boards with F. DeBeque.
DeVere, Miss Lula, actress @ Mascotte Athletic Theater, boards with Frank DeBeque.
Fox, Louis, mgr lunch stand @ Mascotte Athletic Theater, boards with Frank DeBeque.
Harris, Miss Gussie, actress @ Mascotte Athletic Theatre, boards with Frank DeBeque.
Howard, Anthony, acrobat @ Mascotte Athletic Theatre, boards with Frank DeBeque.
Jones, Harry, waiter for F. De Beque, boards with same.
Klee, William, actor @ Mascotte Athletic Theater, boards with Frank De Beque.
LaVarde, Miss Jennie, actress @ Mascotte theatre, boards with F. DeBeque.
Lawler, Miss Maggie, actress @ Mascotte Athletic Theatre, boards with Frank DeBeque.
Lindsey, Miss Maude, actress @ Mascotte Athletic Theater, boards with Frank De Beque.
O'Neill, William, actor @ Mascotte Theater, boards with F. De Beque.
Pickett, Horace H., musician @ Mascotte Athletic theatre, boards with Frank De Beque.
Riley, John J., actor @ Mascotte theatre, boards with F. DeBeque.
Smith, Harry, hostler for Frank DeBeque, residence: same.
Smith, Robert, actor @ Mascotte theatre, boards with F. DeBeque.
Stokes, Miss Susie, actress @ Mascotte Theatre, boards with F. DeBeque.
Varney, Miss Virgil, actress @ Mascotte theatre, boards with F. De Beque.
Warner, Miss Carrie, actress @ Mascotte theatre, boards with F. De Beque.
Winsett, Edward W., bartender @ Mascotte Athletic Theater, boards with Frank De Beque.
Wolf, Miss Lula, actress @ Mascotte Athletic Theatre, boards with Frank DeBeque.

_

Compilation Copyright © 2006 by Jim Wheat


<< Part One

Part Three >>

_