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Hattie Yarbrough and the Scandal That Defined Her | Springfield Missouri News
In 1894, Hattie Yarbrough stood trial in Springfield accused of running a brothel — a charge she fiercely denied, calling it a “deep laid plot” and vowing to fight “to the bitter end.” While her accusers were women paid by police for protection, her defense relied on respectable men’s testimony — and despite clear evidence of innocence, the scandal followed her for years. From “Miss Hattie Yarbrough” to “a woman of the town,” her reputation was weaponized by newspapers. A failed vice raid, a volatile romance with photographer Charley Sweet that ended in gunfire and accusations, a house fire…
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