Sex, Jazz, & Ax Murders – The Birth of Jazz & Storyville

In the wake of the death of Chief of Police Hennessy the mayor and the city council form a special unit to govern the investigation and arrests of suspects. Venting a racial hatred on the Italian Quarter of New Orleans a 6-month long dragnet descends on the city culminating in over 100 arrests and 20 suspects charged. The trial quickly turns into a circus as both prosecution and defense are accused of presenting mountains of false evidence along with accusations of jury tampering. A Not Guilty verdict quickly turns the city violent as the citizen militia arm of the Young Men’s Democratic Association (YMDA) organize a mob and hand out over 150 rifles to storm a prison and lynch the Italian suspects to correct a failure of justice (as they would see it).

The willingness to do whatever it takes to look after the city (or at least look after the white, protestant elites of the city) give the representatives of the YMDA a carte blanche to continue their prolonged process of cleaning up the city. The resulting political capital ensures the next generation of government is run by more of the same and provides opportunity for a newly elected councilman by the name of Sydney Story to propose a radical plan to clean up the city. While no one at the time believed they could eliminate sin, they did believe they could isolate and relegate sinful behavior to out of the way places, and thereby allow all the “respectful citizens” to go about their days and avoid the seedier aspects of vice in New Orleans.

Sydney Story’s proposal is approved, and one area of the city is designated a “restricted district” where bars, and bordellos will be allowed to legally operate. A second, unofficial black neighbourhood in the city is also designated for black specific businesses of a seedier persuasion.

These two restricted districts will quickly become known as Storyville, and Black Storyville. And, as the two Storyville’s come together two enterprising vice lords see an amazing opportunity to work together and make a lot of money. Hennessy’s best friend, Thomas “Tom” Anderson has made a name for himself in the years since Hennessy’s death as a man of legendary hospitality and also someone with friends on both sides of the law. Using his contacts inside the New Orleans government Tom Anderson is able to purchase prime real estate inside the soon to be Storyville, and he passes this information to his good friend and soon to be business partner Josie Arlington (a madam known for running the best bordello in the city). The two look to capitalize on legalized vice in the soon to be Storyville.

Amidst the swirl of Italian lynchings, and restricted districts two other major events are bubbling away inside the city of New Orleans. Young black and mixed-race men in the lower class neighbourhoods are creating a new musical sound that will become known as Jazz. Men like Buddy Bolden, Freddie Keppard, Bunk Johnson, George Bayuet, Pops Foster, and a young Creole pianist known as Jelly Roll Morton become leaders in innovating and creating this still forming musical sound.

Sources Used: Empire of Sin, a Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder and the battle for Modern New Orleans

Author: Gary Krist

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