Stories from the old newspapers — told in the words of those who printed them.
The Killing of Scott McCraw & the Trial of the Duncan Brothers, 1896–1899
A murder near the courthouse in Sparta, a $50,000 bond refused, a witness who vanished, and a jury that deliberated only minutes.
A Double Murder at a Wedding That Led to a Lynching, 1894–1896
A Virginian kills two men and cuts the bride at an Alleghany wedding. A masked mob takes him from the jail. The jailer shoots back. The Governor offers a reward. The courts let it go.
Desertion, Murder & Daring Escapes From Jail in the Mountains of Alleghany, 1863–1876
Two brothers desert the Confederate army, form a band of raiders, murder a farmer near Sparta, and break out of every jail they’re put in — one of them disguised in his wife’s clothes.
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