From Cradle to the Prison Graveyard - How He Got There
The “Dash” Between Luther Haston’s Birth and Death Dates
March 7, 1900 – September 9, 1938
What was in the “DASH” of his life, between his beginning and his end?
There was never a grave marker in the Brushy Mountain Penitentiary Burying Ground with Luther Haston’s name and birth and death dates. The State of Tennessee thought he and the hundreds buried around him were not worth having a well-marked grave.
But, there was a beginning and an end to his life, and a DASH of 38+ years between.
A "What is Known" Timeline of Luther Haston's Life
1900, March 7 – His Birth
1911 – Who was this Luther Hastings?
Before I discovered the Addie Smalley—Martin/Mortin L. Hastings marriage record, I assumed that this Rutherford County, TN “Luther Hastings” was probably young Luther’s father. Was it just a coincidence that an 11-year-old “colored” Luther Haston and a 30-year-old “colored” Luther Hastings lived simultaneously in the same rural Tennessee county? For some reason, was Addie’s son named after Luther Hastings, who was killed in 1911? Was this adult Luther actually the birth father of little Luther?
1911 – Arrest for “Grand Larceny”
Grand larceny is a crime in which something very valuable is stolen, at or more than $1,000 or more in 2024,
but much less in the early 1900s. It is a felony offense in Tennessee.
Petty (Petit) larceny is theft where the value of the stolen property is low, at or below $1,000 in 2024,
but much less in the early 1900s, probably less than $100. It is a Class A misdemeanor in Tennessee.
Assuming this was the Luther Haston who was born in Rutherford County, TN in 1900, he was 11 years old, not 14. We will see that there was ongoing confusion regarding Luther’s birth date and age. Here, he apparently fled Nashville (only 35 or so miles from Murfreesboro) and was captured in Chattanooga, TN and returned to Nashville, presumably where the theft occurred. Grand larceny was a serious offense (more serious than petit larceny) because of the value of the stolen property. Was a $35 bicycle valuable enough at that time to qualify for grand larceny?
1917 – Mother of 17 Year Old Luther Haston?
The Nashville Globe was a black newspaper edited and published by black (“colored”) people. Nashville is about 35 miles northwest of Murfreesboro, where Addie Smalley Haston, mother of Luther, lived with her parents. Additional records indicate that Addie moved from Rutherford County (Murfreesboro) to Nashville (Davidson County). Was she single again and using her maiden name at the time of her death?
1918, September 12 – Draft Board Registration
Luther (Slim) Haiston
Luther was living at 432 E. Depot Street in Knoxville, TN. Keep in mind (for future reference) that he was living near the train depot in Knoxville.
He was 18-years-old and he gave his date of birth – March 7, 1900, so he did know when he was born! He was a native-born Negro. The record says he was a driver for the U.S. Post Office. We can be sure this was the son of Addie Smalley, because he says that his nearest relative was a half-sister living in Murfreesboro, TN, as well as the date of birth matches the 1900 census record. The Willie May Mays (Luther’s half sister) was probably the 16-year-old girl who married Orman Dudley Underwood (age 19) on August 11, 1917 in Davidson County (Nashville area), TN. Rev. F.E. Alford performed the marriage ceremony. Looks like he signed his name, Luther Haiston.
He was 70″ (5′ 10″) tall, weighed 145 pounds (remember, he was nicknamed “Slim”), had brown eyes and black hair. He was physically qualified to be drafted into the army.
1918 – September 30 – Induction at Camp Hancock in Augusta, GA
Augusta, GA was home to one of the largest military camps in the United States, Camp Hancock which opened in 1917, during World War I.
World War I officially ended on November 11, 1918, 42 days after Luther was inducted at Fort Hancock. Was he discharged, so shortly after his induction, as the war was coming to a close?
1918 – October 30 – Sentenced for Petty Larceny in Nashville, TN
Left Side Page
Interesting: Six weeks earlier, he was living in Knoxville and was registered for the draft. On September 30, 1918, he was inducted into the army in Augusta, GA. Now, he’s arrested and convicted for petty larceny (stealing something of a relatively small value) in Davidson County (Nashville), approximately 200 miles west of Knoxville.
