The Murder of the Ladies’ Man
Thomas Haydin was a man who loved the ladies. In April of 1897, that affection caught up with him. Hayden seduced an unnamed Boyden girl....
The Consequences of Irreverent Laughter
Scott County’s only double-execution occurred on February 6, 1885. The hanging occurred in “Estillville,” later known as Gate City. William Gibson traveled with cousin, George...
M. B. “Doc” Taylor (1836-1893)
For some reason, many papers of the era list him as "C. H. 'Doc' Taylor." Marshall Benton Taylor was also known as the "Red Fox,"...
Killer Politics
November 3 of 1903, was Election Day in Scott County, Virginia. The battle started before the polls even opened. The men in attendance waged some...
Jim Wright (?-Sep. 8, 1902)
"Bad" Jim Wright (?-Sep. 8, 1902) was an outlaw from Hancock County, Tennessee, serving a life sentence for murder in the Brushy Mountain Penitentiary. This facility...
International Espionage in Kingsport
We watch the dramatic portrayals of international espionage routinely in movies and on television. James Bond has rescued the damsel and secured the sensitive information...
E. C. Denton is Pardoned
E. C. Denton was convicted of stealing a mule in Pickens County, South Carolina. The conviction happened in March of 1878. He was sentenced to...
Charles Mead (?-1909)
Charles Mead (?-1909) Mead was a mountain desperado who robbed and murdered J. Parker, of Scott County, Virginia. He murdered the deputy sheriff who went...
Oliver Vermillion and the Bleeding Bones
In the 1820s, Oliver Vermillion was a wealthy resident of Scott County, Virginia, who lived in Thompson's Ford in Nicklesville. Vermillion was a wealthy, established...