I was browsing through some newspaper archives yesterday evening when I ran across a story out of Floyd County that was so horrific for the time period, that it didn't seem real, especially for rural Eastern Kentucky.
Life in Eastern Kentucky in the 1950's was characterized by a mix of traditional and modern ways of living. Predominantly rural, agriculture and coal were the significant sources of income for most families. Although crime did exist, when in comparison to other areas, the crime rate was relatively small. No one expected to hear a story so shocking coming out of Eastern Kentucky.
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| A photo of Allifair Shoffer, the victim and her nurse as published in the Floyd County Times Prestonsburg, KY January 24, 1952. |
The authorities searched for nearly six hours before found the girl. She was so cramped and week that she could not stand. Her feet had been frost-bitten and were wrapped in rags. Her body and face were "a mass of sores."
The girl was lying in a straw -littered pit approximately 3 feet wide, five feet long, and four feet deep. Planks were nailed across the top to keep her from escaping.
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| The barn in which the victim was held hostage, as published in the Floyd County Times Prestonsburg, KY January 24, 1952. |
Rescuers carried her to a Jeep and transported to a local hospital. For a while it appeared that she would have to have her feet amputated due to gangrene. However, her condition began to improve, and she was expected to make a full recovery.
"You couldn't imagine her condition, though you think you can," said Commonwealth Detective Alex Davidson. "Women who saw us carry her to the Jeep cried," said Sheriff Banner Meade.
A few hours after being admitted to the hospital, the girl gave a signed statement to Commonwealth Detective Alex Davidson and Commonwealth Attorney Burnis Martin, describing her treatment.
"They made me cut wood on real cold days. He made me go sleep in the old house, about three weeks ago. I had no cover or nothing and snow was on the ground...no fire. I slept on the floor. My feet froze...I stayed there three nights. He wouldn't give me anything to eat...", she stated.
Hall repeatedly "forced his attentions on her", the girl said. "I was afraid to tell her", referring to Hall's wife.
The girl was eventually moved to the pit in the barn where she had been approximately 36 hours before being found. She was taken there by Hall and his teenage stepson.
The girl went on to describe the beatings she would get from Hall. His favorite scourge was a bridle. He beat her with the bridle causing deep sores on her body. He also beat her with a horsewhip as well.
Although she hadn't eaten, at about 8 A.M. on the day of her rescue, Mrs. Hall took her some water.
The girl had been released from the county jail back in August of the following year, where she had been held for investigation for several days. She told Judge Stumbo at that time that she wanted to go live with the Halls. At that time Hall bought her a dress and explained that his wife was "poorly" and that the girl could help about the house.
Up until that time the girl was a "tramp-like figure with few if any home ties", according to the Floyd County Times.
The girl stated that the beatings started immediately upon arrival. And it wasn't long until he began raping her. During the rapes, Hall would bind her hands and feet and threaten her with death if she told anyone.
The girl also stated to authorities that Mrs. Hall would beat her as well and would laugh when her husband beat her.
When Hall took her to the barn to hide her, he told the girl she had to be quiet, that the law was looking for her to put her in jail. He promised her he would free her soon and get her to Detroit.
Hall increased her fear of the police by telling her about a little boy who had been sent to the asylum by police and was killed there. He told her she would meet the same fate if the police found her.
That Thursday, January 17, 1952, immediately upon learning of the situation and before authorities went to the scene to investigate, Judge Stumbo had begun issuing subpoenas for witnesses to appear at a court of inquiry. After the witnesses appeared that same day and gave their statements, Stumbo issued a warrant charging Hall with assault and battery.
In the afternoon of Wednesday, January 16, 1952, as witnesses were being rounded up by Sheriff's deputies, Hall became alarmed. That night he visited homes in the vicinity, inquiring after the girl's whereabouts and reporting that she had disappeared.
When the officials who went to the home that Thursday learned of the reports that he had spread, they feared that he had killed the girl and disposed of her body. This feeling grew as the search continued upwards of four hours, in vain.
Mrs. Hall denied knowledge of the girl's whereabouts. Hall himself had disappeared. Not until the officials were ready to leave, bringing Mrs. Hall with them, did Mrs. Hall indicate that the girl might be in the barn. Soon afterward the girl was found there.
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| The accused: Smith Hall, courtesy of the Floyd County Times, Prestonsburg, KY. |
Mr. Hall became a fugitive. A few hours before the girl was rescued, Hall was seen by neighbors leaving the mountainside across Branham's Creek from his home. They saw him crawl across the road, visit the barn and leave, going up the steep hillside back of his home.
