A.P. 11/10/1959 -- Rev. and Mrs. Tommy Swinson sit in Recorder's Court here [Yanceyville] (1/10), during hearing on charges of blackmail, conspiracy, and assault brought against them by fellow Baptist minister G. A. Hamby.
Hamby accused the couple of trying to blackmail him with pictures allegedly showing him and Mrs. Swinson in scantily-clad compromising position[s]. Hamby was staying at the Swinson home at the time of the alleged incident, and also claimed he was beaten by Swinson." UPI TELEPHOTO -fw1
Trial Results
The News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina) · 23 Nov 1959, Mon · Page 7.
It appears the "good" Reverend Swinson spent a while in Durham as a guest of the state. Click image to see a larger version. Query whether this was the only minister to spend time in the old Caswell County Jail. Did he leave a message on the wall?
Why Judge W. H. S. Burgwyn was presiding in Caswell County Superior Court in 1959 is not understood. His biography states:
"Appointed a special superior court judge in 1937, he held the position until 1953. During his long career on the bench, Burgwyn held court in eighty-eight of the state's hundred counties."
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, North Carolina) · 11 Nov 1959, Wed · Page 7
Reverend Tommy Swinson's reputation apparently survived his criminal record as he presided over the wedding of his grandson in 1977. Query whether he pulled a Jimmy Swaggart.
No comments:
Post a Comment