Century of Mayhem by Bristol Herald Courier

Bristol

Volume 2 | Issue 3

SEPTEMBER 2016 - $2.95

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VIRGINIA TENNESSEE

Where two cities become one

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From The Editor

ristol Magazine’s “A Century of Mayhem” begins in Washington County, Virginia, near Bristol’s corner of the universe, and radiates to Grundy, Pound, Saltville, Hillsville, Rye Cove in Southwest Virginia to Erwin in Northeast Tennessee and even in the Soviet Union. The stories of mayhem, caused by weather or by humans, contain true details and hard-to-believe twists and turns. We begin with a long-haul truck driver leaving a trail of dead women. Local lawmen discover a bizarre clue: A treasure trove of personal items belonging to females helped clinch the case against serial killing trucker. Six convicts set a precedent in 1984 which is still on the books today. They crafted an elaborate plan to escape from a Virginia correctional facility. Residents were terrified as they stayed on the run for days. It is the largest death row prison escape in the United States. This smoothtalking, good-looking murderer was executed for the rape and murder of his sister-in-law. Throughout his trial and thereafter, he maintained his innocence. The day came when DNA became a useful tool in convicting a murderer. The results came back — he was lying.

In 1935, women were rarely convicted of murder. Yet, a 21-year-old school teacher was accused of killing her father with one of three items — an iron, a knife or a high-heeled shoe. She was convicted, later released and moved out of the region.

An entire town was mowed down when a dam of muck broke apart spilling its chemical contents over residents and homes on the evening of Christmas Eve. Routine Cold War flight puts a Pound, Virginia, resident on the Soviet Jan Patrick, Editor Union’s radar. He was shot down and convicted as a spy by the Soviet Union. And, the story does not end there. A shootout in Hillsville in 1912, which left five people dead, is to this day shrouded in mystery. Take the public hanging of a renegade circus elephant that haunts a small Tennessee town. A tornado in 1929 is still considered to be the worst in Virginia history — 13 dead and dozens injured. In another weather-related incident, the flood of 1977 in downtown Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia is still considered the worst flooding in the history of the town. Even today, Tennessee Valley Authority, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Twin City are working together to make sure a flood of this magnitude never happens again. §

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BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 3

Bristol Contents

VIRGINIA TENNESSEE

Page 17

Page 14

Page 11

Page 8

Where two cities become one

Nothing is Escape-Proof Lem Tuggle escapes from death row

Smooth-Talking Killer

Roger Keith Coleman: Career criminal

By Iron or By Shoe

Trigg Maxwell’s death still a mystery

Town erased by ‘Muck’

Christmas Day 1924 saw great tragedy

Page 5

Killer Trucker Sean Goble collected his victim’s underwear Just over 21 years ago, on an early January morning in 1995, officers and residents of Washington County, Virginia, were shocked to learn that the body of Brenda Kay Hagy, 45, had been discovered just off Interstate 81, on a service road near current exit 22. The body, which was partially clothed with no shoes or underwear on, had been run over by an 18-wheeler

Bristol

VIRGINIA TENNESSEE

Where two cities become one

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Hillsville Massacre

Courthouse shootout ends with 5 dead

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Murderous Mary

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Black Cloud of Death

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Mt. Empire Under Water

The day they hanged an elephant

Raging tornado rips through Rye Cove

1977 floodwaters reach record heights

4 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE

Page 19

Cold War Spy Powers U2 spy plane shot down in USSR At the start of the Cold War, the Soviet Union shot down a U2 spy plane with a lone American pilot in 1960. The secret mission was to gather intelligence and was co-sponsored by the Central Intelligence Agency and the Air Force. The pilot was Southwest Virginia’s own Francis Gary Powers.

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Sean

Sean Pat r house in ick Goble, here a t age 29, Hillsboro AP PhO le court ap pearance ugh after his ﬁrs aves the court- TO t ecutors would be in 1996 to deter North Carolina m allowed to seek t ine whether pro she death penalty.

Goble

d e z i r P : s n e k To & s e o Sh s e i t n Pa sure trove of victimcs’onpveircstoionnal a r e e r d t r e u r r m a s z ’ i r B e k c u r t o t d e items l

Sheriff ’s st of the o m g n ene with lo on the sc cal r the s a fo w r e ie c r r ffi O by a ca ed by a lo m to covered ts provid ourier. h C g li S se tea ld a W r E e H T ay respon AN MA c u n it Bristol H e s g e r g e BY DAME n em stra g vidence. ce “It was a explainin rch for e , a e o id s g a e Poli a s s r te a most n,” Ta s with th ountless 21 ye r o s r e 0 ti e c 9 v f 9 o ffi o 1 t O s e ts u en t spent c the during th orked innd resid partmen w Vir- that e , e officers a D h und ty s n e u s o a d rking aro ase, acthe c ton C w an o g f e o w n in k s h r n s e r u a h a o W h is c ple to le lved peo resolve th said the d that shocked o n v e to a r , v k e h c o w c it , lo o c ginia iliar w e een dis Tate, wh e dy had b te 81, on was fam body of someon rding to o c t have th o n e that a bo ta e id s th r d th g t te n in to e In e d e ff e s y o n departm ecessar now add ered just ad near Exit 10 o pically n e didn’t k ty h o t r e g e case, in d ic g u v r b a se t type of mornin a . y k th r c r a o u fo h e n s Ja “We ed on th an early Tate arriv the e . 5 d 199 ith th ne to fin as e Tate w riff ’s sce e w h Lt. Blain h S ic ty h Evidence #1: n w n Cou body, to e g n in e ed c h s s th e lo Wa c th y n ll partia as first o a Hagy’s body wa oes and Office w of Brend s pary d o ith no sh b w e f th o ti d d e ally run over n n n a fi to ear na, o w ia r d e d In n f u o y e truck Goble du by the Kay Hag would b en run t e a mp b th d a s h ie d her out of, an ed three bo near major high y an 18b d r there e v o d e ia, was a mark on discover r. It was st Virgin e le e he w e r h th head u w o S where it stru d ways in essee an na then he knew ck n n e T t s li the gas tank over Northea rth Caro under he was in stern No il of that e w th th e r ca o b n r . of p d A a th e e his h uary to truck when sh d from Jan e He waste r to wa a r. g s a ti ll pu e s a sh y e c ed v e ou in m t. n na no ti on (Det. Ken Wils Tate, the upeely fresh v on) ti la ing his s e r s in a g w o in h ly r w ffice Hagy o r d n io r u ll fo a , c the job re eiving a and befo after rec d a o r is e d th ing body be about a

BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 5

worked hard and we followed leads.”

Murder Now Related to Others It wasn’t long before this murder was considered to be related to two others in the area involving women being found with no underwear or shoes who had been smothered or strangled, making the investigation that much more crucial. Officers worked tirelessly for weeks, following every tip and lead available until the evidence found in WashONLINE ington County turned all three cases around To view a documentary completely. A thumb on Sean print belonging to North Patrick Goble Carolina resident Sean visit http://bit. Patrick Goble was found ly/2cvTiBE on the plastic bag that had been found covering Hagy’s face. The FBI had been running the print through its system, which at that time was much slower. Finally, a match was found for the print from an arrest made in Arkansas the previous year.

Goble had been arrested Evidence #2: in West Memphis in 1994 for multiple charges, including The plasreckless driving and creating tic bag used a public disturbance with a to smother prostitute. Hagy offered Tate said he rememthe clue that bers getting called in from turned the coaching a Little League cases around: event to write one of the The thumbprint warrants that ultimately was later led to the apprehension of identified as be Goble. to Sean Patric longing k Goble. Goble, a long-haul truck driver, lived in Asheboro, North Carolina, at the time of his arrest. He was apprehended afthe evidence, admitted he had picked ter returning to work from a run where her up out of a gesture of kindness he arrived late. Officers were waiting before going to sleep in his cab. She on him when he got there. woke him up wanting sex, and he had Retired Detective Ken Wilson, then acted in self defense. Goble said he chief detective of the Washington had only placed the plastic bag over County Sheriff’s Office, remembers her head after noticing her nose had being there when Goble was apprebeen bleeding from the altercation, hended, saying he came in quietly and not wanting to make a mess of his offered no resistance as if he felt there truck. He stated this had happened in was no problem. Tennessee. Goble initially denied any interacWilson said that Goble didn’t seem tion with Hagy, but after being told of to understand the severity of what he’d

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6 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE

he was quite a character.he just couldn’t grasp the idea that these women were worth all of the trouble.” Det. Kenneth Wilson (Ret.) washington county, Va. Sheriff’s Ofﬁce

done, adding that Goble told officers he “just wanted to put it behind him and get back on the road.” Goble later confessed to the murder of two other women; Alice Rebecca Hanes, of Ohio, who he said he killed in Tennessee, and Sherry Tew Mansur of Florida, who he killed in North Carolina. Hanes was found in Kingsport, Tennessee, and Mansur was found along Interstate 40.

