Murder, Moonshine & General Mayhem in Shotgun County

Murder, Moonshine & General Mayhem in Shotgun County

Author: R. L. Murray

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-12-18

Total Pages: 172

ISBN-13: 9781981563449

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Uncle Dave Macon, made the county of Cannon quite famous when he sang about those Cannon County Hills from the Grand Ole Opry stage. Later on, it was Porter Wagoner who recorded the King of the Cannon County Hills song and even Grandpa Jones sang about being the King of the Cannon County Hills on the Hee Haw show in 1969. Maybe the tale of Al Capone supplying his speakeasies with Cooper Melton's moonshine from Short Mountain gained the county it's notoriety or it could be the county's nickname of Shotgun County. No matter which claim you are taken by, you'll find murder, moonshine and other general mayhem aplenty. Read through newspaper articles and old court documents that take you through a timeline of the stories of convicted murderers John Hollandsworth, Dillard Warren, Albert Jetton; the first county lynching of Tom Lillard, the death of moonshiner Cooper Melton or the robbing of the Bank of Auburn...all three attempts. Scan through old sworn testimonies where neighbors swear to the illegal activities of each other involving Lewdness, Carrying a Pistol, Selling Liquor and Disturbing Public Worship to Running a House of Ill Fame or read about the Cannon County son who became Sheriff and then on to U. S. Deputy Marshal and was called 'one of the most successful officers in the country.' These were the times when words like desperado and assassin were frequently used and it all happened in those Cannon County Hills. A few of the more notable stories and various court documents are compiled here in Murder, Moonshine and General Mayhem in Shotgun County.


Book Synopsis Murder, Moonshine & General Mayhem in Shotgun County by : R. L. Murray

Download or read book Murder, Moonshine & General Mayhem in Shotgun County written by R. L. Murray and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-12-18 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Uncle Dave Macon, made the county of Cannon quite famous when he sang about those Cannon County Hills from the Grand Ole Opry stage. Later on, it was Porter Wagoner who recorded the King of the Cannon County Hills song and even Grandpa Jones sang about being the King of the Cannon County Hills on the Hee Haw show in 1969. Maybe the tale of Al Capone supplying his speakeasies with Cooper Melton's moonshine from Short Mountain gained the county it's notoriety or it could be the county's nickname of Shotgun County. No matter which claim you are taken by, you'll find murder, moonshine and other general mayhem aplenty. Read through newspaper articles and old court documents that take you through a timeline of the stories of convicted murderers John Hollandsworth, Dillard Warren, Albert Jetton; the first county lynching of Tom Lillard, the death of moonshiner Cooper Melton or the robbing of the Bank of Auburn...all three attempts. Scan through old sworn testimonies where neighbors swear to the illegal activities of each other involving Lewdness, Carrying a Pistol, Selling Liquor and Disturbing Public Worship to Running a House of Ill Fame or read about the Cannon County son who became Sheriff and then on to U. S. Deputy Marshal and was called 'one of the most successful officers in the country.' These were the times when words like desperado and assassin were frequently used and it all happened in those Cannon County Hills. A few of the more notable stories and various court documents are compiled here in Murder, Moonshine and General Mayhem in Shotgun County.

Moonshine, Murder and Mayhem in Georgia

Moonshine, Murder and Mayhem in Georgia

Author: Olin Jackson

Publisher: Legacy Communications

Published: 2003-04-01

Total Pages: 504

ISBN-13: 9781880816158

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Accounts of bizarre, grisly and breath-taking incidents which have occurred in Georgia over the past 200 years. All of the accounts are true and factual. Information collected by reliable researchers from historic newspaper articles, court records, legal documents, personal interviews and first-person accounts. Includes over 400 amazing period photographs. Includes full-name and subject indexes for reference purposes.


Book Synopsis Moonshine, Murder and Mayhem in Georgia by : Olin Jackson

Download or read book Moonshine, Murder and Mayhem in Georgia written by Olin Jackson and published by Legacy Communications. This book was released on 2003-04-01 with total page 504 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Accounts of bizarre, grisly and breath-taking incidents which have occurred in Georgia over the past 200 years. All of the accounts are true and factual. Information collected by reliable researchers from historic newspaper articles, court records, legal documents, personal interviews and first-person accounts. Includes over 400 amazing period photographs. Includes full-name and subject indexes for reference purposes.

