Samuel Leroy Cargle was born in Bamford, Shelby County, Alabama, USA. There is some ambiguity concerning the date. At the time of his marriage in 1932, he gave his age as 24, indicating that he had been born in 1907 or 1908. His date of birth, presumably supplied by his widow, was however given on his 1946 death certificate as 9^th September 1911.

‘Leroy Cargle’, reflecting the fact that this was how he was familiarly known, married Odessa Hopkins on 13^th June 1932, in Shelby County, State of Alabama. In a sworn, subscribed statement relative thereto and dated 7^th June 1932, Leroy gave his age as 24; height as 6 (presumably feet); weight as 160 (presumably pounds); occupation as miner and his former marriages as ‘none’. The address entered for both parties was Bamford, also given as their place of nativity and in each case ‘Religious Belief’ was left blank.

Samuel L. Cargle enlisted in the US Army on 18^th September 1942, at Cincinnati, Ohio.

Samuel L. Cargle died on 6^th October 1946, at 3.30 pm, as recorded on his Certificate of Death (Commonwealth of Kentucky, Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Registration District 655, Primary Registration District No. 5711, State File No. 23764, Registrar’s No. 332). The immediate cause of death was gun shot wounds, due to homicide. He was stated to be a veteran of World War II, his ‘Color or race’ was entered as ‘Colored’ and his marital status was given as married. His birthplace was entered as Alabama, his usual occupation as coal miner. The burial, cremation or removal of his body took place at Verda, Kentucky, on 13^th October 1946.

Jess Dillard was convicted of Samuel Leroy Cargle’s murder, essentially a senseless and unprovoked act. It does not appear that race had been a factor. The circumstances of the crime are preserved in considerable detail in the official report of Dillard’s unsuccessful application, which proceeded on purely technical grounds, in the Court of Appeals of Kentucky from the Harlan Circuit Court, dated 31^st January 1947; Dillard v Commonwealth.

The original judgement was affirmed and therefore the sentence of life imprisonment in the penitentiary stood.

Samuel Leroy Cargle was recalled as an airman (deceased) at the time of his son James Lester Cargle’s marriage to Dorothy Costagliola Genelli in 1973.

He was recalled as a coal miner (deceased) at the time of his son James Lester Cargle’s marriage to Lorna Fé McIntyre in 1981.

Forebears

Samuel Leroy Cargle’s father was identified on his 1946 death certificate as John Cargle, birthplace Alabama. Regarding his mother’s maiden name and birthplace, ‘Don’t Know’ was entered for both.