cases,” said Tate, adding that multiple cases with similar details to the three Goble cond fessed to have cONTRIBuTE been left open n victims. Upo kens’ of his found multiple o across multiple ‘t t ec ll co Goble like to house and truck police states. unidentiﬁed arching his to his victims and other se g According to gin items belon Wilson, more than s. n so er p 50 cases came in Shoes and Underwear matching Goble’s Upon searching his house and truck, modus operandi ogy in play, things would have happolice officers found a collection of in the days after his arrest, only three pened faster and it could have changed women’s shoes and multiple pairs of were addressed in court. the outcome of the case and the court’s underwear in both locations, indicatGoble was found guilty of the crimes verdict. ing the possibility that Goble may have he confessed to and was given two life “Records have come a long way. been involved in more murders. sentences for the murders in Tennessee They’re a lot better,” Tate said, addWilson added that when Goble spoke and 14 years for the murder in North ing that he feels the fingerprints alone of the women he seemed to think of Carolina. would have led to Goble’s arrest much them as dogs and had no remorse, sugCurrently, there are no open cases sooner with today’s advancement in gesting it may have had something to against Goble. There are a number of technology. do with the fact that he grew up with a cases in multiple states that remain Currently Goble is serving his time mother who was a prostitute. unsolved, including more in Tennessee at the Northeast Correctional Complex “He was quite a character,” Wilson and some in Ohio that are very similar in Mountain City, Tennessee, and has said, speaking of Goble’s reaction to the to Goble’s. around 100 years of the sentence to police involvement in the cases. “He Lt. Tate said, if the case had been go before even becoming eligible for just couldn’t grasp the idea that these brought to light with parole. women were worth all of the trouble.” the current technol“I think he’s been involved in more

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cONTRIBuTEd

old Exit 10 t off Interstate 81 on , one of gy In January 1995, jus Ha y Ka da body of Bren d to killing, (Now Exit 22), the se es nf co ble Go Patrick three women Sean was found.

: Curren tly Go ble is ser v time a ing his t the Northe ast Co rrectio n plex i al Comn Moun tain C ity, Tennes s has ar ee, and o the se und 100 year ntence s of fore e ven be to go bec gible for pa oming elirole. BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 7

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after guards o w t y b d . escorte 13, 1984 enter) is mont, on June c ( r. J , uggle , Ver Lem D. T re in Woodford u t p a his c RIchMO

yth Lem Tuggle, executed in 19n96tofoDriea’ Sm o tto ta or ‘B e or w r, de ur m y nt Cou a total of 17 people and were largest death row prison housed in cell pod C of the escape in the history of the eight year-old, $20 million United States. he citizens of Meckfacility that had only one Lem Tuggle, a convicted lenburg County, Virway in and was thought killer from Smyth County, ginia, and surroundhave only one way out Virginia, was one of the men to ing counties were terrified — death. who came up with the sofor days after six murderers Tuggle, who had a “Born ture cap to phisticated plan escaped the Mecklenburg to Die” tattoo on his arm, 13 prison guards, take their Correctional Center in the murdering uniforms and was convicted of spring of 1984 in what is ens, 52, of Hav eva trick their way Jessie Gen touted to be the inia, in Virg nty, Smyth Cou out of the s after he nth mo r 1983 — fou maximum 20-year a from was paroled security 1 mur197 the prison that sentence for . girl d r-ol yea der of a 17was built apees phisc Der s n, nto e Cla l Killers Ear to hold the The y a so e h d d T Lloy e lie Wil t and ick Peterson worst of craf ed plan. nof t par a u t also e the worst. Turner, wer tica several uards g k n the “Mecklenburg Six” but o o o The t is d r e p p p d s i brothers James and Lindsix had arme ge, str iform n u a r t wood Briley, were considbeen hos thei ght out f o y t i m i ered to be the most dangerconthe ked r um secur nl a w o ous. It is estimated that their victed and maxim Correcti e h t Richmond, Virginia gang of of burg n e the l k killing had killed somewhere in Mec ter. BY TAMMY CHILDRESS

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Nothing is EscapeProof

vicinity of 20 people. Convicted contract killer Dennis Stockton, kept a diary that outlined the elaborate scheme, which was later used for the writing of the book, “Dead Run,” by Joe Jackson and William F. Burke, Jr. and printed in a Norfolk, Virginia newspaper, the Virginian Pilot.

The Escape Unfolds On the evening of May 31, 1984, five guards watched over the inmates of pod C during their daily outside exercise, according to James Lechner, the director of the investigative division of the State Police, who was brought in to lead the investigation after the escape. Lechner said the guards had gotten into the habit of being lax in their duties. “Two men, Willie Turner and another inmate, said they wanted to go back inside early because one of them had a knee injury and the other said he wanted to use the restroom,” Lechner said in a special documentary titled, ‘Escape from Death Row.’ “It was a mistake to let those two inmates go back separately from the others. If one went back then they all

were supposed to go back — taking the two back early took two of the officers off the recreation yard and back to the cell area — which left the ratio of inmates three to one.”

What Happened Next?

Factoi

The Me c burg P klenrison Break is sti l consid l widely e larges red the t brea k of dea th row out mates in U.S in. history. T closed he Center wa s former in 2012 by V i r gin Bob Mc Donnel ia Gov. l.

An article written by Richmond Times Dispatch reporter Bill McKelway best describes the next series of events: About 8 p.m., the bulk of the prisoners left the yard and waited in a bunch to enter death row’s C pod. Lagging behind, inmate Earl Clanton Jr. darted into the bathroom adjoining the control booth. The door was unlocked, and no one saw him. The others quickly dispersed into the pod; guards failing to count them or notice that Clanton was missing. A nurse arrived to administer medicines, only to find the bathroom, where she drew water for the pills, locked. James Briley concocted an explanation off the top of his head, according to Stockton. Earlier in the day, someone had said the bathroom was out of order, Briley told the guards. They believed him, and the nurse went elsewhere. At about 9 p.m., James Briley asked the guard in the control booth for a book from the adjoining day room. The guard opened the door to the booth, Briley yelled to Clanton, and Clanton burst from the bathroom into the booth, subdued the guard and used the control panel to open all the cells.

Within Minutes It took all of three minutes for the inmates to take control of pod C. “The unarmed guards were taken hostage and stripped of their uniforms, nightsticks, watches, rings and money. Then hogtied and shackled,” according to Lechner. The inmates donned the guard’s uniforms and captured a lieutenant whom they held at knifepoint and forced to call for a van. When the van arrived at the sally port inside the prison’s main vehicular entrance the six men wearing riot gear, including gas masks, helmets and shields, which they found in a closet, emerged from the prison carrying what appeared to be a smoking bomb. A sally port is a secure, controlled entryway to a fortification or prison. The entrance is usually protected by a fixed wall on the outside, parallel to the door — which must be circumvented to enter. The bomb was a television set under a blanket that one of the inmates was spraying with a fire extinguisher, to “cool the bomb off.” “The inmates, their identities obscured in the darkness and beneath helmets, hustled toward the van across the prison yard. They loaded the bomb into the van and told a guard to open both gate doors at once,” McKelway’s article said. “She briefly objected, saying it was a blatant violation of policy. But she relented, opened both gates, and the van passed into the pitch black countryside. The two Briley brothers, Clanton, Peterson, Tuggle and Richmonder Willie Leroy Jones were free.” BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 9

