Supervisor Clarence Ethan Hubbard

Clarence Ethan Hubbard

Supervisor Clarence Hubbard died after being assaulted with a baseball bat during an escape attempt from the Virginia Industrial School for Boys in Beaumont, Powhatan County, Virginia.

He had escorted a group of approximately 20 juvenile inmates into the basement of a cottage-style dormitory after they had played a baseball game outside. Once inside, one of the boys pretended to faint, and when Supervisor Hubbard bent down to check on him, another boy struck him in the back of the head with the baseball bat. The majority of the boys then attempted to escape, however, their attempt was thwarted when another staff member saw them running from the dormitory and raised the alarm. The boy who struck Supervisor Hubbard was able to make it outside the facility gate but was captured several hours later, hiding in bushes nearby.

Supervisor Hubbard was transported to the Medical College of Virginia Hospital in Richmond, where he died several hours later.

The group of juveniles planned the attack after learning that several other guards had taken a large group of juvenile inmates into Richmond for a church picnic.

The juvenile who struck Supervisor Hubbard with the bat was charged with murder. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in May 1947 after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. Five other juvenile inmates pleaded guilty to accessory to murder before the fact and were each sentenced to five years in prison.

Supervisor Hubbard was survived by his wife, parents, five sisters, and five brothers. One of his brothers served with the Richmond Police Department.