Alice Abbott ~ "Fat Alice"

When the railroad first reached El Paso in the 1880s, it brought a variety of good people and an abundance of savory characters. Among them many "Ladies of the Night".

Known behind her back as "Fat Alice" or "Big Alice", Alice Abbott was about 6' tall and weighed better than 200 pounds. Before long, she established a very popular brothel at 19 South Utah Street and became known as the queen of the red light district.

Located across the street was Alice's competitor, Etta Clark. It's unclear why the two women first became bitter rivals, though Alice was quoted as having said, "Etta Clark was a whore to niggers" ... the ultimate insult in that prejudicial time period.

On 18 April 1886, an argument took place between Alice and one of her girls, Bessie Colvin, who wanted to leave and work for Etta. Bessie sought refuge in Etta’s parlor, with Alice in pursuit. Alice pounded on Etta’s door with her ham-like fists. When Etta finally opened the door, Alice punched her in the face. With great pain and anger, Etta turned and ran to grab a gun. The incident is reported as follows: "The weapon roared its authority, sending a bullet into Alice’s pubic arch. Clutching her groin, Alice screamed: “My God, I’m shot.” She lurched from the hall and staggered down into the street.” Etta shot again but missed. When Alice looked up, she caught Clark with a smile on her face as she went back in her house.

Alice survived the shooting, despite the risk of blood poisoning and chance of dying. Reported by newspapers as the incident as the "Public Arch Shooting", the widely circulated story caused the public to make fun of Alice, adding to her anger and hatred. To add insult to injury, it only took the jury only 15 minutes to find Etta innocent on grounds of self defense. Alice’s humiliation was now complete.

In the early hours of 12 July 1888 Etta Clark’s parlor house caught fire while she and all her girls were asleep. Everyone managed to escape, but the house and everything in it was destroyed. It was later determined that Alice had hired a couple of drunks to start the fire, but gaps in the evidence led to the acquittal of all accused.

Etta and her girls were reduced to the level of street walkers. Her luck changed with the appearance of J.P. Dieter, one of her adoring clients, who built her a new, huge parlor. His wife divorced him and took their children back east. Etta and Dieter lived as husband and wife without ever becoming married.

In February 1890 Alice leased her brothel to Tillie Howard. Alice died of a heart attack on 7 April 1896. She was buried in El Paso's Evergreen Cemetery. Her death went unreported in the papers because of widespread interest in a boxing match and municipal elections.

In 1904, Etta became ill and decided to run her business from the third floor of the Mayar Opera House, which caught fire and burned down in 1905. Etta barely escaped alive and suffered complications from smoke inhalation. In 1908, as a result of those complications, she died during a trip to see her sister in Atlanta.

Etta Clark

Etta Clark was petite and five feet tall. She came to El Paso by train, bringing with her a mean temper and a fiery mouth. It was said she had a way with some of El Paso’s better heeled gentlemen.

Located across the street from Etta's sporting house was her competitor, Alice Abbott, known as "Fat Alice". It's unclear why the two women first became bitter rivals, though Alice was quoted as having said, "Etta Clark was a whore to niggers" ... the ultimate insult in that prejudicial time period.

[Photo: This photo of Etta was crossed out, but the fact it was in Alice's album indicates they were friends at an earlier date.]

On 18 April 1886, an argument took place between Alice and one of her girls, Bessie Colvin, who wanted to leave and work for Etta. Bessie sought refuge in Etta’s parlor, with Alice in pursuit. Alice pounded on Etta’s door with her ham-like fists. When Etta finally opened the door, Alice punched her in the face. With great pain and anger, Etta turned and ran to grab a gun. The incident is reported as follows: "The weapon roared its authority, sending a bullet into Alice’s pubic arch. Clutching her groin, Alice screamed: “My God, I’m shot.” She lurched from the hall and staggered down into the street.” Etta shot again but missed. When Alice looked up, she caught Clark with a smile on her face as she went back in her house.

Alice survived the shooting, despite the risk of blood poisoning and chance of dying. Reported by newspapers as the incident as the "Public Arch Shooting", the widely circulated story caused the public to make fun of Alice, adding to her anger and hatred. To add insult to injury, it only took the jury only 15 minutes to find Etta innocent on grounds of self defense. Alice’s humiliation was now complete.

In the early hours of 12 July 1888 Etta Clark’s parlor house caught fire while she and all her girls were asleep. Everyone managed to escape, but the house and everything in it was destroyed. It was later determined that Alice had hired a couple of drunks to start the fire, but gaps in the evidence led to the acquittal of all accused.

Etta and her girls were reduced to the level of street walkers. Her luck changed with the appearance of J.P. Dieter, one of her adoring clients, who built her a new, huge parlor. His wife divorced him and took their children back east. Etta and Dieter lived as husband and wife without ever becoming married.

