Murderous Sunday

One of the greatest crimes in the history of Carter County, KY occurred on the morning of Sunday, February 21, 1926, at the home of Jerry Stidham, located on the Hitchins-Grayson Road about a mile from Grayson.

Jerry Stidham was born on July 12, 1852, in Wise County, Virginia.  He married Elizabeth Addington Stidham, who passed away as the result of cancer on August 12, 1923, at the age of 69.  Three years after her passing, Jerry, age 73 at the time, married 67-year-old Nancy Ann Riddle on October 11, 1925, in Lawrence County, Ohio. Nancy had been married twice previously and had at least five children.

After just four months, this marriage would come to a tragic end on Sunday, February 21, 1926, when Mrs. Stidham was found beaten nearly to death by neighbors after Mr. Stidham summoned them for help.

Courtesy of the February 25, 1926, edition of the East Kentucky Journal in Grayson, KY, Mr. Stidham allegedly relayed this story to the neighbors:

"That he, upon starting to the barn soon after rising about 5:30 o'clock Sunday, had been accosted by three men who took his gold watch and $18.00 in money, two of whom tied his hands and told him if he hollowed [hollered], they would shoot him, while the third party went into the house where Mrs. Stidham was in the act of dressing.  Stidham said he heard her exclaim: 'I know you and you'll be handled for this.'  A racket followed and one of the bandits in the yard joined the one who had attacked his wife, Stidham claimed, and the two commenced to beat her.  When they left, after ransacking the place and finding about $100 of her money, Stidham went to the house of a neighbor to get his hands freed."

When Mr. Stidham returned with the neighbors, they found Mrs. Stidham lying on the floor with a handkerchief tied in three knots about her neck, apparently dead.  When one of the neighbors cut the bandages, Mrs. Stidham showed signs of life, and therefore physicians were summoned. Medical attention was given but Mr. Stidham passed away a few minutes past eight o-clock. Until that time, she had laid in a subconscious state of mind.

Immediately a search of the surrounding countryside was initiated by law enforcement in hopes of finding a trace of the alleged attackers.  About three o'clock in the afternoon bloodhounds were brought in. The hounds made numerous trips to the well, the house and the yard, and it was determined that the murderer of Mrs. Stidham was in the crowd! 

The Louisville Courier-Journal reported on February 23, 1926, that when the bloodhounds were present, they kept circling Mr. Stidham. 

The following day officials drained the well and found a gold watch. The hands on the watch had stopped at 6:14 - the time of the crime.

Mr. Stidham  had made several remarks regarding the draining of the well, stating that the officers would not find anything. He went on to tell them that it would go dry next summer and they could see what was in it then.

A blood smeared club was found along with a sweater belonging to Mr. Stidham. The sweater had been partially burned, but the part of the sweater that was soaked in blood had not burned. Also, according to the Courier-Journal, a pair of blood splattered trousers belonging to Mr. Stidham were found. Mr. Stidham tried to explain those by saying the stains were made when he went to his wife's side after he had loosened the ropes with which he had been tied. The Courier-Journal also stated that Mr. Stidham had multiple scratches on the b ack of his hand which he said were inflicted when he was tied.

East Kentucky Journal, Grayson, KY
February 25, 1926

Based on the evidence found at the scene, a warrant was issued by two sons of Mrs. Stidham charging Mr. Stidham with her murder.  Mr. Stidham was immediately taken into custody and brought to the county jail where he was lodged.

The coroner's jury held an inquest at the W.E. Holcomb undertaking business in Grayson, KY. That jury gave the verdict that Mrs. Stidham "came to her death at the hands of persons unknown with murderous intent."

Doctors Stoval and O'Roark both agreed that death was due to the severe beating she had received. Her body was bruised from head to foot. Dr. Stovall also stated that he counted 35  scalp wounds but the skull had not been broken. 

Mr. Stidham's examining trial took place on Monday, March 1, 1926, at the Carter County Courthouse in front of the largest crowd in the history of the county, at least at that time.

East Kentucky Journal, Grayson, KY
March 4, 1926

East Kentucky Journal, Grayson, KY
March 4, 1926

During this trial witnesses told of going to the Stidham home on the morning of the slaying and of finding Mrs. Stidham lying on the floor and of the disorder in the house. Testimony was also given regarding the finding of Stidham's watch in the well, and of finding blood stains on the rope used to draw water. Testimony was also given regarding finding blood on Mr. Stidham's shoes and and trousers.

