I'm seeking information on Earl Letsom. He was of African American descent. He was incarcerated
Answers
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Is he still alive? or deceased? If the latter, what is his FamilySearch personal ID number? There could be more than one person with that name.
The more information available, the easier it is to help. e.g. Where was he incarcerated? Where was he born (even the country would be helpful)? About what year was he born?
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Thanks for the reply. I assume he's deceased. The only information I have is that in was at the Ohio State Reformatory at Mansfield, Ohio in 1917. I'm interested in him because he had the same name as my Grandfather.
He might have been born in Ohio but I'm certain. Earl Letsom (grandfather) was married to Lucy Behner who was born in Ohio in 1896. They had two children.
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Is this the profile?
Earl Thomas Letsom married Lucy Anna Behner.
https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/KZB4-K8D
Newspaper research shows that Lucy filed for divorce in Ohio in 1918.
There is also a newspaper report of mistaken identity of two men named Earl Letsom, one from Wisconsin who moved to Washington State, while the other was in an Ohio state prison.2 -
The 1917 World War I draft registration of Earl Letsom lists him as an inmate in the O.S.R.
He is also listed as born in Kenosha, WI, married with two children, and Caucasian.
https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/59715571?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a225045516b52717766394d687a6d324e636e64475439304d31474c556b464c663853705133625552535868413d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d0 -
I took a quick glance at census records attached to the ancestors for Earl Thomas Letsom [4 August 1893 – 19 September 1942] KZB4-K8D. His recorded parents, grandparents and great-grandparents are all listed as white.
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I mentioned a newspaper article about mistaken identity, between two men named Earl Letsom. The wording is vague, as one might expect in that era, but it appears there were two men with the same name, one referred to as a negro. No race was mentioned for the other man; in 1910s newspaper usage, that probably means he was white.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/kenosha-news-1919-earl-letsom-mistaken-i/196172665/2 -
Ok, so … to confirm… we are looking for the imposter of KZB4-K8D - Who the newspaper stated was negro but on the WWI draft card (from prison) stated caucasian.
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@Nyx773
It is possible that the prisoner was light-skinned and "passing," in the terminology of the time.
And, 1910s newspaper reports should always be verified, as they were not known for accuracy, much like viral web postings today.
I haven't looked at Washington State censuses yet to confirm if there was someone of that name living there.2 -
@Angelcynn
I noticed your comment on Earl Letsom's profile regarding the name Clyde Earl Stuart.An article in "The Dayton Herald" of 25 Sep 1914, Page 16, lists Clyde Stuart as an alias of Earl Letsom, age 21, of LaGrange, Ohio.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-dayton-herald-clyde-stuart-alias-ear/196180395/1 -
Wow! I never anticipated so many responses. All of the comments have summed up a dilemma I've been trying to solve for years. I have seen these conflicting pieces of evidence and I'm still not sure which of these two men was actually my grandfather. I've never been able to locate either a marriage certificate or divorce decree for Earl and Lucy. My gut tells me that the Earl Letsom in Mansfield was my grandfather I still don't have any definite proof either way. I'm interested in any other pieces of information anyone might bring to this discussion. Thanks so much everyone!
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The divorce filing information came from the newspapers. Divorce records are often closely held and not online. As a descendant, you may be eligible to obtain a copy.
Lucy filed in Ohio, but newspapers in Wisconsin also carried the legal notices.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-chronicle-telegram-1918-letsom-divor/196185832/1 -
Thanks, I'll consider doing that.
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@Angelcynn
There are other newspaper references to Clyde Stuart's arrests, also in the Dayton newspapers.
I think this one, about a 1914 family visit, may be useful.
Mr. and Mrs. S. B. Behner had as their guests, Thanksgiving day, Mr. and Mrs. Milton Behner and daughter Mary and Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Stuart and son Milton, and Mr. and Mrs Wesley Tran and daughters, Carrie and Mabel.
That notice links the name of Clyde Stuart to the Behner family.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-chronicle-telegram-stuart-and-behner/196204820/2 -
The death date assigned to Earl in the FS tree has a note:
"This a hint from newspapers.com with reference to the "Kenosha News".
That article in the "Kenosha News" is the obituary of Earl's mother, Mary Cleveland Letsom. The 19 September 1942 is her death, not Earl's, and the obituary states that he is living in Tennessee.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/kenosha-news-1942-mary-cleveland-letsom/196207200/1 -
Thanks for clarifying the facts regarding Earl's death. Do you think Earl Thomas Letsom and Clyde Earl Stuart/Letsom are one and the same? And what about Earl Letsom, "Negro" at Mansfield? According to the Kenosha newspaper article they were two separate people. I'd like to find more records on the second Earl Letsom such as birth and/or death. A census record or marriage record would also be helpful.
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I don't believe we have enough information - yet - to decide how many different men are in the mix. There was definitely an alias, and there were probably at least two men named Earl, born about the same time. I suspect there may still be some conflation in the profile.
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There's one more piece of evidence, although it's based on hearsay. My grandmother, Lucy Behner, once told my mother that Earl Letsom's ancestry was African American. This was supposedly the reason for the divorce. My mother also said that Lucy's parents were instrumental in bringing this about. If you look at the picture of Mary Melvina Letsom on Family Search, she has features that suggest possible African American ancestry.
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Thanks for your insight on this mystery! It doesn't matter to me which of these men was my grandfather. I simply would like to know who he was and where he came from. My father didn't really know and my grandmother never talked much about him. I'll keep digging and if you have any more ideas, please feel free to keep me updated. Thanks again!
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I'm not discounting your grandmother's story. I would just say that divorces were often difficult to obtain in that era, and there were sometimes stories invented to obtain a divorce.
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William Letsom's 1932 obituary mentions son Earl T living in San Antonio.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/kenosha-news-obituary-for-william-t-let/98460318/Sister Edith Letsom's 1962 obituary mentions brothers Myron and Clarence, but Earl is not listed.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/kenosha-news-1962-edyth-grace-letsom-wag/196259455/0 -
It's possible my mother might not have had all the facts straight concerning my grandfather. For now, I'm going to take some time to sort out all these details. If I come up with anything, I'll be sure to let you know. By the way, do you have any connections to either the Letsoms or Behners?
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@Angelcynn
Best of luck with your further searching.
I have no connection to either family. I'm just an active participant in this Community, trying to help others with their research.1 -
Thanks again for all your help with my family search. I'll probably get in touch with you again in the future.
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