Mary Ashley Smith, daughter of Mable Ashley, at the Garland County Historical Society in Hot Springs, Arkansas -Photo by Audrey Smith

Over the last few weeks, it has become clear that while my user has complex research needs, there are only a few aspects that I can research during the time allotted for this assignment.  One of them was the origin of the crackdown on casinos that was initiated by Governor Winthrop Rockefeller, and the other was specified by Audrey at one point:

When I first began this research, I realized that the project had many facets.  Since my user needs some solid history and background research for her documentary, I decided to begin with an overview of the town of Hot Springs, AR, particularly its history of gambling and reputation for being a vacation spot for mobsters.  Following that, I wanted to find out about the history of the casino crackdown and government officials who were involved in its implementation, per her request.  Additionally, since part of the user's need is to create content for the film, I hope the research will also yield names of subject matter experts like historians for my user to interview.

History Search- Initial Phase:

• An autobiography by President Bill Clinton’s mother which celebrates her love of the casino era for further research about the time period.
• Jack Pakis, a professional gambler, part owner of an illegal casino, and an illegal bookmaker for football and horse-racing bets
• Former Garland County Sheriff Larry Selig - named as a bookie patron in a 1972 indictment of five men under the Organized Crime Control Act.
• Trial Lawyer R. Julian Glover who defended bookies the 1972 trial of Jack Pakis & 4 others
• Former U.S. District Judge Oren Harris who presided over the case, which had a 360-page FBI report

• Owen ‘Owney” Madden, a gangster from New York City who re-located to Hot Springs and became involved in the casinos

• Robert Raines, the museum's director, possible good interview subject
• Governor Winthrop Rockefeller, who ordered the end of illegal gambling in the 1960s

History Search- Second Phase

Following the user feedback from the initial search, I chased some of the names mentioned in the articles.  Here's where I run into problems for this blog because I didn't keep track of my search statements and the number of results I was receiving.  A recall and precision number for this second phase of the search can't be determined because of that.

Web Search Using Google
I searched for specific information on Winthrop Rockefeller, and one of the results brought up a website called The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/ which is a project created by the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, a division of the Central Arkansas Library System.

Here is a link to the entry: http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=122

There is an additional bibliography that included a book I wanted to learn more about:

Urwin, C. (1991).  Agenda for Reform: Winthrop Rockefeller as Governor of Arkansas, 1967–1971.
     Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press.

I went to the University of Arkansas Press page at http://www.uark.edu/~uaprinfo/index.html to learn more about the book, and I browsed the site and found another interesting title:

Abbott, S. (2006). The Bookmaker's Daughter: A Memory Unbound. Fayetteville: University of
     Arkansas Press. 

Next, I searched for these two books at the Rutgers Libraries, but they were not part of the collection, so I also searched at the Free Library of Philadelphia.  Neither library system had these books, so I ordered them from the University of Arkansas Press website.  

My user is currently reviewing both books and has not responded with feedback yet.

I also searched for Virginia Clinton Kelley's autobiography at the Rutgers Library and had it transferred down from Newark.  I just picked up the book on Saturday and have not had time to review it:

Kelley, V. (1994).  Leading With My Heart.  New York: Simon & Schuster Inc. 


Dialog Search
File: PAPERS

I wanted to go back to Dialog and search for two interesting people- the former Governor and the judge who helped him institute the crackdown on gambling.

Subject: Winthrop Rockefeller and gambling

Search result:
The results were not great- most were just a summary that mentioned gambling in Hot Springs and the crackdown in just a few sentences.  One of the results mentioned a judge named Henry Britt.  Britt was instrumental in the implementation of the police crackdown on illegal gambling establishments that were "private clubs".


Subject: Henry()Britt and gambling

Search result:

Noted Arkansas Republican Britt dies at age 75.  (1995, February 19). The Associated Press as
     published in The Commercial Appeal.

Possible future search strategies include searching Lexis Nexis for court documents pertaining to Britt's prosecution relating to illegal gambling in Hot Springs.