The correctional ofﬁcers assumed that nothing was going to happen. Everything was ﬁne. That they had a secure operation. That they simply didn’t have to follow these rules.” James Lettner Lead Investigator

people didn’t sleep for a by two rural officers and taken into few nights.” custody.” cONTRIBuTEd He added that there The next day a call came in to the rson, Willie te Pe k was also a massive Vermont State Police from Willie Jones, ric De th wi t) along Lem Tuggle (top lef d Linwood an s me response from law enwho said he had escaped from MeckJa d an n, to an Leroy Jones, Earl Cl od-style escape at Virginia’s forcement. lenberg, Virginia, and wanted to turn wo lly Ho Briley made a al Center. ion “There were aircraft, himself in. According to a police rect rre Co rg bu Mecklen dogs and corrections of- port, Jones, who was ficers,” Pence said. “The five miles from the Canada border, was It was the first time in American his- search area expanded for hundreds of miles up the East Coast, road blocks tired, hungry, disoritory that death row inmates had ever were set up and every driver was ques- ented and ready to escaped. tioned. We had the largest breakout of return to prison. ONLINE death row inmates in U.S. history and The Briley brothTo view a State of Alert we needed to apprehend them very ers were spotted in a documentary Lechner arrived on the scene after quickly.” body shop in North on the escape the inmates had been on the run for 30 visit: http://bit. Several hours into the search, poPhiladelphia, Pennminutes and the prison went on lock ly/2bIrKcn lice still did not have clue where the sylvania, 19 days down. inmates might be. They then received after the escape and Then governor of the Commonword that a truck in the area had been agents moved in and arrested the two. wealth, Charles Spittal Robb, issued a stolen. One of the officers was overheard state of alert to the Army and Interna“A man reported his truck stolen,” saying “it was like the weight of the tional Guard because he was conPence said. “A 5-year-old Ford Ranger world had been lifted.” cerned for the safety of the citizens. that was just serviced and full of gas Eventually all six of the men were Lechner said he was sure the escap— at that point the search became a put to death. § ees would be caught because a fullnational effort. scale manhunt was ordered. “Road blocks and barricades were set up, helicopters with heat sensors were Captured Tuggle was used,” he said. “Time was of the essence. I was confident that they would captured June 8 in Lem Tu ggle w Woodford, Verbe captured — but it did occur to me as k illed mont. Tuggle and that it would be a miracle if we capb y l e thal i Jones had spent tured them without some great harm nj t ion on ecthe night in the coming to some innocent citizen.” Dec.1 1996. woods on their Two of the escapees, Peterson and He was 2, report way to Canada, acClanton, were captured across the e cording to Pence. North Carolina border 19 hours after have t d to o “Lem Tuggle the escape. ers “M ld on-looke rry Ch robbed a store of Their arrest and the fact that the ristma s.” $81 and walked stolen van was found 30 miles from Eventu a out,” he said. Mecklenburg in the Marion Boyd the me lly all six n were Elementary School playground left the “The clerk got o death. put to f the tag number townspeople terrified. “People were extremely scared,” said of the truck he was driving and Robert Pence, special agent in charge called police. of the Charlotte FBI office. “They He was stopped began to arm themselves — a lot of

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SmoothTalking Killer

A pr i Cole son gua r m of th an as h d helps e G reen e prepa convicte 1992 svill . e Co res for a d murde n rrec tiona intervi rer Roge AP PhOT O r Kei l Cen ew at th d ter i n Jar eath ro w ratt, Va., in

In spite of pr Roger Keith ior offenses and DNA Coleman ma intained inenvoidence, cence

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It hadn’t be wo victim Coleman en long since s were had slit seeming murder h s o s e ve r ly forgott in G ely he ne er neck en while fo y ears,” sh rundy in many a rly deca r years th tated he e said. “S world pa pi- bru r. e o the id attenti tality of McCoy h on to a man wh it shook ad just ta o claime to up the w n .” his wife lked to d his inn cence up a couple oto the la S ti ll h o fore whe knew Co st minute before h n he call urs beleman w is execu she was ed to ch hen on her w tion. a teenag Roger Ke e c k h il er. She r e m h e e it m w h b a C ew ers s s still at oleman, o rk . Grundy, of to him fo elling candy bar Virginia , was exs r dra ecuted o n May 2 “I was alw ma club. 0, 1992, the rape a ys aware Former for he was q and mur that uite the der of his sister-in RemembReporter conman -law Wa in a w e a r , y s nda ,” s It was a vicious m McCoy. an inten he said. “He had Gr u n d y sity abo is urder th shook h hometow the a is small I think th ut him and hometow t n of to its co at tende n former B re. d to ristol Wanda’s H make e r ald Couhusband McCoy, , Brad rier repo came ho Wan rte me from w o rk o n d Kathy Sti r the nigh m ll an’ a Mc to who 10, 1981 reported to find h f March wou s s Coy, on is wife dead. Jo i l Coleman hn C. Tu s ome d ha ster- Cole ’s cker’s bo “May Go ok case as it d Have M tha one ve n in- we n t e True Sto l t e through ry of Crim rcy: A k now she into ver aw, the e and Punishm appeal p was . T did her let en ro h Coy foun t” says that Mce hom n cess. for d o s re n’t e the floor her sprawled on c i e so d e gn “There nearly n a of ked, in a growin nt hav she had not g pool o mus ry f blood. e h kno been a er t w

BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 11

That’s [after the 2006 dNA test] when I realized he was in fact guilty. It was just like throwing a cold, cold pan of water in my face.” James C. McCloskey coleman supporter and executive director of centurion Ministries, Inc.

cONTRIBuTEd

ad’s high d Brad McCoy at Br an on ps om Th ye Fa Wanda school prom.

people believe him, people who didn’t know him. He drew a crowd of people who honestly thought that the man was innocent and that was always troubling because I had to be fair to him, I had to be fair to Wanda, I had to be fair to Grundy.” Still also knew McCoy — they were in the same grade at Grundy Senior High School. She remembers hearing about the murder when she was attending college at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. “She was very shy but always smiling, never caused any trouble; just real pleasant to be around,” Still said. But she would have never let someone in her home that she didn’t know, she added. And since there was no sign of forced entry that led investigators to

believe she must have known her killer. Her husband was a suspect but he was quickly ruled out and Coleman became the suspect in the case because of his past criminal history.

Prior Offences

At 13, Coleman was convicted in juvenile court for making obscene, sexual phone calls to girls he went to school with, according to the A&E documentary “Deceiving Innocence: The Roger Coleman Story.” He insisted that voices made him do it. When he was 18, he was convicted of attempted rape of a local teacher in July 1977, which he served 20 months in prison for, according to Tucker’s book. In the winter of 1981, he was accused of exposing himself and masturbating in front of a librarian and another woman at the Buchanan County Library. He was indicted ,but never brought to trial because less than two months later he was arrested for the rape and murder of McCoy. After a four-day trial, Coleid: o man was found guilty in t c a F March 1982 and sentenced up nded to death in April. He had e n a 2 Colem y 199 agalways professed his innoa M e on th of Time m cence and after his convicg cover proclaimin tion he began a years-long n azine nocence. I campaign for his freedom, n his i ormer Gov. sted which quickly gained e f equ 2006 onner r national attention and c r a e W b Mark test A eventually international u N l D c n o a new ich c ed he h attention with the pope w d in ducte eterm . even asking that he not d y l r sive kille be executed. He ended e h t was up on the cover of Time magazine in May 1992.

12 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE

Forgotten Victims Still believes McCoy and Grundy, Virginia, are the two victims of Coleman’s crime that were forgotten after the case gained so much attention. “She’s the forgotten victim in all this,” Still said. “People rarely remember the name Wanda McCoy and she is the victim and her life was taken away. ... I just wish that when they bring up Roger Coleman that she would be the first one remembered and unfortunately she’s always going to be remembered for what happened to her.” The town of Grundy was also victimized because of the negative light that was cast on it from people’s perception of residents believing that Coleman was guilty. “The whole town got portrayed as closed-minded people who had made their mind up and were railroading an innocent man,” Still said. “Most people that lived in Grundy knew that wasn’t the case but they didn’t have any way to combat that.” Still believed all along that Coleman was guilty and she was a witness to his execution so it was a relief to her when DNA evidence in 2006 proved him guilty. “I felt vindication for the town,” she said. “I thought about Wanda, I thought about her family. I was relieved because I think I would’ve had a hard time dealing with the fact that I witnessed an innocent man die. It was difficult enough but it did feel much better and there was relief in knowing that the DNA showed what the people of Grundy knew for years.” The DNA test was done at the request of then-Gov. Mark Warner in January of 2006. A preserved sample of Coleman’s blood and semen found at the crime scene were tested by a Canadian lab, according to the documentary.

