Lincoln's Nude Dance Scandal of 1935

One of the most notable instances of burlesque that caused political turmoil in Nebraska occurred in Lincoln during the ‘Golden Age of Burlesque’-- Spring 1935. Lincoln was known as the ‘holy city’, the conservative home of the state capitol, and mostly kept quiet on burlesque aka “lewd” and “obscene” dancing. On Saturday February 18, a “wild party” was held at a tavern in Lincoln which included drinking, gambling and a trio of ‘scantily clad’ dancers. Amen’s Tavern, located at No. 206 7th Street, was the venue in question after word got out it hosted a stag party for the Lincoln Machinists and Automotive Service Association. The party itself would’ve been enough to cause a stir with conservative Lincolnites, but the true scandal was actually WHO attended the party. Please note that Nebraska passed statewide prohibition (prohibiting the sale and purchase of alcohol) three years before the nationwide ban, in May 1917. The nationwide prohibition ended in 1933, and just two years later this nude dance scandal hits Lincoln's political sphere.

The Nude Dance Probe

On February 27th, Godfrey Amen, proprietor of Amen’s Tavern in Lincoln, was charged, in a petition signed by 27 business men, university professors and ministers, with allowing a nude dance inside his tavern on the evening of Saturday February 18th. The petition requested an investigation as to whether the beer tavern license should be revoked and Police Lieutenant Harold Hulfish, who attended the party, should be dismissed for neglect of duty. Hulfish was charged with being present at the party, witnessing the nude dance, and “winking at a gambling game.” A full list of the witnesses at the party was released on March 9th in the Lincoln Journal Star. The City Council launched a nude dance probe to investigate the party and witnesses.

The Columbus Telegram stated, “The council was investigating the most serious charge ever investigated in Lincoln since March, 1895, when a state legislature investigated the charge of impure liquor was being sold in the Mark Hanna saloon in the basement of the capitol.”

People in Attendance:

• Mayor Fenton B. Fleming
• Commissioner A.C. Harm
• Commissioner of Water and Light; Paul Doerr
• Police Lieutenant Harold Hulfish
• City Attorney Max Kier (former speaker of the Nebraska House of Representatives)
• Assistant Park Superintendent; Chet Ager
• Hyman Zelen (Auto Supplier; eyewitness guest); threatened with physical violence and death if he testified (denies there is frame-up)
• J.N. Madsen, employee of Iowa-Nebraska Light & Power Company
• L.S. Holmes (Auto Supplier; employee of Zelen) denies there was a frame up. He didn’t know about the dancing girls until several days after the party.
• Dee Eiche said it was ‘dirty gossip’ and denied there wasn’t any lewd dancing, gambling, or hard liquor evidence from the party

The Evidence

City Attorney Max Kier, was acting as counsel for the city, even though he had been present at the party for about half an hour, where he made a speech and left. He was accused in the petition. Witnesses testified there was ‘gambling, lewd dancing, and the sale and drinking of hard liquor.’ In addition, the windows were covered with ‘pasteboard’ essentially blocking the view inside or out of the venue (direct violation of Amen’s liquor license).

The party was thrown by the Lincoln Machinists and Automotive Service Association. Francis Marshall hired a dancer for a $5 ‘strip dance’ and a ‘coin shower’ at the request of Fred Sehnert, a member of the association’s entertainment committee. He explained, “I engaged her to do what is called a strip dance.” Marshall also hired the two other performers for the same evening. Hyman Zelen, who employed Marshall, denied knowing of the dancer being hired and stated he was wrongfully accused of plotting the ‘frame up.’ He received threats of physical violence and even death if he testified. Marshall testified he escorted the dancer, “Jean,” to the tavern at 10:00pm. Two witnesses testified the nude dance occurred around 11:00pm. Auto supply dealers L.S. Holmes and Hymen B. Zelen testified they saw “Jean” dance in the nude and that she was tossed coins by patrons. Zelen was asked, “Did you join in the coin tossing?” He replied, “Certainly I did.” City Attorney Kier continued to complain that Zelen was trying to frame Mayor Fleming and the city councilmen but Zelen denied he cared whether they were re-elected or not.

