John Luther “Lew” Maddy, a prohibition officer, tragically lost his life when Fourth Ave. in Hinton became the site of a multi-day police standoff 100 years ago. According to news reports from the time, Maddy was attempting to serve a lunacy warrant on a man named John Fredeking. Maddy’s slaying and the subsequent standoff took place in July 1922. Reports state that Fredeking had been released from an asylum in May of the same year.
Although he has heard the story his whole life, Lew Maddy’s descendant, John Maddy, only recently began digging into the details. He said, “It’s one of the stories you hear as a little kid about how your great grandfather died. But I never really knew the backstory. So this past year and a half or so, I’ve kind of taken on the responsibility of making sure the family heritage carries on.”
Based on a report in The Hinton Daily News and Leader on July 18, 1922, Fredeking’s father and the local sheriff attempted to take him into custody. Fredeking allegedly shot his father in the knee, which prompted the need for additional resources. At this point, Maddy arrived on the scene. Maddy attempted to go around the side of the house after finding the front door locked, supposedly looking for another access point. Sadly, Fredeking leaned out of a window and fired at Maddy, mortally wounding him. Another man was also shot shortly after and suffered a non-lethal wound.
News of Maddy’s death traveled quickly and rocked the small community. Reports state that although police closed the roads to keep citizens safe, people lined the area watching the morbid proceedings that would continue for days to come.
Later reports indicate that the standoff lasted for nine days and nights. During that time, officers attempted many methods to get Fredeking out of the residence without further incident. The initial story states that officers on the scene called for all available officers to come and assist. It is believed that Fredeking did not have any food or water for a large portion of the incident.
After finally surrendering, articles noted that Fredeking had suffered two gunshot wounds. One to his knee and one to his elbow. Reports indicate that officials believed these wounds to be the result of a gun battle that had taken place the day before. The same shootout resulted in another casualty.
News reports state that five casualties resulted from the nine-day fight to take Fredeking into custody.
Many people were involved in the efforts to capture Fredeking, including law enforcement, family members and brave citizens. For Lew Maddy’s descendants, including John Maddy, Lew’s part in the situation and subsequent death will forever be an important part of their family’s history.
The current John Maddy said his ultimate goal is to work with the Summers County Historical Society to place a placard at the address where his ancestor perished. He said learning the details of this story has created an emotional tie to his great-grandfather. It has also allowed him to share the information with his family, some of whom he said had not heard the story.
Unfortunately, John has not yet been able to find Lew’s grave site. He suspects it may be in the Maddy cemetery that he recently began caring for and exploring.
Prohibition Officer John Luther “Lew” Maddy is featured on the Officer Down Memorial Page website. The site states that the standoff lasted for 13 days; however, newspaper coverage at the time states nine days. To see Maddy’s memorial page, go to www.odmp.org/officer/19910-prohibition-officer-john-luther-lew-maddy
