Stanley Thomas, Jr. -- Hopkins County Jailer

 

Stanley Thomas, Jr. was born on April 27, 1865 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the son of Stanley and Emily J. Light Thomas.  As a young man, he worked on his father’s farm.  He later moved to Graves County, Kentucky where in 1890 he married Callie Mae Bennett, the daughter of George and Missouri Bateman Bennett of Graves County.

Stanley and Callie’s first child was a daughter named Connie who was born on November 24, 1890 in Graves County.  Unfortunately, Connie died on July 19, 1892 at the age of one.  Later that year on September 29, 1892 their first son, Curtis Elbert Thomas was born in Mayfield, Kentucky. A second son, Richard Bennett Thomas was born on December 26, 1984 and a third son, Cyrus Bryan Thomas was born on August 16, 1896.  A fourth son, Dewey Rudolph Thomas was born on March 24, 1899 in Graves County.  Their fifth son, Orie Clifton Thomas was born on October 19, 1901.

In 1906, Stanley moved with his family to Madisonville, Kentucky. For fifteen years he was a traveling representative for the J. R. Watkins Drug Company of Winona, Wisconsin.  In 1921, Stanley ended his job with the J. R. Watkins Drug Company and became a candidate for Jailer for Hopkins County in the Democratic Primary Election that was held on August 6, 1921.  Stanley was successful in his run for Jailer and began his term in January 1922. He subsequently ran for reelection in the fall of 1925 but was unsuccessful and his term ended in early 1926.

One humorous incident that occurred while Stanley was jailer was his battle with the Fiscal Court over the payment of soap for prisoners.  The March 26, 1922 issue of the Louisville Courier Journal reported that when Jailer Stanley Thomas presented his bill for $8 to the Fiscal Court for soap used by the prisoners, it caused an uproar. The court wanted to investigate to ascertain if the county should pay for soap to wash clothes for prisoners. Jailer Thomas was quoted as saying “that if he had to pay for the soap to wash clothes of prisoners they would have to go dirty.”  It is assumed that Stanley received his $8 reimbursement as there were no further news reports on the incident.

Following his term as Hopkins County Jailer, , Stanley purchased the Blue Front Grocery Store on Hopewell Street in Madisonville in November of 1926 which he operated for a number of years.

Stanley suffered from a heart ailment for several years but on February 10, 1939, he was struck by an automobile while walking near Center and Franklin Streets in downtown Madisonville.  He sustained a brain concussion and several rib fractures and was admitted to the local hospital.  On February 24, he succumbed to a heart attack and died.  He was 73 years old at his death.

Stanley was buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Madisonville, Kentucky along with his wife, who had died on February 4, 1923 at the age of 51. 

 

LINEAGE: (Stanley Thomas, Jr. was the son of Stanley and Emily Ann Light Thomas and the grandson of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.  Mary was the seventh child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)