Monday evening, May 18th 1942, the mayor of Hazard along with several city commissioners were walking along Main street. A long day of a civil defense meeting had come to an end and they were relieved to be going home. Suddenly, a car came barreling by and a man opened fire. Bullets whizzed past unsuspecting residents, striking one man twice. Folks ran for cover while officers and armed citizens returned fire. Once the gun smoke cleared and the wounded had been tended to, a posse of 20 officers and 300 armed citizens quickly banded to search for the shooter.
The typically calm and peaceful mountain town had been shaken to its core during the spring of 1942 with one of the most heartbreaking and vicious murders the town had ever seen.
Big thanks to my mom who joined me as a special guest for this episode!
Sources:
Find a Grave
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/177141398/james-lee-robertson
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/88704910/bertha_a-lehman
Lexington Herald: 3/4/41, 3/13/41, 3/18/41, 3/13/41, 3/18/41, 3/26/41, 3/28/41, 6/29/41, 5/18/42, 5/19.42, 5/19/42, 6/11/42, 6/12/42, 6/14/42, 6/18/42, 6/19/42, 6/22/42, 6/27/42, 8/8/42
Lexington Herald Leader: 3/7/41, 3/27/41, 3/12/41, 4/10/41, 6/29/41, 5/17/42, 5/18/42, 5/19/42, 5/20/42, 6/10/42, 6/29/42, 7/1/42, 7/2/42, 7/7/42
Courier Journal: 3/9/41, 3/30/41, 5/17/42, 5/25/42, 6/10/42, 6/12/42, 7/2/42
The Winchester Sun 3/12/41, 3/12/41, 3/29/41, 4/10/41, 5/18/42, 5/20/42, 6/10/42, 7/1/42, 7/2/42
The Cincinnati Enquirer: 3/12/41, 3/26/41, 3/27/41, 4/1/41, 6/29/41, 5/19/42, 8/7/42
Knoxville New Sentinel: 6/29/41
The Knoxville Journal: 5/17/42
The Kingsport Times: 5/17/42, 5/18/42, 5/31/42, 7/2/42, 9/20/42
The Park City Daily News: 5/17/42, 5/19/42, 6/19/42
Messenger Inquirer: 5/18/42, 5/19/42, 7/1/42, 7/2/42, 8/6/42, 8/7/42
The Owensboro Messenger: 5/19/42, 5/19/42, 6/28/42,
The State Journal: 5/19/42, 5/20/42, 7/2/42
News Democrat and Leader: 5/21/42
The Advocate Messenger: 7/2/42
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