Posted 12 March 2004 - 06:45 PM
A few points here.
John McCormick works as my investigator for my law firm. I have known him for 15 years, he is 62 years old and served for 26 years 6 months and 6 days in the WV State Police. He first told me this story about 15 years ago. He has never told a lie to the best of my knowledge in his life, and he is one of three people on this planet I can call a true friend.
He was stationed at Moundsville for a number of years and was the only Trooper on duty at the time when this incident occured. At time there were Thompsons kept in each detachment. He got the call and get grabbed a Thompson and a few clips and left. During his time in Moundsville the State Police took care of the more intense duties in the Prison such as riot problems. Guard were guards, THINGS WERE different back then. I don't think that they would shoot first today. (go to SF and go to Alcatraz hear the tour, there was a dining room incident where the guard popped a few rounds from a Thompson that calmed the prisoners back down). He also was assigned to go to Detroit in 1967 for the riots there. He told me about a single Detroit police officer with a 1897 Wincehster riot gun full of buckshot that that turned back an entire mob. He thought that was much more impressive than the Thompson incident.
There was also our County Sheriff here in Logan who protected our Courthouse in 1967 with 2 1917 water cooled Brownings with orders to his deputies to "shoot to kill" any rioters. So we didn't have the problems YOU all had in Detroit, Chicago, and LA.
He wrote the serial numbers of the guns down. He also has the numbers of guns used in several other detachments in the state. He also has serial numbers of every gun he used in the WVSP as well as the US Army. His M14's number is memorized, as well as a few others.
John just moved and he was going through some old records in the attic and knew I was interested in Thompsons and gave me the number of the gun. Unfortunately he did that AFTER THE AUCTION NOT BEFORE.
I didn't go to the auction because I didn't want a Chrome plated Thompson from WV and the presale ESTIMATES from THE EXPERTS were PRETTY high. By the time I took off work and went to the sale I might as well have just bought a 95% gun off the rack. If I knew this was the gun, I would have bought it. No matter what the price at auction.
I don't know WHAT Curtis Earl was or wasn't told, I had never met him nor do I wish to meet him in the near future. Should anyone see him and get a message back, ask him what they told him about this gun.
I made Ron an offer that is fair and reasonable. He would make a good profit on this gun and be able to buy another Thompson. He has no real connection to this gun. I would probably give it to John, I gave him an Smith Enterprises M14 for his 60th Birthday,I'd see if I could have this Thompson fixed and give it to him for his next birthday, he deserves it. He's done his duty and its only the right thing to do.
Well Ron think about it. You have 4 Thompsons I've got about 15. One more with way isn't going to make a lot of difference. Of course a lot of people think you or I shouldn't have more than 1 each to keep them in circulation
Mark H