Bio & Incident Details: On June 26th, 1876, Marshal Mitchell received information regarding a horse theft from Greenfield in Highland County, OH involving a man named Marshall Johnson. Marshal Mitchell enlisted the assistance of Thomas Turner, the stable owner where the thief had stayed overnight, to help pursue and identify the horse thief.
Marshal Mitchell and Mr. Turner were able to follow the trail of the suspect to Hurricane Station (known as Hurricane today). The two confronted the suspect and a fight ensued. The suspect fired several shots at Mitchell, hitting him twice. Marshal Mitchell attempted to return fire, but sadly, the cartridges in his firearm failed to fire. The suspect then shot Mr. Turner in the abdomen, and then fled the scene. Both Mitchell and Turner were still alive after being found later that morning; Mitchell was still holding onto the stolen horse. Marshal Mitchell was taken to the home of Lewis Burdette and died at 11:00am on June 27, 1876. Mr. Turner was taken to his own home and was not expected to live much longer.
Isaac Henry Mitchell’s funeral occurred at 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, June 29th. He was buried with full Masonic Honors, by Huntington Lodge No. 53, of which he was a member. The Worshipful Master, J. Owen Wall presided over the ceremony. He is buried at Spring Hill Cemetery in Huntington, WV in Section 17 Lot 51, Space 4-5.
On June 27, 1876, the suspect, Marshall Johnson, was apprehended in Gallipolis and transported via boat to Huntington to be positively identified by the still alive Thomas Turner. After the identification by Turner, Deputy Sheriff Morris from Putnam County took control of the prisoner. He was to be taken to the Putnam Jail as the crime occurred in Putnam County. At about 6 A.M. on Saturday July 1st, a mob composed of fifteen of the” most representative, distinguished and well respected men from Cabell County,” entered the town of Winfield and proceeded to the county jail. They removed Marshall Johnson, who had been incarcerated there a few days before. As soon as they had secured him, they mounted their horses and started down the road, evidently on their way to the place where he had shot Isaac Mitchell and Tom Turner. They hung Marshall Johnson from the limb of a small chestnut tree close by the road-side near White Oak Chapel. After a short time they mounted their horses and continued down the road, leaving Johnson hanging.
