Samuel Claybrook Locke

Samuel Claybrook Locke. . At this location on the night of March 7, 1925, Federal Revenue officer Sam Locke was murdered while opening the front gate. Three months before his death, Locke had resigned as deputy under Sherriff W.W. Crockett for lack of support in his efforts to uphold the law. His enthusiasm in destroying moonshine stills across the county angered John Truett, Franklin's illegal liquor czar, who hired Jim Kelton and Frank Cain to eliminate the troublesome Locke. In a two-week span after his death, the "Flying Squadron," a group of federal prohibition field agents, investigated Locke's death leading to more than 30 arrests including Kelton and Cain who were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. John Truett and his two sons were acquitted of any involvement in the murder of Locke. but were later arrested and fined for liquor trafficking., Sam Locke (1877-1925) was the son of Berry and Sarah Harbison Locke of Hillsboro. In 1896, he married Beatrice Hendricks and from this union came Elsie, Rosie, Sally, Albert, Tommy and Samuel, Jr.