Audrey Smith <asmiff@gmail.com> Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 10:49 AM

To: Brandy Hartley <brandyb23@gmail.com>

Hey B- I copied and pasted bits and pieces of the articles that seem particularly interesting and my response to them is in red.   I think the articles I am most interested in are those relating to the more recent history of the illegal casinos, the casino owners, the powers that drove the illegal activity out. Obviously it's important for us to know the whole history of organized crime in Hot Springs so the subtext for the doc is there...but in the doc itself I think there needs to be a brief background on the history of organized crime in Hot Springs, with an emphasis on the characters and events surrounding the Mable's murder.   The thing that struck me most from the first trip down to Hot Springs was how in 1967, the year she was killed things came to a boiling point in Hot Springs.  In that article on Rockefeller it is mentioned that Rockefeller represented progress, and most (with the exception of a few) didn't want the change he brought.   Mable was a threat to someone's progress, and they killed her- but political progress happened anyway.  Something about this comparison really strikes a chord in me, the end of Mable's life coincided with the end of illegal gambling in Hot Springs.  It's so sad how unimportant her life was to someone and how much this affected my mother and her sister. She was lost and forgotten in this upheaval.  hmmm. Let me know if you want more feedback or anything.     Clinton gave pardon to mom's gambling pal Hot Springs bookie convicted in '72 Washington Times ( WT ) - Monday, September 30, 1996 Frank J. Murray - THE WASHINGTON TIMES this is a good article Organized Crime Control Act - this act would be something worth knowing more about  “But Mr. Pakis, who turns 76 next month, is a legend in Hot Springs, where he owned a piece of the famed Southern Club - Al Capone's favorite casino in the town's "little Las Vegas" heyday. Steve Pakis said, citing patriotic values honed during his father's Army service.  Steve now runs the family businesses: a gun dealership and the dominant pawnshop in a town of 37,000 people with more than a dozen such shops.”  Mr. Pakis, or his son would be interesting to interview ( if possible)  it would be interesting to talk to them about the Southern Club, what was it like back in the day?  did they know Wayne?  or ever meet Mable?  who knows?   “ U.S.  District Judge Oren Harris said the FBI ‘reached into Hot Springs to put a stop to gambling that has existed here since the 1920s.’  He sentenced Mr. Pakis and four co-defendants to two years in prison.”   I wonder what information the FBI has on all these characters and what we could obtain under the Freedom of Information Act?    “But he said local acceptance of gambling was so prevalent it would be unfair to imprison the men, so he suspended the terms, fined the men and placed them on probation.” Sheriff Selig would be a good person to interview... Hell, I'd like to interview Billy Clinton.  I bet he knows all the dirt on that town. heh. No stranger to casino gambling, Hot Springs may make it official Washington Times ( WT ) - Monday, September 30, 1996 Frank J. Murray - THE WASHINGTON TIMES “The pervasive attitude that gambling kept the city alive was clearly evident in the 1972…”  It's know most of the locals supported the illegal gambling, but I guess I haven't really thought about how long it took to get rid of the gambling.  They still haven't, it sounds like.  It makes the cover-up of Mable's death make that much more sense though.  It seems to me that people believed and still want to believe that there was nothing that bad going on in Hot Springs- and maybe there wasn't, but somehow Mable ended up dead.  I wish we knew what she turned Wayne in for, and who he was. SLOPPY BOOK MANAGES TO DEFAME INFAMOUS GANGSTER ERRORS SPRING FROM THEORY OF ARK. THUG AS CLINTON MENTOR Commercial Appeal (Memphis) ( CA ) - SUNDAY, March 3, 1996 Thomas Jordan The Commercial Appeal Memo: book review “Owen Madden, a rich and infamous New York City gangster, joined my working-class Arkansas family by way of marriage to a second cousin in 1935.” This article is really interesting.  I think the most useful part of it is it dispels Owney Madden as the founder of the illegal gambling in Hot Springs- that book The Spa Heyday is a good source for this history i feel like. HOT SPRINGS A LONGTIME ATTRACTION Commercial Appeal (Memphis) ( CA ) - THURSDAY, June 14, 2001 By: Perre Magness “By the summer of 1812, there were a number of cabins, and it was said that quite a few people came to the remote area to keep out of the army and "escape the troubles of war."  I like this sentence because it's an interesting way of thinking about why New York and Chicago mafia went down there. "to escape the troubles of war."  It's hilarious- the marketing strategists of 1870.  This water will cure baldness!   Hot Springs museum glorifies the gangsters Commercial Appeal (Memphis) ( CA ) - SUNDAY, May 11, 2008 By: Jill Zeman Associated Press Madden initially supplied horse racing results to local bookies and went on to become a controlling partner at the famed Southern Club (which is now a Josephine Tussaud's wax museum).   A good bit of info.  I thought he was a part-owner of the club but couldn’t remember.  That silly novel Hot Springs by Stephen Hunter talks about "the line" it's all about busting Owney Madden's main line he used to get race track results to bookies- it's totally un-informative though.  We should interview the museum "officials"  WINTHROP ROCKEFELLER ARKANSAS RECALLS A NEW YORKER IN LITTLE ROCK ROY REED, Special to the New York Times New York Times , Late City Final Edition ED , Col 1 , p 1 Monday July 11 1983 I’m not sure how useful this article is... it's really interesting though.  I hadn't really thought about how the Rockefeller was viewed by the existing parties in Arkansas.  It seems like he was the best thing that ever happened to Arkansas, whether or not people appreciated what he did.  It rings true though.  Southerner's can't stand Yankees.  ha. CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE HENRY BRITT NOTED ARK. REPUBLICAN BRITT DIES AT AGE 75 COMMERCIAL APPEAL (Memphis) ( CA ) - SUNDAY, February 19, 1995 By: The Associated Press I didn't know anything about this guy, but I think we should know more

