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Tim Younkman speaks to a packed house at the Second Saturday program at the Bay County Historical Museum. HELL'S ONE MILE: Local Mystery Author Tim Younkman Expands Violent District
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Local author Tim Younkman has redefined Bay City's legendary Hell's Half Mile.
"The Bay City waterfront district, known to many as Hell's Half Mile stretched along the waterfront for more than 12 blocks."
So said Mr. Younkman, a meticulous researcher and longtime Bay City Times police reporter, at a Second Saturday presentation of the Bay County Historical Museum entitled "Murder By The Bay."
Actually, then, what we have always considered Hell's Half Mile really is at least Hell's One Mile.
"Branches of the red light district stretched out all along the side streets such as Third, Second, and First streets, extending all the way up to Madison Avenue," he said.
Besides the extent of the most violent district in this city, rivaling that of larger towns, Mr. Younkman has dug out prurient facts about life in the seamier sections of town and the people who inhabited it.
One of the houses of ill repute became known as the "Block 'O Blazes," Mr. Younkman told the overflow crowd at the museum, elaborating: "It was a typical saloon and gambling den, aimed at taking the hard-earned money from the lumberjacks and sawmill workers, most of whom were immigrants.
"There also were men from the lumber yards, shipbuilding yards, and sailing men from the ships in port for the winter, along with the growing number of plants and factories in town."
Mr. Younkman described one of the denizens of the Block 'O Blazes: "At 35, Lou Hall's life had taken its toll on her features, but she still found that men were interested in her -- so long as the lights were dim and the liquor was flowing."
The murder of Lou Hall was one of three highlighted in Mr. Younkman's presentation, notable for its detail of the events leading up to the crime, the investigations and the prosecution -- information formerly only derived from long hours at the microfilm machine in the Bay County Library System.
The attack in the early morning of Jan. 3, 1885 produced a bloody scene reminiscent of a Jack the Ripper murder in London a few years later.
"In these houses, the women all had 'job titles' so when asked they could say they were a housekeeper, a maid, or a cook, and they may perform some of those duties, but their real profession was obvious," he explained.
In this instance Lou Hall had claimed she was a "cook" in the household of the purported madam, Jennie Dubay. Ms. Dubay told a news reporter that Ms. Hall had been paid $1.50 a week as her "cook."
Mr. Younkman told of one Jabez Knight, a hard-drinking 45-year-old who had been working in a lumber mill in Au Gres.
Knight was described in the news accounts as short, about 5-4, and very thin in the face, with black hair, side whiskers and mustache, and a "very sallow complexion," Mr. Younkman said, continuing:
"With money in his pocket, Knight began spending it in the Block of Blazes and took a shine to Lou Hall. Despite her occupation, Knight spent the nights with her in her crib, a little room at the end of the hall on the first floor."
The continued presence of the cheeky Mr. Knight in the prostitute's room no doubt depressed her "business," perhaps causing her to attack him, resulting in murderous retaliation.
Noted lumber era lawman, Police Chief Nathaniel Murphy, and doctors Charles and Maitland Newkirk, who had offices at 1006 N. Water Street, were called.
Ms. Hall lived for several days despite suffering multiple knife wounds and bashing with a flatiron.
Her mother, a Mrs. Gould from Fentonville (now Fenton) arrived and said her daughter's death was preferable to the life she had been living. When asked if she would help tend to her daughter, she refused and left to return home.
Lou Hall succumbed from her wounds, so terrible the newspaper reporter declined to describe them fully, on Jan. 5.
On Jan. 22, a Circuit Court jury convicted Knight and he was sentenced to a 15-year prison term.
Mr. Younkman then went on to describe two other murders, including one gruesome case from 1891 of a victim dragged six miles behind a horse and buggy.
Mr. Younkman blogs at www.timyounkman.com
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