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Carolann Mary Smith


Courtesy of The World Photos

Carolann Mary Smith was born as Opal Mary Carey on the 18th of May 1893 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her father was Thomas Carey (1863-1934), and her mother was Eva (Mckee) Carey (1876-1902).

Opal had two sisters: Ethel Carey who was born on the 14th of November 1895 and Pearl Carey who was born on the 3rd of August 1898. In 1902 when Opal was nine years old her mother died, and the reason for her death is unknown. By 1910, Thomas Carey and his three daughters were living in Vann, Muskogee County, Oklahoma near Webbers Falls.

Opal met Fay Harold Smith (1892-1934) in Muskogee, and they married on the 3rd of February 1914, and she became Opal Mary Smith. They lived in Muskogee, Oklahoma at 307 Felix Street. Fay Smith worked as a shipping clerk at the Atlas Supply Company. In 1915 Opal gave birth to a boy, but he died a few days later. In 1917 Fay Smith received a deferment from the draft board for being recently married. In 1919 Opal gave birth to her second son, but tragic struck again and that baby died shortly after birth as well.

By 1930 Fay and Opal Smith were living in Casper, Wyoming. Fay Smith had started working as a salesman for the Williamsport Wire Rope company, which sent him and Opal to live in Wyoming and Oregon for a few years.

Later in 1930 Fay Smith was relocated by his employer to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Fay and Opal Smith moved into the Sophian Park Plaza at 1500 South Frisco Avenue. In the summer of 1933 Fay Smith was laid off from the Williamsport Wire Rope company. He did find another job as a life insurance salesman but was later found dead from suicide on the 24th of January 1934 on a road in Sands Springs.

Opal had a maid named Beulah Walker who died from being hit by a car near the Sophian Plaza in February 1934. The driver of the car was Charles C. Rains who was a captain at the Tulsa Fire Department and who also lived in the Sophian Park Plaza. Charles C. Rains later died from injuries in 1938 from a fire and explosion at an oil and gas field.

Opal had asked for her father to live with her after the death of her husband. Her father, Thomas Carey, died in 1934 on the 20th of September. According to the 1940 United States Census Opal Mary Smith was now using the name Carolann Mary Smith. She claimed her husband Fay Smith was still alive and that they had a child named Donall. Carolann Smith put her husband's occupation as District Manager for a Wholesale Steel Company. She claimed Donall was 17 years-old, and that she, Carolann, was 31. Carolann Smith was 47 at that time.

In 1937 Carolann Smith was using the alias of Meredith Fontane, when she met Virginia Evans at a Christian Science bookstore. They became friends and Virginia moved in with Carolann Smith. In 1938 Carolann Smith met Willetta Horner at a grocery store. They became friends and Willetta later moved in with Carolann and Virginia.

Later in 1938 the apartment manager at the Sophian Park Plaza raised Carolann’s rent, because she was a difficult tenant. Carolann and the two young women moved out after Willetta Horner found the duplex at 10 East 21st Street, which would later be dubbed the Hex House. Carolann had Willetta use the alias Janet Sherman to put on the rental agreement with the property manager. The three women then moved into the duplex at 21st Street and Main.

The other side of the duplex 12 East 21st Street had remained vacant until 1942. Andrew Milek, a Geologist, who moved to Tulsa after getting a job with Sinclair Prairie Oil Company started renting 12 East 21st Street on March of 1942. He had moved from Nebraska and was married. His wife, Dorothy, would be moving to Tulsa in the next few weeks.

Carolann Smith wanted him gone and made Virginia and Willetta torment Andrew Milek by being noisy at night to disrupt his sleep. When those efforts did not work, Carolann had Willetta go outside and strike Milek on the head and shoulders with a stick. Willetta than ran across the front yard claiming Milek had assaulted and battered her. The police were called, Milek was arrested, and on his day in court all three women accused Milek of being a peeping Tom, and of assaulting and battering Willetta. Judge Oras Shaw of the Tulsa County Courthouse found Andrew Milek guilty of all charges. Milek was fined, and forced to move.

By 1944 Carolann Smith was forcing the young women to live in the basement and to turn over all of their paychecks to her. In February of 1944, Willetta’s mother, Mary Horner, had died. Carolann refused to let Willetta attend her mother’s funeral stating that Mary Horner was no longer Willetta’s mother. Paul Horner, Willetta’s older brother, had begged Willetta to attend the funeral but Willetta refused.

In early March of 1944 the Tulsa County Attorney, Dixie Gilmer, had the Tulsa Police investigate Meredith Fontane for a fraudulent war ration application. Because of World War II, citizens had to use war ration books as permission to buy groceries and other household items. Supplies were limited due to the war. Besides lying about her name, Carolann Smith had claimed that eight people lived with her in the duplex. One of the names she put on the application was the name of her recently deceased dog.

When the Tulsa Police investigated, they discovered the two women that had been forced to live in the basement. Willetta, who was still in emotional turmoil about the recent death of her mother, told the police what Carolann had been doing to her and Virginia. Virginia originally denied Willetta’s allegations. Later that week Virginia came to her senses and filed a police report about Carolann Smith.

On Tuesday the 28th of March 1944 Carolann Smith was arrested. Carolann was held in custody at the Tulsa County Jail while Gilmer filed charges. Virginia and Willetta told the police that Meredith Fontane’s real name was Opal Mary Smith. A trial was set and by October of 1944 Carolann Smith was found guilty of state and federal charges. Opal Mary Smith was sentenced to prison and served one year at the newly established women’s prison in McAlester, Oklahoma.