 

Hello there.  I must admit I am not sure how formal this should be.  Professor Mohr, I am not sure that I see the immediate connection between the Natty Bumppo term paper and the blog format.  I understand we need all of the same elements, but are they in order or built along the way?  Is there a sample blog project we could review?  Okay I will just stumble along like this for this status update.

First contact with Audrey Smith about the project

I contacted Audrey via e-mail and asked her if she was interested in assistance researching her documentary.  Here is her reply:

This is so great!  

-A

 

Analysis of first contact


There is a lot of data in this e-mail!  Audrey is looking for a lot of information since her film is not just about the actual crime that has affected her family; it is also about the environment of the town at the time the murder took place.  It was the end of an era in Hot Springs, AR, which had flourished as a haven for gambling for a very long time.  Here are some questions that come up for me:

• Who led the crackdown on he town's corruption?
• Who owned the casinos and businesses being affected?
• In the search for information on Ted Hood, were bail bondsmen required to be registered in any way with a city, county, or state agency?  What was the name of his business?  Are there records of his business?
• Is there a police report from Little Rock about Wayne- or a Police Blotter report in a local newspaper?  Search around the date range of Mable's death.
• This incident was a long time ago now, what kind of resources will I be able to find and access online, and what will I have to go to Arkansas to research in person?

Fortunately, Audrey is looking for a wide range of information, some of which will be easier to access than others, so I should be able to make a good start, while some research will likely take us years to find out.


10/18/08 The 'official' first reference interview

In order to clarify what Audrey is looking for from this project, I wanted to find out more about what information she already had, as well as any details that might help me think about how to structure the search for this project.  I also wanted to clarify her questions.  The following is a summary of what I learned from this interview.

1. The Vapors Club- Who owned it?  We need to determine its address so I can search for deeds or ownership information.  The property is now a church.  Is the club owner still alive?

2. "Wayne"- The man Mable was involved with during the last 6-10 months of her life.  Who is/was he?  Audrey's mother Mary described him as blind in one eye, and the eye was occluded or "milky".  He walked with a cane and always wore a suit and hat.  Mary believes, based on conversations with her mother's family, that he may have worked at Vapors Club.  If so, are there employment records?

3. Ted Hood (deceased)- Mable's brother-in-law through his first marriage.  He was a bail bondsman- was he tied to the casinos or the mafia? Mable's estranged husband Ray Ashley worked for Ted Hood.  Hood introduced Mable to Wayne.  Are there government records of bail bondsmen?  Did the need to be licensed? What was the name of his bail bond business?

4. Nell Hood- Ted's second wife, she later divorced him.  She told Mary that she thought Ted was involved in Mable's death.  Last known residence was North Carolina.  Could marriage certificate reveal her maiden name?  Is she still alive?

5. Conway Ray Ashley (deceased)- Mable's estranged husband, he worked for Ted Hood as a bounty hunter.  When did he work for Ted Hood?

