A Travesty of Justice 

The judge lies dead in his own courtroom. Nearby, the lifeless bodies of the county's High Sheriff and Commonwealth's Attorney are sprawled in pools of blood. Two witnesses, who had come to court in another matter, are fatally wounded and will also die. Eventually a father and son from a prominent Virginia family will be put to death in the electric chair while the governor of the state proclaims justice. The families of the men, wives, and small children will be thrown into the street penniless as their husbands and fathers are either imprisoned or executed by the state. There is only one problem, were the men really guilty? The date of March 14, 1912 will live forever in history as the day of the courthouse shootout. This was one of the most infamous crimes of its time and one which drew national attention to a small town in the heart of Virginia. It was an event which would split a county and state for generations and spark a controversy which continues to this day.