Police Lieutenant Hulfish denied he witnessed any law violations at the tavern the evening of the party. He stated he didn’t hear about any lewd dance until days afterwards. He thought Chapman disliked him because he took a spring vacation in order to campaign for Max Towle for county attorney, against Chapman. Hulfish was not on duty when he attended the party. He stated the he saw two dancing girls and a third ‘strip artist’. He recognized one of the dancers, as she had danced for the Sheriff’s Convention previously. Hulfish stated, “I did not see any of the dancing. I don’t like to see women dancing. I would not go across the street to see the Queen of Sheba dance.” He also denied Zelen’s witness testimony that he was at the dice game in the tavern.

Hulfish did confirm the windows were covered, in violation of Amen’s liquor license (1933 Beer Law states, “no on sale beer licensee shall sell beverages for consumption on the premises while maintaining blinds or screens.”) Hulfish also testified he saw Mayor Fleming and the two councilmen at the party but they left shortly after 10:00pm, which was an hour before the nude dance was performed.

Political Frame-Up Accusations

The accused city officials attempted to show that the petition for an investigation into the party was a political plot by Commissioner Bair, Deputy Attorney Chapmen, and John Mockett (Lincoln attorney and the president of the Lincoln Young Men’s Republican Club) with the aid of several Christian ministers. Christian leaders were asked to testify before the city commissioners.

City Attorney Max Kier alleged there was a ‘frame-up’ occurring and that the council was making a political statement. There was a meeting held at the Y.M.C.A. where business men, professors and religious leaders were asked to sign a petition against the party-goers. One witness to this meet-up was Reverend Hulsebus, who refused to give the names of the people who had given him the information. The pastor felt, “it was his duty as a private citizen to sign the petition asking the two men to show cause.”

According to newspaper reports, the party stirred comments of ‘wild’ behavior for two weeks before action was taken by the 27 petitioners. Mayor Fleming attended and made a speech before three women performed individual dances, each becoming more "scantily clad” than the last. It was also reported, unconfirmed, that the dancing girl sat on Mayor Fleming’s lap. It was suggested that the people who signed the petition should be charged as instigators of a political frame up.

Lloyd E. Chapman, deputy city attorney, testified that two Lincoln men told him of the lewd dancing, gambling and sale of liquor at the tavern. However, one of the men, Howard Britt, ultimately denied he told Chapman anything about the party. Chapman was discharged from his position by Max Kier, city attorney. Kier was one of five city officials named by Chapman in the probe. Chapman’s removal caused the council to name R.O. Johnson as deputy city attorney. At this time it came to light that one of the principal sponsors of the probe was John Mockett, Lincoln attorney and the president of the Lincoln Young Men’s Republican Club.

Nude Dance Probe Fails

Mayor Fleming and Commissioners Doerr and Harmes voted to exonerate Lieutenant Hulfish and keep him on the force. At the same time they voted to absolve Amen, the tavern owner, from any wrong doing. At this time City Councilman Bair called Mayor Fleming a name and rushed towards him. The Mayor held him off until three other men came to restrain Bair. Bair then rushed the mayor again, who had gone back to being seated. Bair kicked over the chair with the mayor in it, causing him to fall to the floor. The chair broke and Mayor Fleming suffered “a wrenched back and a few slight bruises.” Bair exited but later returned to vote on the resolution and he was the only person to vote ‘no’.

The resolution absolved the Lincoln Machinists’ and Automotive Service Association of any blame for the petitions which asserted lewd dancing and gambling occurred at the party. Ultimately, the affair was ‘whitewashed’ as the final resolution claimed that testimony at the hearing ‘conclusively shows that it was instigated by certain politicians for political purposes in furthering the interests of themselves and said testimony shows a political frame up on city officials.'

The investigation lasted from 9:00am Saturday to 1:00am Sunday morning. Out of all the 16 people who took the stand, only six had actually been witnesses to the party. Lieutenant Harold Hulfish and Godfrey Amen were exonerated by the city council, by a vote of 4 to 1.

