About a year ago, a fellow podcaster suggested that I go back and remaster a few of my older episodes. I’ve finally decided to make good on that suggestion while I work on some brand new material for you all.
This is an episode that has always touched a nerve with me, and I wanted to go back and tweak the story a bit. That, and the audio really sucked.
The following subject matter is of a very sensitive nature and discretion is strongly advised. The names of the victims have been changed to protect both theirs and their family’s privacy
One of the first things that the reporter noticed was the man’s confidence.
The reporter looked him over, trying to get a feel for who this man might be. He was 37-years-old, well-dressed with dark brown hair and a carefully trimmed mustache. And, again, confident. He strode toward the desk like he owned the newspaper, not just wanting to share a story.
As he stepped up, the reporter stood up and shook the man’s hand, introducing himself. The man smiled, giving his name as Henry Warren.
The reporter gestured for the man to sit, then asked what he wanted to talk about.
Henry smiled again, and then began to speak. What he had to say took the reporter completely off-guard. Henry said that he was a professional carpenter by trade, which truly surprised the reporter.
Henry was incredibly well-spoken, even eloquent. The reporter had known a few carpenters in his life, and while they were far from stupid men, they were plain-spoken and to the point. He would have never guessed Henry to be one.
Finally, after some small talk, Henry fixed eyes with the reporter., He told the reporter that he wanted to advertise his availability as a husband. He wanted to place an ad for a prospective wife.
The reporter was shocked. He had never heard a request for this one. But he was intrigued. This could make headlines.
If he had known what kind of headlines Henry would make one day, he would have turned him away at that very moment.
This is John Brassard Jr, and these are Strange and Dreadful Things.
—
It was early December, and the winter months were slow for construction jobs, and Henry found that he had plenty of downtime to think about what he wanted at this point in his life. And what he wanted was a wife. There were normally social protocols for doing this. But Henry didn’t care.
The reporter was intrigued. “What would be your ideal woman?” he asked.
Henry thought for a moment, then replied that he just wanted a simple girl with a good amount of common sense, who was a good cook and could keep a clean house.
He told the reporter that he was willing to meet any woman who could meet this criterion and was willing to have a loving husband provide for her in return.
The reporter agreed to Henry’s unusual request, and the article appeared in the Davenport Democrat and Leader on December 3, 1907. In bold letters, it challenged, “Say, Girls! Do you want a man?”
While a statement like this would probably be highly offensive in the today’s society, in 1907 it was perfectly acceptable. Women were encouraged and even expected to find a suitable male spouse, then settle into comfortable domestic bliss for the remainder of their lives.
And after hearing about Henry’s offer, several women around Davenport and the surrounding area were intrigued by his offer.
The article had said that all interested parties could meet with Henry at his apartment in downtown Davenport. Just a few days after the article had been published, multiple women began to knock on his door.
They came from all walks of life. Some had never married, others were widows. Some had money, others didn’t. The youngest were in their teens, while the oldest was in her early eighties.
Regardless of their differences, they had all appreciated how straightforward Henry had been, and wanted a chance to get to know the man better. After they were married, of course.
Regardless of their backgrounds or his interest, Henry met them all respectfully and politely. He listened attentively to every story, each application.
In addition to all the women who made their way to his apartment in person, he also received multiple letters from interested women.
In a follow-up article with the Democrat, Henry stated that he would answer each and every one of them. He wanted to take his time and make sure that the found the right woman to marry.
When asked by the Democrat if he wanted an attractive woman, Henry replied that wasn’t necessarily what he was looking for. Once again, he said that he wanted a practical woman who was good at managing a household. For Henry, beauty only went so far, and would never replace a spouse’s wisdom or intelligence.
Soon, Henry Warren’s example of thoughtful manhood turned him into the most eligible bachelor in the entire city. He was given the nickname “Loving Henry.”
Several leading business and political leaders in the area praised Warren’s tactics. Warren was simply using an available tool in an innovative way to achieve his ends. And, quite obviously, there was a lot of interest.
The most criticism that Warren drew was the fact that he intended to take his new bride to Oklahoma. Henry had spent some time in the state during his younger years, and wanted to go back. For him, Oklahoma was just this side of heaven.
His critics contended that Henry’s talents and charisma would be better used in Davenport, and urged him to stay in the region when he found his new bride.
A local theatre even invited Henry to do a short monologue giving his opinions on the state of bachelorhood in Scott County. About 15-minutes long, it was very well-received and was popular for a short time.
Other bachelors in the area liked what Henry was saying, and they quickly moved to procure their own brides. Suddenly the women of Davenport were swarmed by social invitations from interested men.
A few months after his sensation started, Warren’s popularity began to wane, and, eventually, Warren faded back into obscurity. After all his efforts, he had only asked one woman to step forward and marry him.
She never did, and Warren remained unmarried.
However, he seemed content. Warren settled back into bachelor life, becoming a hotelier. He bought and then managed a hotel in downtown Davenport named the Iola. By the early 1930’s, Henry lived in a comfortable house along Brady Street, one of the major roadways in the city.
Warren was still a successful, charming man. He was well-liked by his neighbors, and lived a quiet life near some of Davenport’s best-kept neighborhoods.