DNA Test Reveals … The test came after years of people fighting on behalf of Coleman to prove his innocence, including Centurion Ministries — an organization that works to free the wrongly convicted. Its website boasts that the organization has helped free 54 people who were serving life or death sentences for crimes they didn’t commit. Founder Jim McCloskey spent 18 years, including time after Coleman’s execution, working to clear Coleman’s name. “This means that Roger Coleman is the killer of Wanda McCoy,” said McCloskey, in a Jan. 13, 2006 Bristol Herald Courier article written after the release of the DNA test results. “We now know that Roger Coleman’s proclamations of innocence, even before he was strapped in the electric chair and moments before his death, were false.” The truth, he added, shouldn’t be feared. “We who seek the truth must live or die by the sword of DNA,” McCloskey said. McCloskey receiving the phone call with the DNA test results is included in the “Deceiving Innocence” documentary. The call came in at 11:45 a.m. on Jan. 12, 2006. McCloskey eagerly, but anxiously answered the phone.

d IBuTE

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over the phone. “He is the source for the coincidental conclusion. ... One in 19 million.” That meant, according to the Bristol Herald Courier article, that “a person unrelated to him would share the same DNA profile at 1 in 19 million — more than the populations of Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky combined” at the time. “That’s when I realized he was, in fact, guilty,” McCloskey said in an inter‘One in 19 Million’ view for the “He cannot be excluded,” Mcdocumentary. Closkey confirmed “It was just cONTRIBuTEd like throwRoger Keith Coleman on the cover of Time Magazine. ing a cold, cold pan of water in a lovely and loving woman who was my face.” 2 9 brutally murdered in her own home. 9 1 20, y He added that he re- A woman whose husband, Brad Mca M n O Keith alized he was wrong. Coy, is happily remarried with two Roger put s a w “I was dealing with young children, but who still cannot n a m e Col the a sociopath and th in erase from his mind the sight of his a e d o r t i a h didn’t know it,” Mc- wife lying motionless on a bedroom c c i r elect le Closkey said. floor, surrounded by a growing pool of ensvil at Gre ional He declined blood. A woman whose parents have s i H t comment about Correc in Jarrett. n 15 other children, but still think of her A the case when reCenter rds were: “ every day; whose brothers and sisters o cently contacted. still mourn her and find it difficult to last w t man is go ton Tucker’s book talk about what happened; and whose innoce be murdered sums up what o t youngest sister and best friend, Patrig in the case really ” . cia, was married to the man who was t h nig boils down to. convicted of killing her, and cannot “It is about bear to talk about it at all.” §

ipt:

r Postsc

BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 13

Trigg A knife? A high-h An iron?

cONTRIB u

TEd

ent and n argum a d r a e h Maxwell bor nd Trigg men’s fi o to w f d o e s arriv on the ocate ith nscious o d Still, adv c E n d u e g n n minlyin hampio ENNIS r or. Fiftee e o H fl r. causes c n BY JOE T e ty r h kitc s dead. a ma ut Trigg wa xwell as o a r, b a te M la te s a teb atch ute aron Ha stirred d jury of your 2, a disp 2 e s ly a c Ju r e n v uthor Sh e O a ont page tried by odunit n on the fr p n e u h d w e e w field’s wh hom. Nor being o Courier tim sh sw tol Herald other, rs — at a ot allowed to e is e r p B e d quite say le th M of were n eally kil adline, “ women n what r h the he . it f Murs w o ie r d e ju is it know ell — an iron, s Accu ve on r r e te s w h x g a u M a D er reigh Trigg newspap d at his rhaps a h e e p h r T o ” , r. e de ie a knif axwell d nusual’ hoe. U rted: “M at two o’clock . s o y r p lk e , fo ‘V it , heeled s ir n home ot fictio a free sp this This is n life, front-page nown as ith K ld a E e r ld a o is This 21-year 2, 1935. d m July 2 rink- Maxwell returne d d r story fro a h a Factoid: f o t h le nig of It’s the ta h, Trigg Maxte on the 35, la it sm 2, 19 In 1937, ing black e final confronta July 21-2 y’s th g il d in n m h Wa a c rner , fa l-tea well to her d, is schoo n h u h o P it Br w ot in hers tion home r, Edith. d . Theirs re n le ia a as in ed a id g daughte a ir s V was all urthinly dist fo o g When it a s ll a e w w ith Max ellguised movdone, Ed — and room dw — twice p u e d r d ie e in e h k based on loc y beh ing, w a celebrit onthe case, became Edith’s c and called bars. ervative he Lone s T “ e m a g g c e in in r b y e e “M ta e s h ountain S for omin e Girl” — r father, d er set the in P e Ju st m ice.” so g he fath for killin as . ,” s out late, ly le e u v r lo eing “ s and for b f the Hearst Pres A neigho s r e b m e m . reported

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king pho to.

Maxwe

Edith Ma xwell’s b oo

Edith

h t a e D by High? l e e H Maxwell was killedebeylewdhsahto?e?

There was a lot of mystery about which instrument was used. Nothing was deﬁnitely shown what was used. [and] It was always really unclear what the mother’s role had been.” Sharon Hatﬁeld Author of “Never Seen the Moon: The Trials of Edith Maxwell”

ing The Washington Post, Time and detective magazines — soon picked up the story, and many turned out to be largely sympathetic to Edith Maxwell. It was unusual at that time for a female to be accused of a violent crime. Also unusual: the fact that Edith was a schoolteacher. d PhOTO

cONTRIBuTE

d bars, xwell, behin ’s book a M h it d E f ld A photo o aron Hatﬁe cover of Sh The Trials of Edith e th s e c ra g : n the Moon “Never See Maxwell.”

morning after allegedly being beaten with an electric iron. His head bore deep wounds. Sheriff J.P. Adams of Wise (County) said neighbors told him they heard an argument at the Maxwell home and heard Miss Maxwell cursing her father prior to the tragedy.” Local law officers viewed the case as just another homicide, according to Hatfield, the author of 2005’s “Never Seen the Moon: The Trials of Edith Maxwell.” After all, as Hatfield put it, “There was a history of physical altercations in the home.” Still, various publications — includ-

‘Weird Land’

Off and on, and for years, Edith Maxwell stayed in the news through the course of two trials in Wise. In 1937, Warner Brothers released a thinly disguised movie based on the case, called “Mountain Justice.” Outside journalists, meanwhile, converged on the coalfields, arriving to experience what Hatfield termed the “very exotic and mysterious” Appalachian Mountains. Writers spun webs with words. One even said Edith had seemingly “never seen the moon,” because her strict father would not let her out at night, according to Hatfield, while others looked for the stereotypes that were depicted decades earlier in John Fox Jr.’s 1908 novel “The Trail of the Lonesome Pine.”

Writing for New York’s The Daily Mirror, Hearst tabloid writer Arthur Mefford described life in the 1930s along the Kentucky-Virginia border as a place where “slatternly women and gangling men” rose each day to “take up the dull business of living.” Mefford also described Wise County as “a weird land of howling hound dogs, screeching bobcats and moonshine whiskey, where more than 12 percent of the white population are illiterate.” Hatfield read stuff like that, during the 12 years she researched her book, and simply got sick, she said during a 2005 interview, soon after the release of her book. “When I saw how it had been misrepresented, it made me angry,” said Hatfield, who grew up in neighboring Lee County, Virginia. “It made me want to do a little something to change that.” From 1977 to 1983, Hatfield worked as a newspaper reporter for The Coalfield Progress at Norton, Virginia. She once covered trials in the Wise County Courthouse. But during her time in Wise County, she never heard a thing about Edith Maxwell. Hatfield actually stumbled upon the Maxwell story. Then she became so engrossed with the story that she studied it for a dozen years as she

BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 15

wrote about it for her own richly detailed, 296-page book on the subject. All along, Hatfield wondered what object actually killed Trigg Maxwell: “There was a lot of mystery about which instrument was used. Nothing was definitely shown what was used.”

And who did it? Well, Edith was twice convicted of the killing. But her mother, Ann, was simply set free, Hatfield said. “It was always really unclear what the mother’s role had been.” Hatfield has not been the only one who has taken an interest to write about Edith Maxwell. She was also the subject of a book by Sharyn McCrumb, the bestselling novelist, who used the story as a frame for 2010’s “The Devil Amongst the Lawyers” (Thomas Dunne Books). The big-city writers needed a scoop, so they placed all of the past into the present while filing stories about Edith Maxwell, who became known as “The Lonesome Pine Girl,” McCrumb said. And, of course, to read the words of big-city reporters, those hillbillies didn’t know any better, and they probably just loved the way they lived, McCrumb added. McCrumb’s novel uses real places. But as for her characters, McCrumb changed the names of just about everybody involved. The real-life Edith Maxwell did the same. Following her conviction in a second trial, Edith served four years of a 20-year prison term before she was pardoned by Gov. James Price in December 1941 — thanks, in part, to the efforts of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who became interested in the case. Upon her release, Edith changed her name to Ann Grayson and eventually made a new life for herself in Jacksonville after marrying Otto Abshier, the owner of an Indianapolis trucking company. §

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scr Fol ipt low i con : vic ng her tio sec n o Edi nd tri in a t fou h serv al, r y ed e 20yea ars of r p ter a r m b efo ison was r Jam pardon e she es Pri ed by ce. Gov . Max wel l d in ied 197 9. She in Ind ia was 65. na

ONLINE To view the 1937 trailer for “Mountain Justice” visit: http://www. tcm.com/watchtcm/movie/1367

14438 Lee Hwy • Bristol, VA 24202 276-644-1530 www.Boulderlook.com

id:

