by Paul R. Spitzzeri
For close to four decades, C. Fred Harlow (1872-1959) was a colorful and controversial character in the sometimes morally murky world of cafes and restaurants in Los Angeles. Born in Scranton, a little town northwest of Des Moines, Iowa that was named for the better-known Pennsylvania burg and supposedly a buffalo hunter with “Buffalo Bill” Cody, Harlow entered the restaurant business at age 21 in the Hawkeye State capital, married Louisville native Lulu Smith shortly afterward and migrated with her and their young son, Roy, to the Angel City in 1906.
Harlow operated the Rathskeller Café, situated in the Turner Hall, the long-standing home of the German Turnverein Club, and then ran another old institution, the United States Hotel—both of these dating back to the 1860s. Shortly after the 1912 opening of the Washington Building at the southwest corner of Spring and 3rd streets, however, Harlow (who had a tangential connection to Walter P. Temple in that, in 1912, he bought five acres in the new Baldwin Park tract near the Homestead from Temple’s friend and future business manager, Milton Kauffman) secured a lease for the substantial basement and opened his 400-capacity restaurant on 15 September 1913.
Almost immediately there were issues raised about Harlow and his establishment. When Henry H. Rose ran for mayor in the ensuing election, Harlow provided a substantial donation and the 27 November 1913 issue of the Los Angeles Express reported that “speculation was increased today by Mayor Rose’s approval of the action of John Luckenbach, his former campaign manager, in collecting campaign contributions from cafe and hotel proprietors, after the mayor had taken office.” A grand jury investigation was launched and Harlow testified to it about his offering.
In early December, what would be a matter that appeared a few times came up when the Los Angeles Times of the 7th stated that “policewomen were assigned to a novel duty yesterday when they were directed to visit Harlow’s Cafe as guests and watch for violations of the law.” A raft of complaints were sent to Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charles E. Sebastian, the subject of a prior post here for his own ethical and moral failings when the city’s chief executive a few years later, which prompted the assignments—women police officers were relative new at the time—and the paper added,
Several young girls who have been brought to the Central Police Station on various charges in which their delinquency is involved, confessed that they had gone to Harlow’s and had been served drinks.
Similar complaints have been made by many persons and it is to obtain evidence against the cafe management that the policewomen are sent there nightly [undercover, clearly] to mingle with the patrons during the most jolly hours.
The piece concluded that, should girls be found imbibing, they were to be sent home forthwith “and Fred Harlow, proprietor of the place, will be summoned before the Police Commission.” Lastly, the Times observed that “the cafe has become a rendezvous for late joy-riding parties in which young girls figure.”
The Express of 25 May 1914 brought another spotlight on the café’s policies, as it recorded that “following complaints to the effect that intoxicated persons are served liquor at Harlow’s cafe until they are in a condition bordering on a state of helplessness,” Sebastian sent plainclothes officers to the establishment to check the situation out. As before, it was noted that, should such activity be documented, Harlow was to be hauled before the commission—whose main power concerned the possible suspension of his liquor license.
The Times of 18 October brought news that the proprietor was finally to be summoned before that body to answer why that license should not be cancelled, following the arrest of a man “who is accused of having contributed to the delinquency” of a young woman, who was taken to jail and then the receiving hospital as “she was suffering from alcoholic intoxication.” She told authorities that she was taken to Harlow’s where her companion “plied her with drinks until she was unable to realize what was transpiring.”
The paper’s account ended with the statement that “many complaints have been received at the Police Station regarding the alleged serving of drinks to minors in the Harlow cafe.” An inspector’s investigation following the girl’s experience there was such that the officer “recommended to Chief Sebastian that Mr. Harlow be ordered before the police commission,” though it is unclear whether any punitive action took place.
The 2 November 1915 edition of the Times, which was a prime mover in moral reform movements relating to prostitution, alcohol, drugs and other matters, reported on the arrest and prosecution of Lucien West Wilder, secretary and treasurer of an unidentified motion picture studio (movie folk were said to be frequent patrons of the Harlow place), for taking a 16-year old female actor to the café, where “they entertained themselves . . . until a late hour,” after which Wilder (supposedly living up to his surname) purported attacked the young woman and was jailed and charged with battery—an aggressive defense, however, apparently led the police judge to acquit Wilder.
Another item of controversy came on 4 November 1915, when Harlow returned to his residence southwest of Exposition Park and the University of Southern California with a pair of private detective friends, Thomas Miller and Harry Raymond (who had remarkable LAPD and private career including a bombing of his car, which he survived).
Harlow’s maid stated that three men, who showed every appearance of knowing Harlow and his guests, waited in a front room until the latter arrived, hurriedly tied up the maid, surprised the cafe owner and his detectives and, after binding and gagging them, relieved the trio of some $3000 in cash and jewelry, though it was later said all of that belonged to Harlow.
Three months later, Charles E. Sligh, said to be robbery ringleader, emerged with his wife from the Pantages Theatre and was nabbed by police officers. During questioning, Sligh refused to identify himself, but, hearing his spouse’s sobbing in an adjacent room, admitted serving five prison terms in seven penitentiaries.