Moonshine, Murder and Mountaineers

Moonshine, Murder and Mountaineers

Author: Janie Ledford Cook

Publisher: Chestnut Ridge

Published: 2014-10-20

Total Pages: 223

ISBN-13: 9780990865704

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Book Synopsis Moonshine, Murder and Mountaineers by : Janie Ledford Cook

Download or read book Moonshine, Murder and Mountaineers written by Janie Ledford Cook and published by Chestnut Ridge. This book was released on 2014-10-20 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Moonshine, Murder and Mayhem

Moonshine, Murder and Mayhem

Author: Robert Johnson

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2013-08-05

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781491295519

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This historical novel is the result of many years of study into family history and American history of the period that is often called the Great Depression, but should also be called the Great Prohibition. Both of these national calamities collaborated to shape the lives depicted in the present work of historical fiction. It is inspired by the struggle of a real life family in northern Minnesota. It describes what they went through to survive in a country racked by poverty and moralistic values. "Moonshine, Murder and Mayhem's" climactic moment is described as follows: "As Katie stood up to face her jealous lover, she knew she had never seen him in such a state of rage and she began to wonder whether she could control the situation. "I told you many times, that if I caught you with another man, I would kill you!" Big Al said spitting out the words one at a time and emphasizing that final expression, kill you." The thirteen years that Prohibition held the country hostage to its morality has been called, a period of Mayhem. History has judged the country harshly over this curtailing of human rights. But while it was illegal to sell alcohol openly, moonshiners thrived and prospered. The story of the Shea family is a saga interwoven with the struggles over "White Lightning" and the ominous and pervasive poverty of the Depression. It takes place in northern Minnesota and finds its terrible peak on a cold March night in the year 1930. Katie Shea Gendreau, full of life at 33 years old, looses the struggle with Poverty and Prohibition. This is her story.


Book Synopsis Moonshine, Murder and Mayhem by : Robert Johnson

Download or read book Moonshine, Murder and Mayhem written by Robert Johnson and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2013-08-05 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This historical novel is the result of many years of study into family history and American history of the period that is often called the Great Depression, but should also be called the Great Prohibition. Both of these national calamities collaborated to shape the lives depicted in the present work of historical fiction. It is inspired by the struggle of a real life family in northern Minnesota. It describes what they went through to survive in a country racked by poverty and moralistic values. "Moonshine, Murder and Mayhem's" climactic moment is described as follows: "As Katie stood up to face her jealous lover, she knew she had never seen him in such a state of rage and she began to wonder whether she could control the situation. "I told you many times, that if I caught you with another man, I would kill you!" Big Al said spitting out the words one at a time and emphasizing that final expression, kill you." The thirteen years that Prohibition held the country hostage to its morality has been called, a period of Mayhem. History has judged the country harshly over this curtailing of human rights. But while it was illegal to sell alcohol openly, moonshiners thrived and prospered. The story of the Shea family is a saga interwoven with the struggles over "White Lightning" and the ominous and pervasive poverty of the Depression. It takes place in northern Minnesota and finds its terrible peak on a cold March night in the year 1930. Katie Shea Gendreau, full of life at 33 years old, looses the struggle with Poverty and Prohibition. This is her story.

50 Ways to Die

50 Ways to Die

Author: Jerry L. West

Publisher: AuthorHouse

Published: 2011-06-27

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 1456746758

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50 Ways To Die is a compendium of death and sometimes violent crimes occurring in the county, and the social trends that surround them. West’s research centered on records of Coroner’s Inquest and microfilm of the newspaper, Yorkville Enquirer, both of which are archived at the History Center in York. The inquests records had not been studied until West began his research which coincided with members of the staff and volunteers were indexing. A great deal of appreciation is extended to Archivist Nancy Sanbet, her staff and the several volunteers who assisted. And a special thank you to Miles Gardner who gave the idea for this book by his Murder and Mayhem in Old Kershaw. This book gives accounts of murders, suicides, accidental deaths and gruesome infanticides, ending in 1929. West has randomly extracted more than twenty murders, some of which are still retold in local kitchens and living rooms. The list includes the 1929 chilling murder of Faye Wilson King by her husband, Rafe. This murder brought national publicity to the small western York County town of Sharon. Also included is the 1922 murder of playing children by a man angry over water in Clover, and the brutal murder of Johnny Lee Good in 1888. People of York County have murdered over women, food, liquor, money, slander and unpaid bills and they did it with planks, bare hands, guns, knives and even ironing boards. Sometimes these occurred on the spur of the moment with overheated blood and sometimes with cold calculation. While most crimes were white on white or black on black, the subject of race has been excluded expect in cases where mentioning it was for clarification. One thing is clear in many of these cases, justice came to some, and the times were certainly not safe for minorities, the poor, and children.


