Jack Bethea
Jack Bethea (born September 19, 1892 in Birmingham; died July 3, 1928 in Birmingham) was a reporter for the Birmingham Age-Herald, an editor at The Birmingham Post and an acclaimed novelist.
Bethea starting reporting for the Age-Herald while he was a junior at Phillips High School and gained a reputation for writing balanced and thorough accounts. One detailed story of a homicide investigation earned him a 24-hour sentence for contempt of court.
In his spare time Bethea wrote short stories and novels for publication, citing Octavus Roy Cohen as his inspiration. His first novel, Half-Gods was published in serial form by Collier's before being published in a single volume by Houghton, Mifflin & Co.
Bethea's melodramatic fiction was typically set in and around the coal mines and factories of the Birmingham District. His novels Bed Rock and Honor Bound were adapted for the cinema. "Coming Through", the motion picture based on Bed Rock was filmed in Brookside and the Oxmoor Valley in 1924 by the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation.
In 1928, aggrieved by an ongoing health problem, Bethea underwent a surgical procedure and attempted a recuperation at a retreat outside the city. He returned to work, but continued to suffer. One day in July he left work early and checked himself into the Tutwiler Hotel. An hour later, the cleaning staff discovered that he had hanged himself with his belt.
He was survived by his wife, the former Alice Saxby, and by a daughter.
Publications
- Bethea, Jack (1923) Half-Gods. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton, Mifflin & Co.
- Bethea, Jack (1923) Coal. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton, Mifflin & Co.
- Bethea, Jack (1924) Bed Rock. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton, Mifflin & Co.
- Bethea, Jack (1924) Black Damp. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton, Mifflin & Co.
- Bethea, Jack (1926) Deep Seam. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton, Mifflin & Co.
- Bethea, Jack (1926) Honor Bound. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton, Mifflin & Co.
- Bethea, Jack (1926) The Man Trip. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton, Mifflin & Co.
- Bethea, Jack (1927) Silver Fleece. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton, Mifflin & Co.
References
- "Jack Bethea a suicide in Birmingham Hotel." (July 3, 1928) The New York Times
- Bates, Kelsey Scouten (April 2009) "Timepiece: Jack Bethea: The Life and Death of a Promising Young Writer". Birmingham magazine. Vol. 49, No. 4