Political Repercussions

Although the Nude Dance Probe of 1935 ended with a verdict of (essentially) “not guilty”, the political mud-slinging had muddied the upcoming city primary campaign, which was set for three weeks after the hearing. Nebraska newspapers sensationalized the charges brought against officials of “the Holy City” and many predicted that Fleming would face challenges for re-election. Damage to the reputations of the city officials made re-election on April 2, 1935, very difficult. ‘Reformist elements’ targeted the four city employees, addressing issues of corruption and favoritism in the city government.

Overall, Mayor Fleming lost his bid for re-election to Charles W. Bryan. Fleming received only 3,116 votes against Bryan’s 9,502 votes. Ernest Bair, one of the city councilmen who led the probe petition, ran for mayor and placed third, with 6,292 votes. The ‘reform element’ was given credit for helping Bryan, three time governor of Nebraska and once a candidate for U.S. vice president, obtain the Lincoln mayoral office. The 1935 city elections set a record with more than 20,000 votes cast in Lincoln. The Lincoln City Council was swept anew with Andrew J. Johnson, O.S. Copeland, Cobe Venner, and J. Cass Cornell taking over as councilmen.

It's hard to say definitively today whether there was a 'lewd dance' performed at Amen's Tavern in the presence of the Mayor and other city officials. The supposed dancer, "Jean", was never identified and never brought into the proceedings. Based off of my research, more often than not the performer's full name is published in the newspapers, sometimes including a portrait, with multiple newspapers reporting about the "stripteaser." It was highly debated whether "Jean" was a blonde or not in the probe. More often than not, if a burlesque dancer was caught, they are held equally hostage by the law along with the people producing the show or hosting the event. Regardless of the evidence, the reactions to the stag party and nude dancer provides evidence of how politicized burlesque was in the 1930s as a form of popular entertainment.  

Sources

• Nebraska Daily News Press. “Lincoln Stirred by Nude Dance Charge; High Officials Accused of Being Presented at ‘Wild Party’.” March 10, 1935
• Lincoln Journal Star. “Fifteen Heard at Opening of a City Inquiry; No Witnesses Who Attended Party at Amen Tavern Questioned Yet.” Page 1. March 9, 1935
• Lincoln Journal Star. “Pastors Attend Hulfish Hearing.” Page 1-2. March 9, 1935
• Lincoln Nebraska State Journal. “Hulfish, Amen Are Absolved by Councilmen.” March 11, 1935
• Neligh News. “Tremors Felt in Lincoln.” Page 1. March 14, 1935
• Omaha Sunday Bee News. “Kick at Mayor Ends Nude Dance Probe; Absolve Policeman.” Page 1. March 10, 1935
• Omaha Sunday Bee News. “Witness Describes Nude Dance at Lincoln Party.” Page 1-2. March 10, 1935
• Omaha World Herald. “Lincoln, We Refuse.” Page 6. March 12, 1935
• Omaha World Herald. “Nude Dance Charge Fails; Lincoln Officer and Tater Proprietor Absolved in Probe.” March 10, 1935
• The Alliance News. Page 3. March 21, 1935
• The Alliance News. Page 4. March 15, 1935
• The Columbus Telegram. “Nude Dance Party ‘Whitewash’ Starts Political Battle; Lincoln in Throes of Election Contest as Council Charges ‘Frame-up’.” Lincoln, NE. Page 3. March 11, 1935
• The Columbus Telegram. “Horror of Horrors!” Page 4. March 11, 1935
• The Columbus Telegram. “April Primaries will decide many political fates; Nude dance scandal promises to make Lincoln race outstanding.” By The United Press. Page 3. March 21, 1935
• The Columbus Telegram. “Four Political Corpses’ at Nude Dance Hearing; Discharged City Official Predicts Others Will Lose in Campaign.” Lincoln, NE. March 12, 1935
• The Fall City Journal. “‘Nude’ Dance Story Shocks ‘Holy City’.” Lincoln, NE. March 9, 1935
• The McCook Daily Gazette. “Obscene Party For City Officials Told at Lincoln Hearing.” Lincoln, NE. Page 1. March 9, 1935
• Omaha World Herald. “Bryan Leads Lincoln Field; Mayor Fleming Fails to Gain Nomination; Oberlies Defeated.” Lincoln, NE. Page 3. April 10, 1935
• The Columbus Telegram. “Bryan is Elected Mayor of Lincoln by Reform Element.” Page 3. May 8, 1935