Lemuel F. Laughlin

Son of Amos and Virginia "Jennie" Fleming Laughlin. He married Amanda Starcher on April 6, 1901, in Calhoun County, WV. She was the daughter of Mr. W. S. Starcher.

The following story is by By James C. Haught of Hagerstown, Maryland.

Lemuel "Lem" Laughlin, hung himself in his jail cell in Ripley, WV. That was in June, 1920. Lemuel Laughlin was convicted of moon-shining and bootlegging. He had stills on Sumpter and Rush Run. When Lemuel was arrested he was a strong, handsome, robust man. Because the authorities were afraid he would escape they put him in small cage type cell. It was an iron cube, 8 x 8 x 8 feet. The cell contained only a bed and a slop jar. Lem quickly changed to an emaciated, withdrawn person. One night he tied his bed sheet to the overhead bars and tightly around his neck. It was only a two foot drop from the bed to the floor. Lemuel Laughlin choked to death, a long, agonizing death. The next day the authorities contacted Lemuel's widow, Amanda, who lived on Rush Run near Orma. They told her they would ship his body to Spencer but someone would have to pick it up. Some neighbors with a team of horses and a wagon picked up and delivered the body to Amanda. Lemuel Laughlin was buried in the Greathouse Cemetery on Rush Run. People who live in the area say that occasionally on summer nights they will find the soil over Lemuel's grave disturbed. I can remember while fox hunting with Smith Cottrill and my uncle, Buster Hoskins, we would hear this voice from some of the higher points. It would say, "Come on over and have a drink of good moonshine whiskey." Buster and I were interested in going, but Smith would say, "Boys, it is just a waste of your time. That is just Lem Laughlin. If you go over there, then you will hear the same thing coming from this point." They say that Lemuel Laughlin is up there yet.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Apr 16 2018, 22:51:23 UTC