Thurman Jury Reached Prominent Families 53-Years Ago

Leave a Comment / Articles / / Dwight Williamson


By Dwight Williamson
(Part VI of a Series)

Logan Banner, Wednesday, August 21, 1985

Special thanks to Mark Edward Jones for providing a clipping of this article.

It had been nearly three months since Mamie Thurman’s body was discovered atop Trace Mountain (now known as Holden 33 Mountain).

Her neck was broken, two .38 caliber bullet holes were in her head and her throat slashed from ear o ear.

The date was etched into history. It was Sept. 12, 1932 and time for the September term of the Logan Grand Jury to begin.

While it was an era of economic and political change for Logan County, the big news wasn’t the depression, growing clamor in Europe or the Democrat’s hope of recapturing the White House with Franklin D. Roosevelt…the big question in the news then was “Who Killed Mamie Thurman?” and “Why Did It Happen?”

To some that question remains to be answered.

Even as the jury selection began that now infamous case, Logan County was atwitter with rumor, speculation and gossip about the events and so-called facts surrounding it.

Jury Commissioners were Elmer McDonald and J. Kelvin Holiday, the latter a former editor of The Banner. According to The Banner’s report, they announced the names of those persons chosen for the grand jury.

The Banner’s headlines read: “Prominent Citizens Listed For Grand, Petit Jury Duty.”

Named to the grand jury were recent ancestors of several prominent families still living in and around Logan County. Some of them were associated with a major suspect, Harry Robertson a banking and political figure.

They include: G.W. Raike of Logan; P.A. Cave Jr. of Logan; C.E. Crickner of Holden; W.B. Johnson of Logan; W.C. Williams of Man; E.B. Gibson of Rita; Fred Austin of Earling; K.R. Hytlon of Chapmanville; G.F. Suiter of Logan; C.H. Jimison of Logan; R.W. Buskirk of Logan; J.G. Stollings of Mallory; A.S.J. Hopkins of Amherstdale; A.H. Wilson of Sharples; E.A. Anthony of Christian; J.W. Chrislip of Chapmanville.

It should be noted that Cave was later excused from duty because “it was not necessary to take him away from his duties as teacher at the junior high school.” In addition, E.A. Anthony failed to appear, but was later excused when he explained that an automobile accident made it impossible for him to appear.

Fred Austin also was excused because he was found to be “unavoidably detained.” E.E. Gibson was excused because he held a Notary Public Commission. Jury Commissioners then called to the panel Frank Adams, Fred Gunther, William Spratt and Robert P. Peck.

The Banner has been able to research some of the jurors and found the following information: A.H. Wilson of Sharples was General Manager of Boone County Coal Company; Garnet Stollings (from which the community of Stollings was named) was the coal operator of Powellton Coal Company; A.S.J. Hopkins was chief engineer at Amherst Coal Company; F.A. Anthony was a coal operator at Christian; J.W. Chrislip operated a carbon black factory at Chapmanville; G.E. Suiter was a Logan businessman, as was Clarence Jimision; Buskirk operated a Logan grocery store.

Approximately one month later (October 7), 40 additional jurors were drawn.

The Banner reported: “It is believed the action of the court was in anticipation of difficulty in impaneling a jury for the murder trial of Clarence Stephenson because of the wide publicity given the case.”

Stephenson was a black handyman who worked for Robertson. Both were prime suspects in the slaying. Blood found in Robertson’s basement and on his car linked the two men to the murder at least by circumstantial evidence.

Photo of Clarence Stephenson convicted killer of Mamie Thurman.

