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The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School College of Communications “MOB SISTERS”: WOMEN REPORTING ON CRIME IN PROHIBITION-ERA CHICAGO A Dissertation in Mass Communications by Beth Fantaskey Kaszuba © 2013 Beth Fantaskey Kaszuba Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy December 2013 The dissertation of Beth Fantaskey Kaszuba was reviewed and approved* by the following: Ford Risley Head, Department of Journalism Dissertation Adviser Chair of Committee Ann Marie Major Associate Professor of Communications Russell Frank Associate Professor of Communications Marie Hardin Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Graduate Education *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School ABSTRACT This dissertation examines the work of five women who were employed by the Chicago Tribune as general assignment reporters during the 1920s, and whose unique way of covering the city’s epidemic of crime – with sarcastic humor, a cynical viewpoint and slang-infused prose – merits the creation of a new “category” of female reporter, dubbed here the “mob sister.” Histories of American media generally place women reporters who worked at newspapers prior to World War II into narrowly proscribed roles, leading to a widespread assumption that women were only allowed to cover topics such as fashion, society, and news of interest to homemakers. In addition, most histories tell us that those women who did make the front pages worked either as “stunt girls,” performing daring feats and then writing about their exploits to shock or titillate readers, or as “sob sisters,” covering trials in maudlin prose intended to bring readers to tears. However, a significant number of women broke those barriers during the Prohibition era, especially in Chicago, where the Tribune, in particular, gave women journalists wide latitude to pursue beats traditionally considered more suitable for men in that period. The female Tribune journalists whose work is examined in this dissertation are Genevieve Forbes Herrick, whose byline was a fixture on the paper’s front page throughout the Roaring Twenties; Maurine Watkins, who drew upon her work as a crime reporter to write the enduring social satire Chicago; Kathleen McLaughlin, a confidante of mobsters whose crime reportage in Chicago earned her a coveted spot in The New York Times’s once exclusively male newsroom; Leola Allard, who covered Chicago’s juvenile and domestic courts, reporting on crimes ranging from spousal abuse to kidnapping; and Maureen McKernan, whose clear- iii thinking, no-nonsense coverage of crime for the Tribune began to move closer to the modern ideal of objective, factual reporting. This dissertation also explores factors that allowed for the emergence of the mob sisters, including the explosion of gangland crime – and murders by women – in Chicago during Prohibition; the increasing professionalization of journalism during the 1920s; a female-friendly culture at the Tribune; and the intersections of crime, celebrity and entertainment during the Jazz Age, all of which helped to create a window of opportunity for these women to not only cover crime, but to develop a new acerbic, witty, anti-sob-sister voice that reflected the changing attitudes of a city whose residents were concerned – yet proud of and even amused by – the chaos around them. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures.................................................................................................................................vi Acknowledgments.........................................................................................................................vii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION, LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHODOLOGY....................1 Chapter 2. WHAT CONSTITUTES A “MOB SISTER?”...........................................................37 Chapter 3. CHICAGO 1920-1930 – A CHAOTIC CITY YIELDS OPPORTUNITIES FOR FEMALE REPORTERS.............................................................................................49 Chapter 4. GENEVIEVE FORBES HERRICK............................................................................80 Chapter 5. MAURINE WATKINS.............................................................................................165 Chapter 6. KATHLEEN MCLAUGHLIN..................................................................................212 Chapter 7. LEOLA ALLARD AND MAUREEN MCKERNAN...............................................255 Chapter 8. MOB SISTERS IN CONTEXT: MALE AND FEMALE CONTEMPORARIES.........................................................285 Chapter 9. CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................315 Works Consulted..........................................................................................................................326 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 – Genevieve Forbes Herrick’s Front-Page Article, “Insanity Fixed, Crowe Hints,” Chicago Daily Tribune, 3 Aug. 1924........................................................................................334 Figure 2 – Maurine Watkins’s Front-Page Article, “Jury Finds Beulah Annan Is “Not Guilty,” Chicago Daily Tribune, 25 May 1924......................................................................................335 Figure 3 – Kathleen McLaughlin’s Front-Page Article, “Girl Victim of Rum Killing,” Chicago Daily Tribune, 14 Oct. 1929.....................................................................................................336 Figure 4 – Leola Allard’s Article, “Cohen Tells How He Strangled His Love Rival,” Chicago Daily Tribune, 21 Sept. 1920, p. 19..........................................................................................337 Figure 5 – Maureen McKernan’s Front-Page Article, “Too Young to Hang; Boast Girl Slayers,” Chicago Daily Tribune, 1 Sept. 1924.......................................................................................338 vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The completion of a dissertation may be a point of pride for an individual, but in reality it’s a collaborative project that demands the help and support of a lot of people. It’s impossible to decide who to thank first – my academic guides or my family and friends – so I’ll start with my adviser, Ford Risley, who never lost faith, even when big gaps in time passed without progress on my end. His encouragement, advice, and especially careful and repeated readings of my project ensured that I completed this work. I also owe huge thanks to Ann Marie Major, who is equal parts incredible academic guide and caring friend. Knowing that she believed that I could graduate, even when life took me in other directions, was a constant source of inspiration. Thanks, Ann! I’m also grateful to Russell Frank for his always fresh and thoughtful perspectives – not to mention participating in my proposal meeting from across several time zones. And thanks, too, to Marie Hardin for generously adding committee membership to her already packed schedule, and for her enthusiastic participation from day one. In addition, without Betsy Hall and Serena Sidwell, both experts at navigating all aspects of the College of Communications and the graduate program, I would still be staring blankly at the thesis guide, trying to figure out the signature page requirement. Actually, I would’ve gotten kicked out of the program years ago without their reminders to register for one credit every semester. I hope they realize how crucial their guidance is to the success of anybody in this program. On the professional side, I also owe big debts of gratitude to Kristie Miller, who was kind enough to share her thoughts about her illustrious grandmother, Ruth Hanna McCormick, with vii me, and to John Elliott for contributing his expertise on mob sister Maurine Watkins’s life and work – as well as for dedicating himself to making sure Watkins’s unique contributions to journalism and theater are never forgotten. On to family and friends... I could never have completed this program without the help of my parents, Donald and Marjorie Fantaskey, who stepped in to babysit a toddler when my daughter Paige came home from China earlier than expected, while I was still doing coursework. Looking back, it was an incredible sacrifice of time and energy on their part – but pretty much the way they’ve always taken care of me, with joy and without complaint. They are the best. Endless thanks, also, to my in-laws, George and Elaine Kaszuba, and my sister-in-law, Sandra Petrosky, who also babysat on innumerable occasions and always expressed belief in my ability to graduate, even when I wasn’t sure. Regarding my daughters, Paige, Julia and Hope – some people see children as a roadblock to completing a big project like this, but in truth they are always the inspiration for any small success I achieve in life. I will always recall, with gratitude, the times they gleefully imagined graduation day, hugged me when I got overwhelmed, and put up with the chaos in our house while I worked. Inexpressible gratitude, also, to my husband, Dave, who encouraged me to leave a good- paying, secure job for the uncertainty of graduate school; never showed it when things got stressful; and always unwaveringly believed in my ability to complete a project so far outside my comfort zone. I could never, ever have done this without him. viii Finally, special thanks to friends who supported me in ways they probably didn’t even realize, either by making me laugh (Sallie Acri), getting me out of the house