1932 Murder Still Haunts Appalachia

Mamie Thurman, 32, was an attractive socialite in 1932, during Prohibition, and although married to a local police officer, she had been carrying on clandestine affairs with several prominent citizens—all members of a secretive “Amour Club.” This local speakeasy, which required a special membership key for entrance, was described as a “den of iniquity” that focused on free-flowing booze, illegal gambling, wife-swapping and other forms of tomfoolery.