New York State Investigation of New York City: May 16, 1899

"They are called ... Lady So and So and the Duchess of Marlboro"

In 1899-1900, a New York State special legislative body, known informally as the Mazet Committee, composed of upstate politicians, mostly Republicans, was appointed "to Investigate the Public Offices and Departments of the City of New York," dominated by the Democratic bosses of Tammany Hall.

The political conflict between the state committee and the city officials they were investigating is clear behind much of the testimony recorded in the committee's report.

Mayor of New York City Robert A. Van Wyck, testified May 16, 1899

He was asked by a committee member:

Q. Do you know that we now have male harlots thronging the streets, who have their peculiar places of resort, which can be found as easily as any saloon can be? Do you know that?

A. No, I do not.

Q. You never have heard of that?

A. No. I know there are whores in every big city in the world.

Q. But what do you think about the male department of that industry that has become so large in the city of New York in the last two years?

A. I know nothing about it. All I know about it is what occurred in London a few years ago. That is all I recollect about it.

Q. You never heard of it in the city of New York?

A. No.

Q. How is that?

A. They didn't indulge in that when I was a boy.

Q. What do you mean by that?

A. It was not going on then.

Q. What has that got to do with the condition of New York now -- your knowledge of the condition of New York now?

A. My knowledge of the condition is as I observe it, as I pass through.

Q. What has the condition when you were a boy got to do with the condition now, while you are mayor of the city, for the last two years?

A. I think those boys do now what I did when I was a boy.

Q. You do?

A. Yes, sir; I don't think society is any worse than it was then.

Q. I did not think that you meant we should draw any inference from your probable course of life, and I am very sorry if you meant we should. I conceive this matter to be too serious, and on too high a plane of public morals to deal with in any such way as that.

A. Put a question. Ask a question and I will answer it.

New York City Police Captain James K. Price testified May 31,1899

He was asked:

Q. Now, this Artistic club, 56 West Thirtieth street, kept by Samuel H. Bickard-did you close that up?

A. Yes.

Q. How did you succeed in doing that?

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A. Pulled [raided] that two or three times.

Q. Did you get any convictions?

A. Yes.

Q. Who did you convict?

A. All the Nancys and fairies that were there.

Q. What do you mean by that-male prostitutes, male prostitutes?

A. Degenerates, yes, do you know what that is?

Q. That was such a place?

A. Yes.

Q. Whom did you get convicted?

A. Everyone of them fined.

Q. Did you get Bickard convicted?

A. He is awaiting trial.

Q. Did you get him convicted?

A. No, he has not been tried yet.

Q. Did you get his manager convicted?

A. Yes.

Q. Who was that?

A. Fined the men that were there.

Q. You had those persons arrested, found in the place, fined for disorderly conduct?

A. Yes.

Q. Did you have anyone convicted for keeping a disorderly house?

A. The case has not been disposed of.

Q. Without convictions you have succeeded in closing three places there?

A. Oh, I closed a dozen....

Q. So, Captain, it is possible for you to close a disorderly resort, even though the courts do not convict the proprietors of keeping them, isn't it?

A. I have closed thirty of them.

Q. Answer that question. It is possible, isn't it?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Is there any place that you, as police officer, captain of your precinct, are unable to close?

A. Oh, yes; it requires evidence to close a place.

Q. You did not require evidence to close those three places?

A. Yes, sir; a crime committed in the presence of the officer and justifying immediate arrest, and then taken to court, the facts explained to the magistrate, the prisoner is fined, discourages them-drives them out in that way.

Witness John R. Wood testified June 1, 1899:

Last night I was at 392 Bowery .... that is a place where fancy gentlemen go; it is near Fifth street. It is ... a place where male prostitutes resort. I was there last night in the performance of my duty, in company with Mr. Harris [another investigator]. There were such persons present. They were soliciting men at the tables, that is, men were soliciting men at the tables. I had no trouble in getting in; merely walked in .... I have been there before, about three times.