It was believed that he was armed with a shotgun and binoculars and was hidden in the mountains or was being sheltered by relatives. Officers searching the vicinity and keeping watch on activities in the surrounding hillsides were in possession of two warrants for Hall, in addition to the original writ which charged him with assault and battery. The latest warrants charged him with rape and malicious mischief.
They also had warrants for Mrs. Hall for malicious mischief and for being an accomplice to Mr. Hall, who was taken into custody at the time of the search for the girl.
On Friday, January 18, 1952, Sheriff Meade offered a reward of $100 for the capture of Hall. Sheriff Meade would announced the reward would be paid for information leading to Mr. Hall's arrest. By the following Tuesday, a reward fund was being raised.
Mrs. Hall was released from jail under bond on that Friday afternoon. Her arrest on the new warrant was expected later in the week.
Hall's victim gave her name as Chaffin and her age as 18, school records disclosed that she was actually 22 and that her name was Shoffer. Her sister, Mrs. Sarah Adkins of Mansfield, OH, corroborated those statistics. Adkins stated that the girl's "mind isn't good at times."
Mrs. Adkins said that Allifair's father was the late Harry Shoffer. Her mother, Alma Preston Shoffer was also deceased. The girl first attended school at Dwale, later at Garrett and Weeksbury, and in 1941 was in an orphanage.
Mrs. Adkins said she took her sister to live with her while she was a resident of Weeksbury, but that she could not control her, and again took her to Ohio with her.
The name Chaffins apparently became attached to the girl because a family of that name at some time gave her shelter. She told authorities that her mother is dead but that her father, Charles Chaffins, lives in Williamson, WV.
On February 9, 1952, Sheriff Banner Meade received a tip that Mr. Hall was staying with a brother-in-law, C.B. Elliott , 340 miles away just outside of Oak Grove in Christian County. Sure enough, Christian County Sheriff Howard Majors along with the Kentucky State Police, located Mr. Hall there and arrested him and held him for the Floyd County officers. His arrest ended a 23 day manhunt.
Mr. Hall denied any wrong doing to the Christian County authorities, except for one time he hit her with a switch.
Hall said it was the girl's own idea to hide in the barn when they learned officers were coming to the farm. Saying he was innocent, Hall told reporters that he had fled because he was frightened.
The girl, on the other hand, made a good recovery and was expected to be released from the hospital the next day to go live with relatives in Ohio.
On Tuesday, February 11, 1952, Floyd County officials began making preparations to hold an examining trial that would take place on February 14th.
During this examining trial, which was presided over by County Judge Henry Stumbo, the girl stated that her name was Shoffer and that Chaffins was her stepfather's name. She testified that Mr. Hall raped her "so many times that she could not remember." She also testified that he forced her to work the hillside cornfields without adequate clothing; and that he beat her often with a buggy whip.
During the examining trial, the girl was questioned by Mr. Hall. Hall asked the girl if the cornfield where they worked was not visible from several surrounding houses. She responded that part of it was but not all of it.
Hall also contended that several of his children were always in the field with them, but the girl denied it.
After lengthy questioning, the girl told Mr. Hall "Now Smith Hall you know you did those things." She went on to say "Smith Hall, I've listened to all the foolishness I'm going to from you." She left the witness chair and returned to her seat.
Hall declined to testify during the examining trial.
Following the examining trial, Mr. Hall was ordered held to the Grand Jury without bond on charges of rape, malicious mischief, and assault. Hall had previously served two prior prison sentences, one for forgery and one for malicious shooting and wounding. So that also meant that Hall was also indicted under the Habitual Criminal Act, making a life sentence mandatory after a third conviction for a felony.
Hall's trial was scheduled for April of the same year.
On April 24, 1952, in a shocking turn of events, Smith Hall pleaded guilty under the Habitual Criminal Act and accepted life imprisonment rather than face a trial. The charges against his wife and stepson were dropped. Hall stated they were totally innocent in the crime.
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| Headline from the Lexington Herald, April 25, 1952 |
Not much else is known about the defendants or the victims in this case. If my research is correct, Mr. Hall passed away in 1975. I was unable to find anything on his wife. Nor was I able to find anything else about the victim, other than she was taken to a mental hospital for evaluation before being sent back to Floyd County to live with another lady. But they were unsure if that arrangment was going to work. From there her trail goes cold.
In a strange coincidence, I learned that the victim's sister, Sarah Adkins, who was quoted earlier, was the mother of Clinton Scott Adkins, an infant who died in the contaminated water epidemic in Mansfield in 1949. That story was the basis for the recent movie "Summer of Sorrow" in which Sarah was the main character.
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