Mr. Stidham did not furnish witnesses and waived examination himself.  Judge J.R. McGill gave the verdict which held the prisoner without bail for further action of the April term of the Carter Circuit Court. 

It was reported that habeas corpus proceedings would be taken to secure the release of Mr. Stidham.

On Monday, April 5, 1926 Carter County Circuit Court indicted and charged with willful murder.  He was arraigned the next morning and placed under a $10,000 bond to appear for trial on April 15, 1926.

A change of venue motion was entered, which was later denied but delayed the trial until Friday, April 23, 1926.

The day of the trial arrived and once again throngs of spectators packed the courtroom to witness the trial. After all of the preliminary motions were done, the Court ordered the selection of a jury to take up the case. This was taken up Friday and a jury was selected by noon on Saturday, April 24, 1926. One to two hundred men were summoned for the jury before twelve qualified.

The jury consisted of Ballard Hignite, L. George Holbrook, Arthur Berry, Ed McGlone, Perry Hamilton, Kay Reynolds, Dock Barker,  Melvin Bradley, Charles Fannin, Harve Sturgill, Charles Duncan, and D.W. Stillman.

 After the jury selection, the Court was adjourned until Monday to give the attorneys time to prepare their case.

Monday morning the Commonwealth represented by Attorneys Yates, Littleton, and Dysard began examination of its witnesses.  Doctor Stoval was the first   witness called followed by neighbor John Everman.

The Commonwealth's goal was to establish that the motive for the killing was domestic troubles and quarrels. They also claimed they would prove that Stidham drew the sum of $1,000.00 from the bank previous to the murder and no trace of the money had been found since.  They also stated they would prove that the tracks in the yard which were said to have been made by the three bandits were t he identical tracks made by Stidham's shoes.

The defense, ably represented by Attorneys Waugh, Wolfford and Fields stated that they would refuse the theory of domestic discord, producing witnesses to show that Stidham and wife had lived together in harmony, that she had said she made no mistake in marrying him, and that they were planning to build a better home in the near future. The defense also stated that they would prove by witnesses that Stidham had made t he statement to several that he had dropped his watch in the well five weeks or more before the murder.  They also stated that they would prove the three robbers caught a train for Ashland and that neighbors followed the tracks to the railroad.

The Commonwealth used all of Monday to examine its witnesses and then rested it's case.  Tuesday morning, the jury was taken to the Stidham home to view the crime scene.

Stidham then took the stand in his own behalf, relating the same story of the crime that had previously been stated.  He reportedly seemed deeply affected during the recital of the events, and at times wept openly.  

During the cross examination by Attorney Dysard, Stidham denied parts of  the testimony which had been recorded at the initial examining trial.  Throughout Tuesday afternoon, the defense examined its witnesses, among whom were several life-long friends of Stidham. They were summoned to prove his morals and character were of the best.  This was followed by the Commonwealth's rebuttal, then the Court adjourned for the day.

Wednesday was no exception when it came to the large crowd who had come to hear the trial.  

Defense attorney John M. Waugh gave the first argument of the day.  He was followed by H.R.  Drysard, counsel for the Commonwealth, who spoke for ninety minutes.

At 2:30 P.M. on that afternoon the case was given to the jury. They were unable to reach a verdict that day, so the Judge instructed them to think over the case and render a verdict the following day, which was Thursday.

The Eastern Kentucky Journal stated that "Crowds, such as have not been to hear a trial in Court here for years, have thronged the Courtroom during all three days of the trial and hundreds were in town Wednesday to hear the lawyers' argument."

The following day, after deliberating for just an hour, the jury returned a verdict of guilty and sentenced Stidham to fifteen years in prison. Stidham appeared unmoved when the verdict was read.

Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, KY

Thu, Apr 29, 1926 ·Page 4

Mrs. Stidham was laid to rest in the Wilson Cemetery at Soldier, Kentucky.  Mr. Stidham would pass away of natural causes just four years after the trial. He is buried at the Wilburn Cemetery in Grayson, Kentucky.

In my research, I never found a clear reason that was given for the murder. In fact, I found only a few witness statements for the defense and none for the Commonwealth.   But regardless of the motive, this crime no doubt was one of the most brutal in the history of Carter County, Kentucky. I cannot even fathom being struck in the head at least 35 times with a club, not to mention numerous blows to the rest of the body, especially at the age of 67. 

It is my prayer that, in death, Mrs. Stidham found the peace that seemed to escape her in her last days of life. And I pray that Mr. Stidham made peace with God before he took his last breath.