Q. (By Mr. O'Sullivan) And did you always observe the same conditions that you talk about?

A. Yes, sir; I did .... That is, I always observed these degenerate men there in large number, quite large numbers from twenty-five to fifty, and engaged in conversation with these degenerates together. They had promised to give a show, as they call it, and it seems that the thing fell through, or they were afraid to give it. And about 1:05 p.m., it looked very much like a put up job; some congressman or assemblyman was in there; he was pointed out to me some time ago-

Q. You mean some official; we will strike out congressman or assemblyman; some official whom you did not know by name?

A. Yes, sir; he whispered to the proprietor and the proprietor acted very mysterious after that; he seemed to try to hold us; we got suspicious and started to leave, and we left about five minutes to one, and as we stepped out of the place Captain Chapman walked in with a squad of men. I never saw Chapman there before. He ordered the place closed and said he wouldn't stand for any souvenir nights.

. . . I don't know whether this club has a certificate of incorporation. It is right back of the saloon. I don't know whether the place has a license or not. I don't know whether the saloon has a license. I did not make any inquiry.... That is the place commonly called Paresis hall....

On the same day, Joel S. Harris testified:

I was with Mr. Wood last night at Paresis Hall, No. 392 Bowery. I observed the actions of the persons congregated there. I saw and heard immoral actions and propositions by degenerates there. Captain Chapman came in about five minutes to I, as we stepped out. ... We had been in the place about an hour or so; plenty of time for information to get from Paresis Hall to the stationhouse. Captain Chapman didn't say anything to us, but I overheard him say to the proprietor ... that he would not stand for any dancing on souvenir night, and he wanted it shut up. I have been in that place before, recently, three or four times, and I have on each occasion noticed the same conduct as I have just testified to. That is a well-known resort for male prostitutes; a place having a reputation far and wide, to the best of my knowledge. I have heard of it constantly. I have never had any trouble in going in. You go in off the street with perfect ease. These men that conduct themselves there-well, they act effemiaately; most of them are painted and powdered; they are called Princess this and Lady So and So and the Duchess of Marlboro, and get up and sing as women, and dance; ape the female character; call each other sisters and take people out for immoral purposes. I have had these propositions made to me, and made repeatedly. There is no difficulty in getting into that place.

Q. Mr. Hoffman-This place you refer to as Paresis Hall has a liquor license, has it not?

A. I'm sure I don't know; they sell liquor.

Q. Conducted in the front part of these premises?

A. Yes; and they serve liquors in the rear-in the back.

Also on June 1, 1899, George P. Hammond, Jr., testified:

I know this place called Paresis Hall, and under your directions I have visited it a number of times. I have been in the place since April I st to the present time fully half a dozen times. I knew of it before, as an officer of the City Vigilance League. I am in the produce business. When this committee began its sessions I took a vacation on the produce business and came in to help you. The character of the place is such that what we call male degenerates frequent the place, and it is a nightly occurrence that they solicit men for immoral purposes. They have one woman who goes there they call a hermaphrodite. These male degenerates solicit men at the tables, and I believe they get a commission on all drinks that are purchased there; they get checks. I have observed five or six of these degenerates frequent that place, possibly more; the last we were there we saw a greater number than we did previously. Those five or six are always to be found there; almost invariably you will find them there. They go from there across the street to a place called Little Bucks, opposite, and from there to Coney Island. I have never had any difficulty in getting in; not the least; I have been received with open arms. There are two ways of going in, one way up through the barroom, the other through a side entrance; any way at all that suits you can walk in .... They have a piano there, and these fairies or male degenerates, as you call them, they sing some songs.

Mr. Hoffman of the committee concluded on June 1, 1899:

I judge there is a way to eradicate the kind of evils complained of by this witness at Paresis Hall. These places cannot exist unless they were accorded a Raines liquor license in the first instance, and the only way to eradicate that kind of evil is to have some restrictions in the excise department not to license this kind of places [sic] .

Research

OutHistory.org would like to have more historical information about:

The "Artistic Club", "56 West Thirtieth street", and its alleged proprietor Samuel H. Bickard;

A bar named :Little Bucks", said to be "across the street" and "opposite" Paresis Hall;

Coney Island as a place with resorts for male prostitutes in the 1890s;

Documentation of the official name of "Paresis Hall" and its address;

The terms used in the above testimony: "male harlots", "Nancys and fairies", "male prostitutes", "Degenerates", "degenerate men", "disorderly conduct", "disorderly house", "fancy gentlemen", "souvenir nights", "hermaphrodite".

Jonathan Ned Katz suggests that there may be additional data about bars and male prostitution in the non-excerpted sections of the Mazet Committee's report.

Earl Lind: The Cercle Hermaphroditos, c. 1895

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