The Monroe News-Star - Mysterious Disappearance of Laura Porter Date: Dec. 1999 Submitted by: Lora Peppers ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** The Monroe News-Star Monday, July 25, 1910 Page 1, Column 4 MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE LAURA PORTER, NOTORIUS (sic) DIVE KEEPER, TAKEN FROM THE CITY JAIL. THROWN IN THE RIVER Is the Report Current on the Streets, Today - Party of Masked Men Said to Have Taken Her From Jail. Negress Has Given Police Trouble For Years. Last night about midnight a party of masked white men entered the city jail according to the women prisoners, and took out Laura Porter, who was locked up Saturday night and since then no trace of the woman has been found. The woman was taken out nude, and about an hour later the men returned and got her clothing. Just what happened to Laura Porter may never be known, but the talk on the streets today is that she was drowned in the Ouachita river after being taken from the (j)ail. It is said that she was put in the river near the Stewart shingle mill. This is the common report of the occurrence, but ther is absolutely nothing that is definite or certain about the story. The men who entered the jail used a regular key, as the lock was in no way damaged. Laura Porter has been the keeper of a notorious dive in East End for some years and many robberies it is said, have taken place in her house. It is said that she would entice white men to her house and would rob them with the assistance of one or two negro men. She has given the police officers more trouble than all other denizens of the "red light" district put together. She has been run out of town repeatedly, but usually in less than a week's time she would be back. She was warned to leave last week it is alleged but so defiant has she grown that she refused to go. She was arrested Saturday night on a robbery charge. It looks very much like she has left town for good this time. # # #