Ku Klux Komedy
History is filled with atrocities committed by the Ku Klux Klan. It brings a welcome sense of justice to discover…
Doc McConnell Had Nerves of Steel
Dr. Robert Watson “Doc” McConnell was born in 1869. He became one of the finest physicians ever to practice under…
Pistols and Whiskey
Gate City witnessed two different shootings on May 25, 1903. “Lil” Ramey tried to run Brayton Salyer off his property…
Ridiculous Regulators
One of the worst episodes of deadly incompetence in southwest Virginia was enacted by a group of men who called…
A Suicide That was Murder
Dr. Isaac “Cam” Anderson, brother of Bristol’s Mayor Anderson, wedded Gate City beauty Mary Nelms, in October 1901. He moved…
White Collar Insanity
Deputy Clerk David S. Morrison worked at the Scott County Courthouse in March 1891. Trusted deputy clerks handled all monies…
Whiskey, Cards, and Pistols
Scott County’s only double-execution occurred on February 6, 1885. The hanging occurred in “Estillville,” later known as Gate City. William…
Back from the Dead
Ale Artrip miraculously returned home in 1929. His family was overwhelmed, but overjoyed. Artrip was very much alive and well,…
The Lovelorn Larcenist-Ernest Torrence
One of the most famous swindling “Romeos” was captured near Gate City, Virginia. Notorious Lonely Heart, Ernest I. Torrence, gained…
Never Play with Fire… Or Dynamite
The morning started as any other on December 11, 1907. Nothing was amiss… until an explosion rocked Bristol, Virginia. The…