When Two Cincinnati Madams Fought, A Sugar Daddy Got Caught In The Middle

Rodney Forest Ludlow was among the richest young men in Springfield, Ohio, in 1888. His father owned an iron foundry and arranged lucrative positions for each of his sons. Rodney, or “R.F.” as he preferred, was 35, married with four children and socially connected.Rodney visited Cincinnati regularly. Perhaps business brought him to the Queen City, but Bertha Wilson certainly had something to do with those visits, too. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer [9 December 1888]:“She had been a variety actress and came to Cincinnati from the West. She was a deep brunette, and was remarkable for having, with dark complexion and raven hair, a pair of deep blue eyes.”Rodney was smitten. He frequently visited the “maison de joie” or brothel managed by Daisy Lawrence at 163 Broadway, right around the corner from the Wesley United Methodist Church on Fifth Street. That is where Bertha Wilson lived, for she was among what they called then the “frail sisterhood” and that is where she entertained…