37. The Confession of Alma Petty Gatlin

 In the Spring of 1927, Reverend  Tom 'Thunderbolt'  Pardue traveled to the tobacco growing town of  Reidsville, North Carolina  to hold a revival in the big  McCollum  tobacco Warehouse. One night after the service, he was met by a beautiful young lady whose heart had been pricked by his message on the subject of confession. She had a confession to make. She had committed murder. She had murdered her own father. The reverend was conflicted. Was he to keep the secret of the young lady who had  trusted him with her very soul? Or was his obligation to go to police for the sake of the citizens of Reidsville? 

Sources:
Male Narrator: Curtis Hildreth
Music: Isaiah Hildreth

Book Murder for Breakfast by  Phil Link  (Author)
Admissibility of Confidential Confession to Spiritual Adviser https://scholarship.law.unc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=4931&context=nclr

Seal of confession in the Catholic Church https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_of_confession_in_the_Catholic_Church#:~:text=However%2C%20the%20Court%20later%20ruled,heard%20during%20a%20sacramental%20confession.

reddit.com
newspapers.com
findagrave.com
If You Talk About a Crime In Catholic Confession Can The Priest Report it to Police https://www.quora.com/If-you-talk-about-a-crime-in-Catholic-confession-can-the-priest-report-it-to-the-police

Podcast Stuff You Learned in History: The Trial of Alma Petty Gatlin
In 44 States, Clergy Don't Have to Tell Police When Someone Confesses to Child Sex Abuse https://www.newsweek.com/utah-bill-confession-priests-sex-abuse-1449878

Photo Credit :  Daily News from New York, New York Sunday March 28, 1928

Support the show

hardtimesandtruecrimes.com buymeacoffee.com/hardtimesTC