H HISTORY
H by J.T. Crawford
Murder in the Atomic Age
1
Major Tilghman Tade, Chief of Detectives, examines evidence from the explosion. photos by The Paducah Sun
957 WAS PART OF A GOLDEN ERA FOR PADUCAH. THE atomic boom and completed gaseous diffusion plant had ushered in a new age of prosperity. Spirits were up as affluence flourished and the city’s population increased. New neighborhoods dotted the landscape, each house standing as a marker of Paducah’s growth. Amid that suburban fescue sea stood a contrasting stark monument. The burned-out shell of a nearly-completed house marred the landscape. The charred remains of the home had remained in that dreadful condition for over a year by August of ’57. Its destruction was complete as were the hopes and dreams of those who once sought to call it home. 3:31 AM, August 25, 1956 — The piercing ring of the telephone woke Vivian Chaudet from a sound sleep. The 41-year-old was staying at his parents’ home at 3689 Forest Circle. They were away in Florida. “Hello,” he uttered with barely enough wakefulness to form the word. As the caller stated their purpose, Vivian’s consciousness came into focus. Then, a long
pause. “Alright,” said Vivian. “I’ll be right out.” Early morning calls are nearly always bad news. This was no exception. Vivian got dressed and stepped outside for what was to be the last time. Vivian was well-known around Paducah. He was a salesman for the produce company of Barger and Golightly. A decorated World War II veteran, he was a musician, dance band leader, and organist at Bellview Baptist Church. For decades, Paducahans knew Vivian as a talented performer who played, sang, or led bands at a variety of functions across the city. Just a little over a week before that late-night phone call, Vivian had discretely married Miss Dorothy Mitchell, a Reidland High School home economics teacher. It was his third marriage, her first. That night, she was staying at her parents’ home on Madison Street. The caller was Mrs. Alton Rogers of 201 Pepper Lane in Lone Oak. She informed Vivian that his neighboring house, one that was under construction and was to be the home for him and his new bride, was engulfed in flames. That would have been a shock to just about anyone receiving such news. It wasn’t to Vivian. It was already his second attempt to build a house there. He’d bought the property in 1955 in preparation for his marriage, and the first house he was
A P R I L /M AY 2022 • 77
