Not Just a Walk in the Park
When: November 26, 1933.
The setting: A jail cell and St James Park in San Jose, California.
The players: John “Jack” Holmes, Thomas H. Thurmond, and an angry mob of 5,000-10,000 gathered from around the San Francisco-San Jose Bay Area.
Holmes and Thurmond must have known it was their last day on earth. An angry mob had gathered outside of the jail. The crowd did not want to wait for the law to decide the fate of the two caged men. The mob yelled out to Sherriff Emig to give Holmes and Thurmond up.
In the San Jose of the 1930’s the Hart Department store was well known and the Hart family well loved. So when young Brooke Hart, age 22 and just recently named as vice president to the family business, was abducted and murdered, it was only reasonable people of the Bay Area wanted those responsible brought to trial.
A $40,000 ransom had been demanded and then the call came to the Hart residence with instructions, a call the police were able to trace to a payphone in town and to a surprised Thurmond.
Thomas Thurmond admitted to police that he and Holmes had driven Brooke Hart to the San Mateo Bridge where they hit, bound and then tossed him into the San Francisco Bay. Thomas took out a pistal and fired at Brooke.
On the night of November 26, 1933, vigilante justice took over. Fearing the two suspects might get off with an insanity plea, an enraged mob dragged Holmes and Thurmond from their cells and hanged them from two trees in nearby St. James Park.
The lynching made national headlines, and California Governor James Rolph Jr. said, “If anyone is arrested for this good job, I’ll pardon them all. The aroused people of that fine city of San Jose were so enraged…it was only natural that peaceful and law abiding as they are, they should rise and mete out swift justice to these two murderers and kidnappers.”
The incident inspired the 1936 movie “Fury” starring Spencer Tracy.
If you would like to visit the scene of the lynching, St. James Park, this Saturday October 8th would be an ideal time. Smooth Jazz KKSF 103.7 will be in our infamous park with a free concert.
KKSF SAMPLER 16 CD RELEASE CONCERT
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8 - 1PM
ST. JAMES PARK IN SAN JOSE
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