The forty additional jurors were: H.A. Browning of Logan; Martin Amburgey of Omar; G.D. Woolcox of Logan; James Riley of Braeholm; R.L. Gore of Man; Jack Hunter of Earling; Emery Jeffrey of Logan; O’Dell Wells of Logan; A.C. Nelson of Logan; J.H. Vickers of Chapmanville; L.R. Hopkins of Amherstdale; Charles Babo of Amherstdale; D.B. Browning of Logan; Doran Hinchman of Logan; J.E. Parsons of Fort Branch; J.T. Ashworth of Man; Charles McDonald of Peach Creek; J.B. Kirkpatrick of Lundale; Harry Farley of Amherstdale; R.C. Eisel of Holden; B.T. Call, of address listed; F.M> Shuff of Holden; W.G. Robbins of Mallory; Carl Daniel of Logan; H.H. Oakey of Logan; Tom G. Wilding of Logan; M.F. Mullins of Logan; F.E. Sauls of Holden; Edward Abbott of Slagle; Preptias Farley of Logan; H.M. Martin of Logan; W.E. Lanham of Logan; Gordon Jones of Logan; Virgil Godby of Logan; Julius Altizer of Kistler; James Lindley of Whitman; T.R. Crumpler of Logan and L.T. Dodd of Holden.

Judge Naaaman Jackson’s instructions to the jurors were: “You have been called together for the purpose of making indictments. There have been a number of people since he last term of court held to the grand jury. All these cases must be examined. Since the last term of court, there have been murders than usual, to my recollection. The only way to make people understand the value of life is to prosecute the criminals according to the law.”

“I want especially to call your attention to the murder of Mrs. Thurman, one of the most gruesome in the county and state. If there is evidence enough to indict the parties responsible, the court expects you to do it.”

The jury ended its four-day inquiry Thursday, September 15, by returning 50 indictments, including 13 for murder. Over 50 witnesses reportedly were called upon for testimony, although The Banner did not give any details as to people’s names.

A sub-headline in September 16th’s edition of The Banner read: “Harry Robertson Not Indicted.” Stephenson, however, was indicted.

When informed that the grand jury had ended its inquiry and that Harry Robertson was not indicted, Prosecuting Attorney Lloyd P. Hager told The Banner that it “would not end the Prosecutor’s investigation and the $1,000 reward which we have posted will hold.”

Rumors and gossip were rampant on the streets of bustling Logan. On every street corner, in every restaurant and bar, people were formulating their own opinions, many never thought Stephenson killed Mamie Thurman.

Like today, there were many theories about who the killer was, ranging from Robertson, his jilted wife, one of their boarders or maybe it was one of the 16 men Mrs. Thurman had named in a list given to Robertson… men with whom she is alleged to have claimed she had a romantic liaison in a downtown Logan rented room.

The men, including several coal company officials, were said to be members of a “Key Club” consisting of a group each with a key to the room.

Had Mamie Thurman learned something she wasn’t supposed to know from one of them? Did it involve actions of officials in the public, professional, industrial or even private world? Was she blackmailing one or all of the men she had made love with? Those were all questions being asked during that time of the post-Roaring 20s.

Or was she the victim of one of the wives’ jealousy?

Perhaps, as the state’s leading criminal lawyer at that time Judge James Damron of Huntington said: “It is the handiwork of a well-laid conspiracy.”

If it was, and the man convicted of the murder knew about it, he took it with him to his grave while yet a prisoner of the state.

Perhaps Stephenson’s statement shortly before the jury returned October 14, presented a clue. While the jury was out he laughed and talked with some officers and made the remark: “No matter what the verdict is, if it is for me or against me, there is just one thing I have to say. I hope they keep on searching until they find the right party. I don’t believe ever who did it is here. I think they’ve left the country.”

Stephenson’s wish never came true.

The search ended there with his conviction. Someone would pay for the crime.

But was Stephenson guilty?

Now, 53 years later the questions are being raised again, as if some haunting ghost demands for justice come crying from a grave.

And maybe from the living, too, since Mamie Thurman’s brother, who at the end of his career as a lawyer, and only with three years knowledge she was his sister, is now embroiled in an effort to find her grave and maybe some clues as to who really killed her and why.

All one can say for that brother, George Morrison, is…good hunting and maybe good digging!

(NEXT: Part VII, “Testimony During the Stephenson Trial; The Verdict: Stephenson Given Life Imprisonment.”)

Dwight Williamson is a former writer for the Logan Banner and a retired magistrate for Logan County.

*Published with permission.

Leave a comment.

Articles by Dwight Williamson on this site.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *