Carolann Smith the Mistress of the Hex House
This is based on a true story that topped national headlines in 1944. I have been researching and documenting the events of the Tulsa Hex House that occurred before, during, and after the arrest of Carolann Smith in March of 1944 for holding two woman as prisoners and slaves in her home basement.
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See and learn about haunted places in Tulsa at https://www.tulsaspirittour.com/
Tulsa's Haunted Memories by Terri French https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0099YH1DM/...
The Hex House – Tulsa's Most Terrifying Haunted Attraction: https://hexhouse.com/
Throwback Tulsa: Hex House case stunned Tulsa 70 years ago: https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/his...
This Place In Oklahoma Has A Dark And Evil History That Will Never Be Forgotten: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/oklah...
Hex House 2020 Tulsa, OK: • Video
Mistress of the Hex House. Carolann Smith is the Mistress of the Hex House of Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was born as Carolann Meredith Carey in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1893.
[Correction: She was born as Opal Mary Carey.]
Her father, Thomas Carey, was a successful employee of the Indiana Glass Company and he was rich. Carolann had two sisters and her father was able to afford private schools for his daughters. The family was Episcopalian and regularly attended church.
She dutifully learned Bible lessons and developed an interest in music from the choir.
In 1902 when Carolann was only nine years old her mother died. Her father raised his three daughters by himself and never married again. She admired her father for this, and she would later say that she adored her father; that he was a great man that always provided for his family.
"He was a prince," she said. "He never left us a single night. He sent us to fine, private schools." Ten years later her father relocated the family to Muskogee, Oklahoma due to a career opportunity. In 1914 Carolann was 21 years old when she met Fay H. Smith, a salesperson for various steel companies.
She married him, and her wedding photographs depicted her as a skinny, attractive girl dressed in a formal gown with a veil that fell from her head to the floor. She was now Carolann Smith wife to Mister Fay H. Smith and she was happy. A year later tragedy struck again.
She was expecting her first baby. She gave birth to a boy prematurely, and he died a few hours later. Carolann was heartbroken about her loss.
In 1919 she became pregnant with her second son. Sadly, she again gave birth prematurely, and her second son died as well. Her grief was overwhelming and a doctor advised her to not try for another child because her body was not strong enough for it. She wanted children but accepted the reality that she would never have children.
Her husband had a great job and the couple lived a lavish life. She still grieved her losses but overall, she was happy. A few years later her husband got a job in Tulsa, Oklahoma working for the Williamsport Wire Rope company.
They moved into an apartment at the Sophian Plaza, which was elegant and expensive. Carolann lived in the luxurious part of Tulsa and life was great.
On the 30th of June 1933 at the height of the depression Fay Smith was laid off from his job. The now 40 year-old Carolann Smith was devastated, but she believed that her husband would find work elsewhere and that things would go back to the luxuries she had enjoyed. And Fay Smith did find work.
He got a job as an insurance salesman, but his income was much less than what he was making before. He found it difficult to maintain the luxurious lifestyle he once had for himself and his wife.
On the 22nd of January 1934 Fay Smith went missing. The news was reported in the Tulsa World, which stated, "The Tulsan [Fay Smith] had been missing since he telephoned his wife at 5:40 o'clock Monday afternoon that he would shortly return to their Sophian Plaza apartment for dinner. Mrs. Smith first reported his absence to police about 5 o'clock yesterday morning."
The next day Fay H. Smith was found dead near his car in the Osage Hills. He had a bullet wound in his chest.
To be continued.
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