Facto

l’s axwel M h t es Edi becom story of two focus : Sha books tfield’s a the ron H Seen r e v i“Ne he Tr T : n Moo th n Mcf Edi als o l” & Shary l i l Maxwe s “The Dev rs.” e ’ y b w m a u L Cr t the s g n o Am

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The Natural Approach

cOuRTESy MuSEuM OF ThE MIddLE APPAL

NIS

p.m. on Ch ristmas Eve and thin almertown c aused the w g in its path drowned orst of nigh ,” the newsin a river of tm a re paper repo s. muck on rt e d . “T hose what loo “Many hou caught by th ses near th e swiftly m white Christ ked like a e plant were ovmas. in g waters ha washed aw d no warnin The year w ay in the delu a g as 1924. nd were pic ge and man ked up and Surviving p y had narrow c hotographs a rried down escapes fro appear to sh stream in m death,” the their home ow remnan s. ts ” of a blizzard Bristol Hera smothering It all happe ld Saltville, Vir ned sudden Courier’s fr ginia’s, long ly. o n t gone Palme page report rtown com ed munity. Bu on Christm t that white Fac a s stuff was ac Pal Day in 1924 toi tually a sea m . e of chemical w onc rto d: “What was aste, unlea shed of e a s wn, by a broken described dam opera ted was Saltv urbur by the Math as a ‘wall ieson Alkali i b r Works, a ch ect in th lle, of water’ emical plan e c p t once locate he at di descended d in Saltville wal mical h of . The snow-c on those o cea l of -fill the — compose lored mess dwellings d of pulverfat sed t muck ed ized limest situated one or carb in eful o exi and onated lime — near the Dec C s raced into emb hrist t tha the North Fork river, of the Hols e t r 1 mas ton River some 924 Day sweeping time after 8 . the terrain clear of eve ry-

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Questions remain actually set the Munanswered as to what uck Dam free in 1924 BY JOE TEN

AchIANS

ical waste that was What looks like snow is actually chem ending onto desc e, released when the muck dam brok . ville Salt of rb subu Palmertown, once a

Muck Da m D i s a s te

Drowned in a River of Muck

“The mountain of muck rolled down from 200 feet above the peaceful little valley where there were located seven or eight frame dwellings,” the Herald Courier reported on Dec. 27, 1924. “These homes were shattered and cast into the Holston River. Their occupants, without a moment’s warning, found themselves fighting for life in the white flood. A few of them escaped but most of them perished where the muck drifted 10 and 15 feet deep. Automobiles, outbuildings, livestock, every sign of habitation was obliterated.” When news of the tragedy reached Richmond, Virginia, Gov. E. Lee Trinkle issued a Western Union telegram on Dec. 26, 1924 to E.A. Hults, manager of the Mathieson Alkali Works: “Accept my deepest regrets at the sad catastrophe at your plant. Please convey to the stricken families my sincere sympathy in their hour of sorrow.” To this day, nobody seems to know what caused the dam to break. “This has been a question asked a thousand times and probably one that will never be satisfactorily answered,” wrote Carl V. Eskridge in “The Great Saltville Disaster,” a booklet published in 1925 by Bristol’s King Printing Co. Guesses have pointed to pressures on the dam from recent rains. Eskridge suggested a slight earthquake might have triggered the blow. Others suspected sabotage. In 1925, in fact, a 27-year-old man was jailed in Marion on charges that he blew up the dam with dynamite. Yet, soon after, a grand jury chose not to indict him. “The dam was of muck itself — hardened by time. It

was considered too hard to cause anything like this,” an unidentified man told the Herald Courier in its Dec. 27, 1924 edition. The muck dam towered 200 feet above the housetops at Palmertown. “For near a generation the wall had been held back the great dam of alkali muck which had been filling higher and higher day by day,” Eskridge wrote. cOuRTESy MuSEuM OF ThE MIddLE APPALAchIANS “Then with demoniacal As morning broke over the community of Palmertown fury at a few minutes past on Christmas Day, homes were cast into the Holston eight o’clock it suddenly River, and occupants found themselves wading through broke and a wave of muck the 10- to 15-foot deep muck. nearly a hundred feet high and over 300 wide swept into the river and over a hill and was three years old at the time. Wilthrough the village.” liam B. Kent, in his 1955 “A History The disaster occurred “at the very of Saltville,” made a note that “it was moment when the valley folks were necessary to tie ropes around the making ready to retire, happy in antici- bodies of the rescuers in order to aspation of Christmas festivities on the sist in getting them and the rescued morrow,” the Herald Courier reported. back to land.” Immediately after the disaster, one Amid the muck, people gathered unidentified woman told the Herald on the long-gone Henrytown bridge Courier that she had heard “distant spanning the river. Some men probed thunder.” the river for bodies. “It became slightly louder and then The muck stuck “even on horses, ceased entirely,” the woman said. “By cows and chickens that were caught in that time, I presume the greater part the swirling mass after it broke away of the muck had slipped over the edge from the dam,” the Herald Courier of the dam and was rolling down the reported on Dec. 27, 1924. valley.” The muck also caused injuries to Just as Christmas Eve became Christmany more. It had burning properties mas Day at midnight, William Arthur that could cause inflamed eyes. Price recalled some neighbors knocking One victim’s body was found a at his family’s door, saying: “Palmertown month after the dam broke. is going down the river, and we In all, 19 people — including infants need to take some ropes.” — perished in the “Muck Dam DisasPrice, a Saltville resident, ter.” §

Factoi

s heorie Many t s to the a exist of the cause nt. accide clude: n They i hquake t 1. Ear Explosion 2. Gas tage o 3. Sab k” Pressure c u res 4. “M Fractu s s e r 5. St

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www.billgattonhonda.com www.billgattonnissan.net

wers ry Po is Ga

Franc

d e t c i Conv R S S by U y p s a as

EARL NEIKIRK/B RISTOL hERALd Photo of Franci cOuRIER s Gary Powers after he was captured in Ru ssia after being shot down in his U-2 plane in 1960.

s i c n a r F s d n i f t h g i l f B r a G K W e d l h t o f C o Routineowers in the hands Gary P

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ing. ced train ing n a v d a g train pletin urished egan U-2 IRBY Spies Flo t time period, Powers b Strip, Nevada, BY ZACH a town During th even Ameriat Water aining tr is s r H e . 6 95 n and ary Pow rife in May 1 d by August and Europea , 7 rancis G 1 ns were . o g ti u e A r h tu e n is ti s o n th fi a g was can in was born ins, Kencond We collectin it, the Se py cells, nk to s n n Je d u h o e it y is in n h w 9 lo o 2 is p ti 19 dh ma s de ble infor miner an dron wa f the a l a o a u lu s o q a s c S v e a n pared owe P r tucky, to p a y . Id r y a e d A N TO old Turk milit ver an t of the C ally tates and r S tu ta wife, Oli d s n e e e v it e n th U At family allies. t Union line ers. The the Sovie spy the state r, s a s o W r c d a n n a U2 moved irginia a shot dow a lone thwest V u ll o a S m to s h in the Factoid: plane wit ilot in home in f Pound, a d n u p fo n o a n ic r w e Am ing to The Cold War coal min e secret 1960. Th s to . s ip h s d sp a r lit the tempoVirginia w of the ha mission ill Because small coal-minra ry te wartime algather in in a st Virwas li e d an of living w n ce a th against e u c o n in S d ge Nazi Germany, ored ing town rsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; father wante s n o p s co we leaving the So r. al ginia, Po viet e a docto the Centr m y o b c e b n Un ion and the Un illiga ce him to n M e ig m ll o ited te fr s In ng States as two 0, Power nd Graduati 5 a 9 y 1 c su e n pe n e rg A in Ju powers with pr College Force in orce. F ir ir A of A e ou e nd th th in economic and as mmisenlisted political e pilot w h d was co T n a r n e b di fferences. lieute Octo st d e n w o c th e u s o S sa orce in sioned a . S. Air F U Virginiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s e th m o c r e ant in ft er 1952 a De c e m b

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20 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE

Photo courtesy www.coldwar.org

Gary Powers stands beside his U-2 plane.