In 1904, Etta became ill and decided to run her business from the third floor of the Mayar Opera House, which caught fire and burned down in 1905. Etta barely escaped alive and suffered complications from smoke inhalation. In 1908, as a result of those complications, she died during a trip to see her sister in Atlanta.

Bessie Colvin ~ "Contrary Mary"

Inside History

Clash of the Mad Madams 

Alice Abbott Vs. Etta Clark. The War Over Beautiful, Busty Bessie Colvin

July 1, 2003 by Bob Boze Bell  

April 18, 1886

The beautiful Bessie Colvin is fed up. After a year of arguing over “extracurricular activities” and bad accounting, the star attraction at Alice Abbott’s bordello in El Paso, Texas, is quitting to seek better working conditions elsewhere.

Bessie’s also drunk. Sashaying through the brothel parlor, the angry soiled dove swears at the customers, telling them how foolish they are for shopping at “Fat Alice’s Belly Bazaar.” At the front door, Bessie informs everyone within hearing that the “prime cut will soon be found across the street.”

Storming out the front door, Bessie crosses Utah Street, heading for Etta Clark’s sporting house. Passing a trio of amused men, she mutters, “I’m not going to stay in that damned hooker shop any longer.”

After hearing her tale of woe, Etta Clark readily agrees to hire the raving beauty. With gainful employment assured, Bessie marches back across Utah Street to retrieve her belongings. As Bessie packs her trunk in her room, Madam Alice Abbott comes in and demands to know what’s going on. Hearing Bessie’s avowed defection, Alice flies into a rage and tries to slap her, but Bessie ducks the blow and flees the premises.

Alice first sends two of her girls to retrieve her errant prostitute, but when they return empty-handed, she crosses the street and climbs onto Etta’s porch. Banging on the front door, Alice demands to be let in.

Etta opens the door a crack. For protection, she is wielding a yard-long, brass gas lighter that she has been using to adjust the gas jets in her house.

“What do you want?” Etta asks.

“I want to see Bessie,” Alice barks.

“Don’t let her get me!” Bessie pleads from behind Etta. “She’ll hurt me if she gets ahold of me. She’ll beat me to death!”

“She doesn’t want to see you,” Etta tells her rival. “Get out of my house.”

“It doesn’t make a damned bit of difference whether she wants to see me or not,” Alice bellows as she flings her hefty body against the door, sending Etta staggering backwards.

With the door flung open, Alice starts for Bessie. Etta takes a swing at her rival with the gas lighter. Deflecting the blow, Alice says, “I owe you this anyhow,” and punches Etta in the face, sending the madam sprawling into her bedroom.

Alice grabs the hysterical Bessie by the wrist and begins dragging her out the door. Screaming and kicking, Bessie manages to break free and runs back inside.

Retrieving a bone-handled .44 caliber Iver-Johnson “Bulldog” revolver from her dresser drawer, Etta reenters the parlor. “Miss Alice,” Etta says, aiming the piece directly at her rival, “I want you to leave my house.”

“I’ll leave your house,” Alice jeers sarcastically as she advances on her smaller foe.

“I’ll kill the damned bitch!” Etta cries as she pulls the trigger.

Clutching her groin, Alice screams: “My God! I’m shot!”

Alice staggers down the porch steps and collapses in the street. Etta steps onto the porch and fires again but misses. Three of Alice’s girls rush across the street to carry their employer back inside her house. The fight is over.

Aftermath: Odds & Ends
The summoned Dr. A.L. Justice determined the bullet had penetrated to the right of Alice’s pubic arch and passed through her body. No vital organs were hit.
The next day’s El Paso Herald mistakenly told readers that Alice had been shot in the “public arch.” Long after she recovered, Alice was often asked, “How’s your public arch feel today?” The phrase later became a part of Western folklore.
Etta Clark turned herself in to the police and was charged with attempted first-degree murder. On May 13, a jury found Etta not guilty on grounds of self-defense. Incredibly, after the dust had settled and the wounds healed, Alice Abbott sweet-talked Bessie Colvin into returning to work at her brothel.

Dueling Madams
Alice Abbott kept a photo album of her days as an El Paso madam. On the first page of the album, Alice staked the claim as the “Best House Keeper . . . U.S.A.” The fiery and hefty madam (reportedly, she tipped the scales at 230 lbs.) also put the letter “A” surrounded by a heart on numerous photos in the album, possibly denoting customers and girls who were extra special to her (some believe the “brand” suggests lesbian status).

The photo of Etta Clark was crossed out by Alice, but the fact that the photo was in Alice’s album suggests they were friends at an earlier date. Evidently, Etta was an equal opportunity madam.

We recommend: The Gentleman’s Club: The Story of Prostitution In El Paso, by H. Gordon Frost, 1983, Mangan Books. This classic book is out of print, yet still in high demand.