Hell's Belles: Denver's Brides of the Multitudes with attention to Various Gamblers, Scoundrels, and Mountebanks and a Biography of Sam Howe, Frontier Lawman

by Clark Secrest

"This newly updated and revised edition of Hell's Belles takes the reader on a soundly researched, well-documented, and entertaining journey back to the early days of Denver. Secrest details the evolution of Denver's prostitution, gambling, drug addicts, and corrupt politicians and police who, palms outstretched, allowed it all to happen. Also included is a biography of one of Denver's original police officers, Sam Howe, upon whose crime studies the book is based." The popular veneer of Denver's present-day Market Street - its fancy bars, posh restaurants, and Coors Field - is stripped away to reveal the street's former a mecca of loose morals entrenched in prostitution, liquor, and money. Hell's Belles examines the neglected topics of vice and crime in Denver and utilizes a unique and invaluable historic source - the scrapbooks of Detective Sam Howe.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

376 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Susan K]

This was a fantastic read on the seedy history of Denver. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it!