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Mr. Powers lived up to the terms of his employment and instructions in connection to his mission and in his obligations as an American.” CIA , Lockhead & U.S.A.F. Joint statement

the main security agency Once he returned to the United for the Soviet Union. States, Powers received a cold recepPresident Eisenhower tion and was criticized for having failed TO u.S. AIR FORcE PhO learned of the incident to activate his aircraft’s self-destruct lly with U-2 designer Ke t) gh (ri rs we Po and masked the nature charge and photographic film. ry ter pilot Francis Ga rs was a USAF ﬁgh we Po . 66 s 19 ion in ss n of the fl ight by telling the After being debriefed extensively by mi so John ilian U-2 A in 1956 to ﬂy civ s ot pil e rv se Re NASA press offi ce to isthe CIA, Lockheed and the Air Force, a recruited by the CI AF wers and other US deep into Russia. Po ions to become civilians. sue a statement that the statement was issued stating “Mr. Powiss resigned their comm aircraft was conducting ers lived up to the terms of his employ“weather research” and ment and instructions in connection to the plane may have strayed off course his mission and in his obligations as an into restricted Soviet airspace after American.” To bridge the gap, the United State Powers reported “diffi culties with his intelligence community put its faith in oxygen equipment.” the “Dragon Lady,” the Lockheed U-S Returning to Real Life and the courageous mean that flew Powers later returned to work in the them. Intense Negotiations television industry during the 1970s. Powers was one of the men tasked Tense and long negotiations with On Aug. 1, 1977, Powers was covering with the mission of flying on atmothe Soviets filled the next seven days. brush fires in Santa Barbara County sphere’s edge; altitudes that designers On May 7, 1960, Soviet Premier Nikita in a television news helicopter. The and military experts thought made Khrushchev informed the press that chopper ran out of fuel and crashed these plans invulnerable to Soviet air. an American spy plane had been shot at the Sepuleveda Dam, near Encino, In 1956, the first U-2 flew over the down in Soviet airspace, stating “the California. Soviet Union to Bodo, Norway, at an militarists in the Pentagon seem unThe National Transportation Safety altitude of 80,000 feet. The Soviet air able to call a halt to their way effort” Board report attributed the probable defenses detected the flight, but the and placed recovered parts of the cause of the crash as “pilot error” and U-2 was too high for countermeawreckage on display. “poor fuel management.” Powers was sures. As the high-level negotiations played survived by his wife, two children and From September 1959 through April out, Powers was taken to Moscow, Rusfive sisters. He is buried at Arlington 1960, President Eisenhower suspendsia and held at KGB headquarters. After National Cemetery as an Air Force ed U-2 flights in preparation for the being interrogated, Francis Gary veteran. Paris Summit Conference happening Powers stood trial for espionage. in May 1960. During the proceedings, PowOn May 1, 1960, flights resumed and ers made a “voluntary confesFrancis Gary Powers was scheduled sion,” in which he said he was Declas for a routine flight from Peshawar, “deeply repentant and prosi t ion re fied inform Pakistan, across the Soviet Union. Ac- foundly sorry” for his actions. 1960 s vealed Powe acording to online documents, inforFound guilty of crimes against ecret r was a missio ’s mation was leaked about the flight the Soviet people, Powers rejoint n operat USAF/C to the Soviets and MiGs shadowed ceived a sentence of 10 years ion. IA Powers’ flight from the time it crossed in prison. The Southwest Powers into Soviet airspace to where a SAM-2 Virginia native was considrec eived missile shot it down over Sverdlovsk. ered an employee of the CIA, C IA’s Intell Powers was able to make it out of igence and not a member of the Star i the plane safely, but was unable to n military. 1 965. detonate the self-destruct charge on After serving two years, the place, landing amidst the top-sethe Soviets exchanged cret wreckage of the U-2, ultimately Powers for a captured Sofinding himself in the care of the KGB, viet spy in 1962.

Factoi

22 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE

PhOTOS By EARL NEIKIRK/BRISTOL hERALd cOuRIER

Francis Gary Powers Jr. points out items on display at the ceremony to dedicate the Lonesome Pine Airport Terminal Buillding in his father’s name. Top Inset: Some of the items on display. Bottom Inset: A photo of the outside of the terminal.

Powers’ son, Francis Gary Powers Jr., has worked over the past 20-plus years to keep his dad’s memory alive, but he says he didn’t do it intentionally. “Through classified files and Freedom of Information Act requests, I was able to show that dad did everything he was supposed to do, and served this country with honor,” Powers Jr. said. “Dad was very humble and a true gentleman.” Powers’ Jr. worked to get his dad, Francis Gary Powers, several posthumous awards and medals including the National Defense Service medal and the Silver Star medal for “demonstrating exceptional loyalty” while enduring harsh interrogation during his capture.

Important Honor “My dad was a very humble person with roots in Southwest Virginia,” Powers Jr. said. “Dad was a normal guy who was thrust into history during a grueling time in American history.”

Francis Gary Powers most recent ONLINE honor happened in March 2016, when To check out Francis Gary the Lonesome Pine Airport terminal was Powers and the u2 Incident visit: http://bit.ly/2bIssqg named the Francis Gary Powers Terminal. “It was very important to be there in March to see that Powers happen,” Powers died d uring Jr. told the Bristol a helicopter Herald Courier. c r a sh in 197 “It was a nice way 7. At the la to honor a local s ment h t moresident who grew e notic up in the area. It’s childr en pla ed a way to keep his ying in memory alive and and di the area r a firm way to edulicopt ected the he er els cate future genewhere avoid erations on what landin g on t to my father went hem. through and the history of the Cold War.” §

Postsc

ript:

BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 23

cONTRIBuTEd

Floyd Allen

Claud

e Alle

cONT R

BY JOE TEN

NIS

The judge, Thornton ven after all Lemmon M the citizens these assie, sencommittee years, the c te n of c e C d entennial C A llen to a ye ontroommemora a r in versy conti ja il . ti o n of the Carro nues. It’s been a c ll County To which, A C entury sinc o u rthouse Tra llen, a mide the Carroll gedy in dle-aged to County Co 2012. u g h u rt g u house in So y, so infamously uthwest Vir “In the brie replied, “I a gin- a ia made na f, it doesn’t in’t- matt -goin.” tional head er,” Marsha lines after a shoo ll said. What haptout left fiv “There was e people dea su ch a pened next, d and hund reds h of others p v olatile owever, is n ointing fing ot ers at who’s to bla e Fac ntirely clea me. r. A b The date: M toi At least, it u arch 14, 19 l sti let 12. ma d: Trouble wa y never s expected in ll re hole in Hillsville, V b e known irginia, durof the s mains ing the tria who fired l of Floyd A tor the H teps llen, who had be th e first en charged Cou ic Ca iswith interfe sh ot of the ring with a Hil nty C rroll law officer. Alle m assacre, n faced tro fro lsvil ourth uble after trying sa id Gary to free two 191 m the le, V ouse of his relative 2, i i M arshall, s who had sho March rgina n been charged wit w o ho hd tou 14, , church gath isturbing a t . se rved as ering. the chairm an of

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When the smoke dead at the Hiclllesared, five people lay ville Courthouse

IBuTE d

Hillsvi ll e M a s s acr

Shootout Shrouded in Mystery

There are Allen family partisans who felt justice was not served, either in the original trial of Floyd Allen or in the subsequent trials of Floyd and claude, especially. And there are others, however, who feel there was a conspiracy that’s never been proven that resulted in a wholesale assassination of court ofﬁcers.” Gary Marshall chairman of the citizens committee of centennial commemoration of the carroll county courthouse Tragedy in 2012

IER

RALd cOuR

/BRISTOL hE JOE TENNIS

epicts

seum d County Mu . ll o rr a C e ing at th le, Virginia A woodcarv urthouse at Hillsvil o c e inside th

atmosphere created by both sides and even the spectators. This courtroom was kind of like the coliseum in ancient Rome. The energy of the crowd contributed to the intensity of the atmosphere in the courtroom.” What is known is that five people lay dead when the smoke cleared. That included the judge, the county sheriff and the commonwealth’s attorney. And Hillsville, lying about 100 miles northeast of Bristol, would be forever shrouded with the story of the shootout. That courthouse, built in 1872, is no longer used as a place to dispatch law; a new courthouse stands nearby. The

d: actoi

ONLINE

ng the shooti

To see a short video on the shooting visit: http://bit.ly/2cmqnjb

offices of the old building now house “There has been, as a result, parthe Carroll County Historical Society. tisan allegiance — a cultivated bias, The drama, in turn, did not stop in this narrative, in this history. And, after the shooting. Both Floyd Allen consequently, there is a lot of resident and his son, Claude, went on trial. tension that remains,” Marshall said. Claude Allen, too, faced juries com“There are Allen family partisans who posed of citizens from Washington felt justice was not served, either in County, Virginia, as his trial had to be the original trial of Floyd Allen or in moved out of Carroll County, since so the subsequent trials of Floyd and many people were related to people Claude, especially. And there are othinvolved. ers, however, who feel there was a Ultimately, both Floyd and Claude conspiracy that’s never been proven Allen were executed for their roles in that resulted in a wholesale assassinathe courthouse shooting. tion of court officers.” § And, to this day, debates continue over the circumstances of it all, with Bot some suggesth w ere of the ing the Allen ev A vic trial was part ted entual llens to ly and of a political d co sen len eath. conspiracy ten nF d ced l ie o ele against the ctr d in t yd Alic Allens. the he

of trial t s r i The f en re e All d u ung a l C n a h eci d e e s sult In th llen was . y r u A j rial, f first t d n o o me cted r. So le convi d r u A e m degre t that the t of r s a e sugg was p piracy rial len t tical cons s. n i a pol t the Alle s n agai