Soon, his partners Frank Morrow and Alfred Sells were picked up. The former, who reportedly got all of $18 for his trouble, wept and pleaded for mercy as he was sent to Folsom for eight years, while Sells, who was convicted for an Oakland murder and got life in prison for that crime, was handed the same sentence for the robbery. Sligh, the last to stand trial, got ten years at Folsom.
Another year-and-a-half went by, though, and another controversy took place at a Broadway bar, in which Harlow was accused of trying in early October 1916 to shoot Miller, who was accompanied by Raymond, but the intended victim managed the grab the pistol as the café owner was pulling the trigger and got his finger jammed in the hammer.
While Raymond first stated that the incident had nothing to do with the robbery, it was soon determined that Harlow had offered a reward for the capture of the trio who committed the crime and the private detectives claimed credit for their capture but did not receive any reward money.
After being arrested, Harlow posted $2,000 bail and then sought delays for the arraignment by stating that he had a serious knee injury that included time spent at the sanitarium at the Bimini Hot Springs and hotel at Vermont near 3rd street. The 29 November edition of the Express reported that Harlow was intoxicated at the time of the incident as he entered the bar.
Raymond and Miller, meanwhile, were exiting and the café owner fired off an epithet at the latter, Miller, having reached the sidewalk, turned and ran back inside. It appeared that, fearing he was being attacked, Harlow pulled his gun in self-defense before the two fell to the floor in a tussle. A justice of the peace, consequently, dismissed the complaint and Harlow was free.
Despite these issues, Harlow aggressively publicized his establishment as an elite one and receive some help from the papers, as well. The 27 February 1915 edition of the Record commented that,
Known as the finest and best equipped cafe west of Chicago is the fame and prestige established by C. Fred Harlow for his celebrated cafe, which will be a popular headquarters and rendezvous for thousands of exposition and world’s fair visitors during the year 1915, as well as a popular meeting place for thousands of friends and patrons who have become familiar with the name and location . . .
The interior decorative effects, equipment and service are the chief attractions. Everything has been provided along artistic lines that create comfort and convenience . . . and the menu, prepared under Mr. Harlow’s personal direction by the most competent chefs, provides a cuisine that is noted for its excellence.
A special feature is the cabaret entertainers, musicians, singers, vaudeville performers and men and women of talent known to the entertainment world . . . Special talent has been engaged for the year 1915 in honor of the thousands of visitors who will make Harlow’s cafe their favorite place of rendezvous.
It is notable that the reference was made to expositions and fairs as the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, held from February to December 1915, was in San Francisco, while the Panama-California Exposition ran in San Diego for all of 1915 and 1916—both to commemorate the epochal completion of the Panama Canal, but residual effects were definitely manifested in the Angel City.
Having a knack for well-publicized unusual events, such as offering wire service reports on a lease basis for the city, county and state elections in November 1914; the hosting, as the son of Danish immigrants, poet E.L. Nielsen, described as the “Kipling of Denmark,” during a May 1914 visit to Los Angeles; and entering a flower-bedecked car for a parade for the 1915 Elks convention in town, Harlow appears to have offered cabaret-type shows from early on in the cafe’s operation.
A 21 January 1914 ad in the Times identified “The Strong Points at Harlow’s Cafe” including its “heart o’ town” location, “appetizing viands,” “the choicest of beverages,” service that was described as “intelligent, quiet, rapid and courteous” and the entertainment with “popular singers and musicians, with a splendid range of musical features.” The 30 April 1915 edition of the Los Angeles Record observed that “the La Ferron sisters, Egyptian dancers, are the new headliners” at the eatery and “give a queen of Sheba dance.” There were to be eighteen other entertainers and souvenirs provided to all patrons.
In the Museum’s collection are a quintet of programs from Harlow’s during 1915, including the one featured here and which promoted the “pleasing ingenue” Kitty Peck on the cover. With a “continuous cabaret” from Noon to 1 a.m. the following day, the item also mentioned Fern Killian, “‘some’ singer with ‘some’ personality;” Lue Halsett, accounted to be “California’s Favorite Baritone;” singers Leona Brandt and Helen Miller; “rag delineator” Billie Fisher; and the “Gold Banjo Boy,” George DeAlma. A “special matinee offering” included “Misses Stagg and Angelotti,” highlighted in another of the programs and providing solos and duets, while on 2 August was “Clever Rag Artiste” Dot Wilson, who was featured in a September program as a “Typical Rag Purveyor.”
Moreover, there were the house pianists, Ruth Stagg, mentioned above, and Eddie Pomeroy, who also served as the amusement manager, as well as “our special costumed ensemble numbers interspersed throughout the evening,” along with special effects and “something doing every evening to entertain the most fastidious” of clientele. Patrons were also informed that “all requests [were] gladly responded to,” but “all numbers are rendered in the order received.”
There was also reference to the fact that there was a “Balloon Night Every Night in the Week” as well as local Maier beer on draft for a nickel a glass and a dime per stein, while guests were also encouraged to “Drink Edelweiss Bottled Beer.” Advertisements on the back panel were for Schlitz beer, as well as meat and poultry suppliers, the California Packing Company and E.R. Bohlinger, while readers were advised to “Watch For Coming Attractions.”
Speaking of watching, we’ll stop here and come back soon for part two of this post, so definitely check back with us.