This crime occurred in Davidson County (Nashville), TN. He was sentenced for a term of 1 to 5 years. The record says he was 20 years old, which was not accurate. He was 5′ 8 1/4″ tall and 155 pounds. He was received in jail a day after his conviction, but (see left side, vertical writing) he was transferred to BM (Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary) in East TN on 12-16-1918 and released from there on 2-1-1922, a little over two years later. His contact outside of prison was his grandfather, Lawyer Smalley, who lived in Nashville then–proof that this was the baby Luther Haston born in March 1900 in Rutherford County, TN. As we saw, his mother was probably the Addie Smalley, who died in Nashville the year before Luther’s incarceration at Brushy Mountain.
Right Side Page
More Information About the Prisoner – Luther Haston
*Brown eyes – Black hair – Brown Complexion.
*2 scars on right eyebrow & scar on right cheek. Several scars on right thigh. 2 scars on left thigh. 3 scars on left knee. 4 scars on right arm at elbow. 1 scar on left side. Looks like he’d been in a knife fight and was cut up badly.
*He was single – says he was born in Alabama (did he lie about this or not know?) – farmer – C.S. (school; not sure what C.s. means, later record says he had 3 years of school) – no religion
*His term originally (it appears) to have been set to end on October 30, 1922.
*Paroled by board on 12-10-1921 (after little more than 3 years) – violated parole on 1-19-1922 (40 days later) – returned as parole violated on 1-24-1922 – Discharged 11-30-1922 (one month after his original term was set to expire).
1920 – Luther in Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary
The 1920 census was taken during Luther’s first imprisonment in the Brushy Mountain Penitentiary.
1928, October 4 – Luther in Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary
Left Side Page
Again, he was convicted for petty larceny on 10-4-1928 in Davidson County, TN (Nashville) and sentenced to one year in prison. He was 27 years old and 5′ 10 1/2″ tall.
Apparently, in his own handwriting, he listed his grandmother, Mollie Smalley, as the person to notify. She was living at 213 North Maney Street in Murfreesboro.
Right Side Page
- Brown eyes, Black hair, Black complexion
- Scar on front part of head, scar on left side of head, scar on right forearm, scar of upper left arm, teeth good
- Single
- Born in Tennessee
- Coal miner
- 3rd-grade education
- No religion
- Term expires 9-4-29 and he was discharged on that date
1930 – Luther in Brushy Mountain Penitentiary
According to the 1930 census, he was back in the Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary – less than a year after he was discharged! Parole violation again?
1936 – Arrested in Knoxville for Mail Theft
No doubt this is “our” Luther Haiston (Haston), but why was he referred to as an “Atlanta Negro”? Perhaps after his release from the penitentiary, he had temporarily lived in Atlanta.
The 1936 offense in the newspaper was against the United States Post Office, so Federal Judge George Taylor sentenced Luther Haston. We can only assume that sentence was to a Federal penitentiary, not Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary.
1937 – Luther Confesses to a Murder (He Didn’t Commit)
There is no evidence that Luther was ever tried for this crime he admitted to. Sherfiff Cate was probably right. In fact, it appears that Luther may have gotten so accustomed to the “comforts” of prison life that he committed crimes just to get away from the responsibilities of the outside world.
1938 – Convicted for Stealing Tires from the Railroad
Download the Summary of the Trial
Remember, earlier he was living on Depot Street in Knoxville, TN, near the railroad depot.
April 4, 1938 – Admitted Again to Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary
September 1, 1938 – Died of Pneumonia From 2nd Degree External Burns
Luther’s death certificate (issued in the penitentiary) says he was born in Knoxville of Knox County, Tennessee, but according to the 1900 census he was born in Rutherford County (Murfreesboro), TN. The penitentiary’s records were often incorrect and the officials there probably weren’t concerned about accuracy.
Luther’s death was the result of some kind of fire—2nd-degree external burns, which resulted in pneumonia. His lungs were probably damaged by breathing in flames. Did his cell block catch fire? Did another inmate set him on fire? Those kinds of things did happen in the Brushy Mountain prison!
More likely, his death was the result of a fire in the coal mine. Certain minerals in the coal, such as sulfides and pyrites, sometimes oxidize and generate enough heat to cause a fire. Also, in those days miners used fire lights, such as lanterns and carbide lamps for light. When they came into contact with a gaseous air pocket, fires erupted.
September 1, 1938 – Burial in the Penitentiary Graveyard
It is estimated that over 500 bodies are buried in this graveyard, the Brushy Mountain Prison Cemetery. All plots were unmarked and did not have headstones to identify the deceased.
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