The Clay County Courthouse hosts a special screening of a documentary film about one of the Upper Cumberland’s most notorious criminals this Saturday.
The documentary film “A Long Hard Streak” focuses on a Fentress County man named Billy Dean Anderson. The Methodist preacher turned criminal ended up on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in 1975. Clay County Courthouse Curator Thomas Watson said Anderson kicked off his criminal career as a teenager in 1959 when he committed an armed robbery at the drive-in theatre in Jamestown.
“I guess one of the things he told him was just the power he felt when he felt that gun in his hand,” Watson said. “And from that, he really turned into one of the most infamous outlaws in the entire area here.”
Watson said Anderson hid from the FBI in a cave close to the Pickett-Fentress County line for four years and during that time, Anderson became quite the artist. Watson said people can see some of the original pieces of artwork as they will be on display along with the film.
“He did a lot of renditions of Christ in various costumes and just different situations,” Watson said. “That’s kind of through the religious side of that. He also did portraits like portraits of his mother, scenaries, and he was just an absolutely talented artist.”
Watson said there is folklore around what exactly happened when Anderson was shot and killed by the FBI in 1979. Watson said the courthouse is showing the film as the film humanizes Anderson.
“You know how stories grow here in this area,” Watson said. “You start with a small story and by the time the story is finished many years later, he had become a folk hero because his abilities outside of being an outlaw.”
Watson said the screening is free for everyone to attend. Watson said there will be a few ladies who personally knew Anderson that will likely be telling stories about his run from the law. The screening will start at 2:30pm Saturday.