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BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 25

Public hanging o brings small towf popular circus elephant n into national sp otlight BY ROBERT

cONTRIBuTEd

from a derrick after Mary the elephant is shown hanging killing a handler. being put to death for stomping and

Murder o u s M a ry

A Dark Day in Erwin, Tennessee SORRELL

a job as a ho tel clerk in S t. Paul, Virgin ary, a five-to Stevens, wh ia. When th n o has studie e circus came d the Asian eleph h istory of Ma through St. ant ry, recalled P aul, Eldrid officials hire who perform that ge was kille d him as an ed for the Spark d by the elassistant elep s World Fam e p hant in Kin hant trainer. ous is Shows trave gsport, whe He believed to re ling circus, the circus h h a v a e d struggled as b stopped for e e n in his 20s or 30 she was hois sh a o w. s, and he ha ted fa above the C d no mily in Sou linchfield R “T he interestin thailroad in Erw g thing west Virginia in, Tenness about Mary . e e, ’s story is ho during a pu w By 1916, the blic executi on. it’s inspired One hundre circus had so d years ago, Charles H. S expanded to parks, the ci Fac rcus 1 owner, had The 5 rail cars decided to h toi a ng an Mary in a p fie Clin d five ublic place, d: not too far from tra ld Ra chelephants, where crow ds had seen he Mar nspor ilroa according to r viciously k d il l a handler. He spo y fro ted the late hiswas a bit re r m lu t ctant, but du for Ki t torian Hilda e to respon the o Erw ngse from local re t i P adg o i sidents afte r the w ett, Erw n. Th execu n handler’s de ho wrote ath, Sparks i e derai n be y ch cided it was about best to execu Sul n led cause ose te the 21-yearMary. old elephan liv t. an them heavy On Sept. 11 Former , 1916, a ho Cou t bo named Red nty o lea Erwin Eldridge lan . ve ded R ecord publi sher Mark

BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 27

The interesting thing about Mary’s story is how it’s inspired so much artistry. It’s been told in a book, in poems, in songs, a screenplay by the father of actors John and Joan cusack and in at least four stage productions. The retellings are often about modern themes but they almost always touch on injustice, as Mary’s death was so wrong,” Mark Stevens Former publisher at the Erwin Record and the author of several books about Erwin, including “The clinchﬁeld No. 1: Tennessee’s Legendary Steam Engine”

much artistry. It’s been told in a book, in poems, in songs, a screenplay by the father of actors John and Joan Cusack and in at least four stage productions, one in Australia about seven years ago. The retellings are often about modern themes but they almost always touch on injustice, as Mary’s death was so wrong,” said Mark A. Stevens, former publisher of The Erwin Record. There have been many accounts of what actually happened. In one story, a witness said Eldridge had prodded Mary with a bull hook after she reached down to eat a watermelon rind. She went into a rage, snatched Eldridge with her trunk and threw him against a drink stand, the story says. Mary is said to then have stepped on the man’s head, crushing it. Mystery also surrounds what happened immediately after Eldridge’s death. There were reports that spectators were frightened by what they had seen and began chanting “Kill the elephant!” A local blacksmith, Henry Cox, tried to kill Mary, firing rounds into the large elephant. But the

id:

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rounds had little effect, Stevens said. Leaders in several other towns threatened not to allow the circus to visit if Mary was a part of festivities. Sparks then decided to kill the elephant in public, an ordeal that has thrust Erwin into the international spotlight as the town that hung an A Sparks cir c elephant. cO living, land us poster featuring ‘“ Mary,” the la NTRIBuTEd animal on e On Sept. 13, 1916, arth. rgest, Mary was transported by the Clinchfield Railroad to Erwin, where a large crowd, including women and children, gathchain and Mary falling and breaking a ered at the railroad yard. They chose hip. Mary, who was severely wounded, Erwin because heavy rain led them to died during the second attempt. She leave Sullivan County. The elephant was hanged by the neck from a railroad was buried beside the tracks, although the precise location is unknown. derrick late in the afternoon, Stevens There’s only one known photograph recalled. of the hanging, but it has likely been It was a dreary, overcast and foggy altered over the years, Stevens said. The September day, historians large elephant can be seen hanging by said. Officials decided to its neck with a chain from a railroad hang her after 4 p.m. derrick. Her foot was chained to the The first attempt failed, track. resulting in a snapped

St. ge, a otel d i r d l Red E Virginia h us had c , l u s cir Pa Spark dle Mary, k r e n cl 6, to ha , 191 hired n Sept. 11 pled by o ram died was t en the e h t, after ephant wh gspor n l i e K e in th ircus s was circu see. The c of five s Tenne ed a total d inclu nts. a eleph

28 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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The incident has gone down in history as one of Erwin’s darkest days. After all, there’s only one other known incident of a public execution of an elephant. In 1903, Topsy the elephant was electrocuted at Coney Island in New York City. It’s believed Thomas Edison was involved in the electrocution. Mary’s death has been told many times over the years. Stevens said in many versions, the writer appears to depict Mary’s death as an animal rights issue. Erwin residents cringe when an outsider wants to recount the event. For a long time, no one ever wanted to talk about elephants in Erwin. To honor Mary’s memory, the town hosted the Erwin Elephant Revival in August 2016, the elephant was all people would talk about. Through various fundraisers and programs, Erwin also assisted the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee. The Hohenwald site is currently home to 13 retired and abused captive elephants. “We want Erwin to be known as the town that loves elephants and one of the biggest supporters of the Elephant

Turning a

Sanctuary,” said event organizer Jamie Rice. “We cannot change what hapThe pened 100 years han first g M ago, but we do have att a sul a choice in how we tin ry fai empt t g i cha react to this tragen a led, r o in a e i sna nd ng dy, and we choose ppe M a a n r d d Mar y f to create somebr y a wou , who eaking llthing positive. n Everything we the ded, d was se a hip. v are doing is with was second ied du erely r b ing at ur the purpose of tra cks ied be tempt. raising funds , a pre sid l c e t She so that captive he kno ise lo though wn, cat elephants can t h e i eve have a better n t on is o unday home.” . Rice believes the event would make Mary proud. The town of Erwin purchased eight elephant statues for the revival event. ONLINE The purpose for the statues is to create To see a documentary on public awareness for this small town’s Mary the Elephant visit: love of elephants. They were auctioned http://bit.ly/2cgfFXd and funds went to the the Elephant Sanctuary. §

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k c a l B A Cloud of Death

The remnants LIBRA of tornado ripped the Rye Cove schoolhouse Ry OF VIRGINIA after a it from its foun destroying th e two-story bu dation on May 2, 1929 ild injuring many of the occupa ing and killing 13 and nts.

e c n i s y r o t s i h n i t s r o w e h t y d e g a r t d e o r d u j n i e Torna r o m s n e z o d d n a d a e d 3 1 h t i 1929 w re to the Story

Factoid:

30 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE

Tornado Rye Cove

Mo w miles to does also took a fe It then, the story n ve E ad o IS ilr NN ra TE rest BY JOE reach the nea not end. chport, Virr of The lin C at n io at st cian A.P. Carte si ck u la M b a , ss ce with reust after re ginia. Family helped dr n ils te ce p ar u es C p d d th se ea ea site. He cloud of d The list of dec efforts at the d ry ve an l co fu ti u ea e also penned ed into a b e included Polli ov C ye R d lle ca scenic valley Carter, Millie . 29 19 2, ay M one, Bruce on ile fields and St rt fe e th ss o cr A Cox, Bertha scenic Scott f o s in la p y Musician rock Darnell, Lillie A ia, the whirln gi es ir V m , Ja ty r, n C u arter of .P. Co Carte e ov C ye R e The th Carter F wind ripped Carter, Monion at d n a u m fo s i it ly was one School from nie Fletcher, of the that two-story ed p ip e h ic w f n d ir an Ber the horr st people on the sky, carrycher, et structure into Fl i d an scene. H fic and desks Guy Daviding students e pens a song, ers. son, Callie books and pap se spun. “ T h e Cyclone ou hop, is That schoolh B o f y el R at ye Cove,” a red, ultim onnie M Then it shatte b o u d t ea d the disa en pupils Bishop ster. leaving a doz d. It re ju in 40 an d an and more th l o o h life of a sc Emma also took the r-old Ava ea -y 24 , er h ac Lane. te r. Counting the te ar C n ke ta e er w d The injure death toll, the ONLINE d an l o s st ri B in cident remain in to hospitals To hear “The cyclone of Rye cove” sy ea t t it wasn’ e worst torth Kingsport. Bu by The carter Family visit: http:// d o b sport the ado tragedy in n bit.ly/2cgUxmz trying to tran e th Cove on tory. is ye h R f ia o n t gi u o ir s V ie tted roads. muddy and ru

a song, “The Cyclone of Rye Cove,” which was released a few months later. The 1929-30 school year, in turn, never materialized in Rye Cove as students had to wait for the construction of a new building. Today, getting into the remote community means making a trip down Rye