7. Dewey Crowe (deceased)- Mable had dated Dewey Crowe for several years and then left him for Wayne.  She had met with Dewey Crowe for breakfast at his home the day she died.  Dewey Crowe, Jr., his son is still alive.  Mary and Audrey spoke to him on the phone over the summer when they were researching in Hot Springs, and he remembered that Mable and his father had talked to Mable about getting married.  Perhaps talking to Dewey Crowe, Jr. might lead to more clues about Hot Springs at that time?

8. The scene of the crime- Mable was murdered near a gas station.  Mary talked to him on the phone, but he is quite old and couldn't remember it happening.  He said he would call around.  Follow up with Mary for his name and phone number or see if she heard from him again.  Who owned the gas station?

9. The casinos and the mob- Who were they?  Are there any records of the owners and their links to organized crime?  Are any of them still alive?  Were any involved in the Vapor Club?  Is there archival footage of the casino crackdown from local news agencies?  Articles from the local paper that might also have photographs?

10. The police- They were rumored to be rife with corruption.  After the state began to crack down on the casino industry, the police records prior to 1970 were destroyed in a fire.  Governor Winthrop Rockefeller ordered the crackdown.  Colonel Lynne Davis, who is still alive, led the task force.  Was he part of the Garland County Sheriff's office or the Hot Springs Police Department?  Who else was involved in the crackdown?  Judges?  Try to find names and other information. 

A side note: Mable's Uncle Buster (deceased) had to pick up the car Mable was murdered in after her body was taken away.  He had seen cigarette burns on her face and later on the seat of the car, and when he picked up her purse, he saw that the beads that were on it had been strewn all over the car.  He hired a P.I. at that time.  The detective was escorted to the county line by Hot Springs police or Garland County sheriffs (not sure which) and threatened if he returned.

People who have already assisted, other resources:

1. Mary hired a P.I. years later and she has the records of what he found- get that information.
2. The Garland County Historical Society- three women there were very helpful during Audrey and Mary's visit this summer.  Get their contact information and whatever correspondence they may have exchanged.  They helped A&M find Dewey Crowe, Jr. and the gas station owner. 

Initial Research

I have thus far  done initial research about Hot Springs history, Winthrop Rockefeller, and identified local newspapers.  I searched in Dialog about Hot Springs and I searched online for that and the other info in the above sentence ( sorry that makes no sense...so...very....very tired).

I contacted the University of Arkansas for information on a Masters thesis that was completed this past June on the history of crime and casinos in Hot Springs.  Right now the title is the only part that is available.  It should be available online soon, but right now I will not be able to access it. 

The librarian at the U of A has forwarded my inquiry on to the librarian there who is the Arkansas history specialist.  I have my fingers crossed. 

I found several interesting book titles about Winthrop Rockefeller, many of which originate from the U of A, but I need to see which are available for loan or purchase. 

I have a list, but it is still disorganized and needs to be put in order.  More on that soon...also a  time-line of events coming soon.  I also plan to make a coherent Plan of Action!  There is a lot of material here, but I believe it will be a berry-picking sort of search as I find out what resources there are for research.  This will help me identify which are the ripest lines of inquiry for this project and which will have to wait until I can go to Arkansas with Audrey.

My Seeker: Audrey Smith, a friend and documentary filmmaker who is looking for help researching a film

Her Need: She is seeking information for a documentary about the suspicious circumstances of her grandmother's death, believed to be a murder covered up as a suicide, in the late 1960s in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Her grandmother was involved with a few shady people, and the police department was rife with corruption.

Other aspects of the film relate to the history of Hot Springs as a gangster's retreat in the preceding decades- including such luminaries as Al Capone, the crusade in the late 60s to clean up crime and corruption that was spearheaded by the Arkansas Attorney General Governor, and its earlier history as a spa and resort town.  How did it go from a haven of health-seekers to a hotbed of crime? (That's my lurid newspaper headline and angle for the day, I'll try to keep 'em coming!).

My Role: I will need to investigate and hopefully offer additional avenues of research, as Audrey has already done some solid preliminary research in Arkansas.  Developing new sources which will hopefully lead to, if not a resolution to the question of "Who Killed Mable Ashley?", a clearer sense of the circumstances in which she lived and who she was associated with is paramount. 

Summary: This topic provides a means to connect the general history of a specific place during a specific time with a personal history, well, mystery really, and will no doubt be a great challenge.  The mystery will certainly not be solved during this project, but it will provide a springboard for the continued work that Audrey (and I) plan to do for her film project.