He became known for having a soft-spot for children. He was well-known and liked among the neighborhood children, who he treated as if they were his own. Henry regularly bought them candies and presents, and they were always welcome at his home.
Henry was always so nice and so charming, but everyone must have thought that he was lonely. Some of them knew that he had a complicated relationship with his family.
Although he had nephews and nieces, he had no children of his own. With no one to share his success in life, he apparently chose to share it with the children around him.
Everything changed when Thomas Varner brought home the letter.
On February 15, 1933, Henry had given Thomas a letter to take home and give to his older sister, Janet. Instead of giving it to Janet, he gave it to his mother, Marlena, instead.
At one time, Marlena had thought Henry seemed alright. But her opinion changed when, just that past Christmas, he had given Janet an unusual gift: a box containing numerous feminine hygiene items. Marlena didn’t care how nice he was, that was just odd, not to mention inappropriate.
And now he was sending Janet a letter? What on earth did a man in his 60’s have to say to a 12-year-old girl?
Cautiously, Marlena opened the letter. Horrified, she immediately called the police.
A short time later, the officers arrived and read the letter. They were just as horrified as Marlena had been. The letter gave the clear indication that Henry Warren didn’t regard young Janet as a surrogate child. Instead, he desired her – sexually.
When they went to talk to Henry, Henry gave them a charming smile and explained that he didn’t have any children of his own, and he enjoyed their company. To show his affection, he bought things for them.
The officers didn’t trust Warren. After reading the letter, they suspected that something wasn’t right with Henry. It didn’t take them long to prove that their suspicions were correct.
After interviewing several of the neighborhood children, they discovered that Henry had been making sexual overtures at the children for some time. He was arrested for lewd acts with a child and placed into the Scott County Jail.
At the trial, it was revealed that Henry Warren had habitually molested several young girls in his neighborhood by reaching his hand under their dresses and fondling them.
On other occasions, Warren removed his penis and told them to touch it. He also attempted to have intercourse with at least one girl on three separate occasions.
Warren pled guilty to the charge of Lewd and Lascivious Activity with a Child, and was sentenced to the maximum three-year term as imposed by Iowa Law at that time. After the court allowed him a short amount of time to get his affairs in order, Henry was sent to serve his sentence at Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison, Iowa.
In 1907, Henry Warren had taken Davenport, Iowa by storm, becoming the most sought-after bachelor in the city.
He was handsome, well-dressed, intelligent, and eloquent. He emitted a cool confidence and charm that inspired trust in those around him. He wasn’t wealthy, but he had more than enough money to be comfortable.
In 1907, he had used all of that to become a local sensation.
By 1933, he had been using all those same formidable gifts to lure innocent young girls to his home and take the worst kind of advantage of society’s most vulnerable members.
Sources
Loving Henry Gets Boost By Prominent City Officials. The Davenport Democrat and Leader, 12/22/1907
Henry Warren Tells Fond Feminine Hearts Why He Has Remined a Bachelor All These Long Years – Gives Eulogy on Promised Land. The Davenport Democrat and Leader, 12/15/1907
Many Proposals For Mr. Warren. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 12/13/1907
Feminine Hearts Throb For Henry. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 12/08/1907
Girls Galore Are on the Marry. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 12/06/1907
Say, Girls! Do You Want A Man? Davenport Democrat and Leader, 12/03/1907
Many Girls After Handsome Bachelor. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 12/05/1907
“Loving” Henry Explains Matters. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 12/27/1907
Will Bombard Bachelor Trust. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 01/02/1908
Writes Poetry To Loving Henry. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 01/05/1908
Waiting For “Silent Adorer.” Davenport Democrat and Leader, 01/07/1908
“Loving Henry” At the Family. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 01/12/1908
Sensation At Family Theater. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 01/13/1908
Flowers For Loving Henry. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 01/15/1908
Pleads Guilty; Defer Sentence. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 05/15/1933
Trial of Burrall Opens After Plea Entered by Warren. The Daily Times, 5/15/1933
Man, 62, Arrested By Police On a Serious Charge. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 02/15/1933
Henry Warren Is Held On a Girls Charge. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 02/16/1933
Warren Is Held To Grand Jury On Statutory Charge. The Daily Times, 2/16/1933
Warren Is Given Three Years On Statutory Plea. The Daily Times, 6/16/1933
Council Critic Ejected After Salary Tirade. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 02/20/1936
Four Men Held As Results of Stories Told By Children. The Daily Times, 3/31/1937
Trio Held In Juvenile Vice Probe Face Grave Charges; Bond of Each is $10,000. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 04/02/1937
File Additional Charges Against Three Local Men. The Daily Times, 4/2/1937
Continue Hearing For Trio Held on Statutory Charges. The Daily Times, 4/3/1937
Group James Court Corridors for Glimpse of Defendants. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 04/04/1937
Verre Bound Over On Rape Charge; Bond is $10,000. The Daily Times, 4/10/1937
Old Offender Penalized On State Charge. Davenport Democrat and Leader, 04/08/1937
Phelps Sentenced to 6 Months Term For Lewd Actions. The Daily Times, 6/25/1937
U.S. Federal Census Records
Iowa Consecutive Registers of Convicts,1867-1970