Cove Memorial Road, which is crossed by Cyclone Circle. The bell from the old school was made into a memorial on what is now the lawn of Rye Cove Intermediate School. Nearby, too, the cabin that was used by the Red Cross for relief efforts after the tornado struck was restored. And it was dedicated

on May 2, 2004 — the 75th anniversary of the day that school ended far too soon. §

ONLINE To see a documentary on the Rye cove Tornado visit: http://bit.ly/2cdun5r

Victim

JOE TENNIS/BRISTOL hERALd cOuRIER

The Red Cross cabin was restored and dedicated on the 75th anniversary of the storm on May 2, 2004.

The li s pupils t of decease d Carter included Pol , Mill l ie i Bruce Cox, B e Stone, e nell, Lillie rtha DarJames Carter Carter, , Monnie Fl etcher , Bern Fletch ic e Callie r, Guy David e s Bishop Bishop, Monn on, i Also k and Emma Lan e i e old te lled was 24- . acher y earAva Ca rter.

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A brick memorial lists the dead and contains the bell from the old Rye Cove School.

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Mtn. Empire Under Water The Flood of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;77 among the worst floods in Twin City history, since record keeping began in 1867

1977 Flood of

, 1977. ctober 3 O , y a d m Mon

BY DAVID MCGEE

he first weekend of October 1977 was supposed to be a celebration for Bristol Tenthe nessee and Bristol Virginia with thSou ual arrival of the 27th ann eastern Band Festival attracting ing thousands of high school march mme ily fam ir band members, the bers and supporters to the Twin City. Instead it was punctuated by powerful thunderstorms which

BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 33

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produced torrential rainfall, damaging winds and a tornado which collectively damaged homes, businesses and churches across parts of East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. One man, a member of the Johnson County, Tennessee, rescue squad, drowned while trying to help stranded residents evacuate. Some of the heaviest rains and greatest damage occurred in downtown Bristol, where nearly six inches of rain fell Saturday night and produced near record flooding — including some reports of water more than four feet deep along some downtown streets Sunday morning. In all, eight city blocks were impacted by the city’s highest floodwater readings since 1929, according to news accounts. Floodwaters rushed over a retaining wall between Moore

wS cOuNTy NE

and Lee streets about 3 a.m., Sunday with much of the greatest damage occurring along Cumberland, Lee, Moore and State streets, Winston’s Alley and Piedmont Avenue. The water, which crested about 5 a.m., caused about $3 million in damages to about 50 businesses on the Virginia side. Damage estimates on the Tennessee side exceeded $1 million — primarily for city infrastructure — as many city sewer lines were damaged and piers of two bridges in the Beaver Creek channel were shifted by the water’s force. Rushing water also took out three bridges in Steele Creek Park. Floodwaters reached heights between 49 and 51 inches above the sidewalk in front of many businesses in the 600 block of State Street. Landmark retailer H.P. King, in the 600

block of the Tennessee side, registered water 36 inches deep at its front doors. Inside many shops, the high water mark was visible with dingy, brown-stained furniture and clothing. Some businesses were unable to immediately reopen. “I have never before seen anything like this. We had desks floating in the office. It was unreal,” H. Keys Buchanan, Jr., president of Home Furniture, told the Bristol Herald Courier. “In fact, we had things floating in here from other shops which apparently floated in through the broken front window.” Firemen reported water was “flowing like a river” through Bristol Virginia’s Lee Street fire station just after 3 a.m., Sunday. At its crest, water completely surrounded the former Bristol Virginia City Hall and police

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headquarters — site of the current courthouse. Water left a mark 35 inches above the sidewalk outside the former Palace Barber Shop, site of the current Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Floodwaters were reported at the intersection of State Street, Commonwealth Avenue and Volunteer Parkway. Pumper trucks from both city fire departments were employed to help pump water out of downtown businesses and basements. Power was knocked out to much of both cities and the storm shattered windows at the Piggly Wiggly grocery store on Euclid Avenue, Bristol Mall and some other businesses. A number of homes were reportedly struck by lightning but there were no reports of fires. The emergency room of the former Bristol Me-

morial Hospital also sustained some roof damage. Besides residents, a 14-hour power outage also shut down the Bristol Tennessee water treatment plant, temporarily crippling service to homes and businesses. A Southern Railway train derailed cOuRTESy MuSEuM OF ThE MIddLE APPALAchIANS A tornado associated with the storm system touched down along U.S. Route along Big Hollow Road and then struck the Avoca area, tear421 in the storm. ing through buildings littering the roadway with debris. Floodwaters receded from downtown ington County, Virginia, suffering almost as quickly as they came, allowing merchants $650,000 in damages, St. Charles in Lee County sustaining $2.5 million to begin cleanup efforts. in damages and the towns of Big Downtown streets were Stone Gap and Wise in Wise County reopened to traffic by also hard hit. Sunday afternoon. The s ater’ e h About 200 people had to be Cameo Theater’s 3:55 T ameo owing lC h s e evacuated in Damascus and many p.m., showing of “The h , T p.m. ll Ra spent the night at Holston High Gumball Rally” was 3:55 he Gumba led bel School. A number of families were cancelled because of “T as cance vered o w c also rescued in Mountain City, Tenf r water covered the o e ly” wat rows ng nessee. fi rst 15 rows of cause irst 15 seati ble Many communities issued boil ground fl oor seatthe f d floor a ere water declarations following the ing but patrons groun atrons w 6 p.m., were able to attend flooding as water systems across but p tend the h all the the region were compromised. the 6 p.m., showto at ng — wit d in Sullivan County Civil Defense reing — with all of showi em seate ported the tornado initially touched them seated in of th ny. down Saturday afternoon near the the balcony. balco intersection of Harrtown Road and Damage was U.S. Route 11W and caused damage also widespread across the in Indian Springs, along state routes region with Damascus in Wash-

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126 and 37 near Blountville where it damaged the B’nai Shalom synagogue. The twister touched down along Big Hollow Road and then struck the Avoca area, tearing through The U. Byers Restaurant, a mobile home, damaging the S Engine . Army Corps headquarters of Bristol Tennessee Electric System e and flinging the screen of the Twin City Drive-In tion w rs — in coop of i e Theater into the roadway — striking multiple veValley th the Tenne ras A s uthori hicles. both c ty and ee ities Ten people were treated for minor injuries as a — deve a long loped -range result of the tornado and high winds. to red uce th program The flooding was the effect of two separate storms e risk floodi that swept through the region — on late Saturday ng sho o u l ld a s f ar, si afternoon and the second around midnight. The i g mi n ifican event t rain National Weather Service office at Tri-Cities Airport occur again. reported a total of 1.66 inches of rain but many areas reported several inches of rain in the 24-hour period. A Bristol, Virginia, official’s rain gauge measured 5.85 inches of rain downtown. Since 2012, Preliminary research by the Tennessee Valley t Corps have j he cities an Authority registered the 1977 flood as the 15th ointly d a $6.9 f worst in Twin City history, since record keeping began projec million mult unded t to w in 1867. A later review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers iden a i-phase prove nd imt h e ranked the 1977 event as the second worst in Bristol history. s tream at thr c h e a David Freeman, a member of the TVA board of directors, nessee e sites on t nnel h s e Ten i d visited Bristol a couple days after the flooding. He pledged e and mo water dify t inlet that the organization would work with the leaders of both he at the Hollow Su Dam in cities to address preventing future flooding. Virgin gar ia. And the band festival? Its 8,000 participants were able to march down State Street Saturday morning in the The ne arly c annual kickoff parade. But instead of performomplet phase e i n c l u d ing at the Stone Castle, organizers looked at e the Ei d remo final g val of h t h Stre a weather forecast calling for severe thunderreplac et bri e m e dge, nt o storms and hastily contacted East Tennessee pedest rian b f a nearby State University. All the musicians were transr dition idge a a n ported to Johnson City so the festival could ificat l stream ban d adi k o n mods. All play out inside ETSU’s Mini-Dome. § expec wo

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