Book Synopsis 50 Ways to Die by : Jerry L. West

Download or read book 50 Ways to Die written by Jerry L. West and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2011-06-27 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 50 Ways To Die is a compendium of death and sometimes violent crimes occurring in the county, and the social trends that surround them. West’s research centered on records of Coroner’s Inquest and microfilm of the newspaper, Yorkville Enquirer, both of which are archived at the History Center in York. The inquests records had not been studied until West began his research which coincided with members of the staff and volunteers were indexing. A great deal of appreciation is extended to Archivist Nancy Sanbet, her staff and the several volunteers who assisted. And a special thank you to Miles Gardner who gave the idea for this book by his Murder and Mayhem in Old Kershaw. This book gives accounts of murders, suicides, accidental deaths and gruesome infanticides, ending in 1929. West has randomly extracted more than twenty murders, some of which are still retold in local kitchens and living rooms. The list includes the 1929 chilling murder of Faye Wilson King by her husband, Rafe. This murder brought national publicity to the small western York County town of Sharon. Also included is the 1922 murder of playing children by a man angry over water in Clover, and the brutal murder of Johnny Lee Good in 1888. People of York County have murdered over women, food, liquor, money, slander and unpaid bills and they did it with planks, bare hands, guns, knives and even ironing boards. Sometimes these occurred on the spur of the moment with overheated blood and sometimes with cold calculation. While most crimes were white on white or black on black, the subject of race has been excluded expect in cases where mentioning it was for clarification. One thing is clear in many of these cases, justice came to some, and the times were certainly not safe for minorities, the poor, and children.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Author: John Berendt

Publisher: Random House

Published: 1994-01-13

Total Pages: 417

ISBN-13: 0679429220

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NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A modern classic of true crime, set in a most beguiling Southern city—now in a 30th anniversary edition with a new afterword by the author “Elegant and wicked . . . might be the first true-crime book that makes the reader want to book a bed and breakfast for an extended weekend at the scene of the crime.”—The New York Times Book Review Shots rang out in Savannah’s grandest mansion in the misty, early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. In this sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative, John Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case. It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman’s Card Club; the turbulent young gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the “soul of pampered self-absorption”; the uproariously funny drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young people dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience.


Book Synopsis Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by : John Berendt

Download or read book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil written by John Berendt and published by Random House. This book was released on 1994-01-13 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A modern classic of true crime, set in a most beguiling Southern city—now in a 30th anniversary edition with a new afterword by the author “Elegant and wicked . . . might be the first true-crime book that makes the reader want to book a bed and breakfast for an extended weekend at the scene of the crime.”—The New York Times Book Review Shots rang out in Savannah’s grandest mansion in the misty, early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. In this sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative, John Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case. It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman’s Card Club; the turbulent young gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the “soul of pampered self-absorption”; the uproariously funny drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young people dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience.

Otto Wood, the Bandit

Otto Wood, the Bandit

Author: Trevor McKenzie

Publisher: UNC Press Books

Published: 2021-08-17

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1469664720

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Legions of bluegrass fans know the name Otto Wood (1893–1930) from a ballad made popular by Doc Watson, telling the story of Wood's crimes and violent death. However, few know the history of this Appalachian figure beyond the larger-than-life version heard in song. Trevor McKenzie reconstructs Wood's life, tracing how a Wilkes County juvenile delinquent became a celebrated folk hero. Throughout his short life, Wood was jailed for numerous offenses, stole countless automobiles, lost his left hand, and made eleven escapes from five state penitentiaries, including four from the North Carolina State Prison after a 1923 murder conviction. An early master of controlling his own narrative in the media, Wood appealed to the North Carolina public as a misunderstood, clever antihero. In 1930, after a final jailbreak, police killed Wood in a shootout. The ballad bearing his name first appeared less than a year later. Using reports of Wood's exploits from contemporary newspapers, his self-published autobiography, prison records, and other primary sources, Trevor McKenzie uses this colorful story to offer a new way to understand North Carolina—and arguably the South as a whole—during this era of American history.


Book Synopsis Otto Wood, the Bandit by : Trevor McKenzie

Download or read book Otto Wood, the Bandit written by Trevor McKenzie and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2021-08-17 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Legions of bluegrass fans know the name Otto Wood (1893–1930) from a ballad made popular by Doc Watson, telling the story of Wood's crimes and violent death. However, few know the history of this Appalachian figure beyond the larger-than-life version heard in song. Trevor McKenzie reconstructs Wood's life, tracing how a Wilkes County juvenile delinquent became a celebrated folk hero. Throughout his short life, Wood was jailed for numerous offenses, stole countless automobiles, lost his left hand, and made eleven escapes from five state penitentiaries, including four from the North Carolina State Prison after a 1923 murder conviction. An early master of controlling his own narrative in the media, Wood appealed to the North Carolina public as a misunderstood, clever antihero. In 1930, after a final jailbreak, police killed Wood in a shootout. The ballad bearing his name first appeared less than a year later. Using reports of Wood's exploits from contemporary newspapers, his self-published autobiography, prison records, and other primary sources, Trevor McKenzie uses this colorful story to offer a new way to understand North Carolina—and arguably the South as a whole—during this era of American history.

Days of Darkness

Days of Darkness

Author: John Pearce

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky

Published: 1994-11-15

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 9780813118741

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" Among the darkest corners of Kentucky’s past are the grisly feuds that tore apart the hills of Eastern Kentucky from the late nineteenth century until well into the twentieth. Now, from the tangled threads of conflicting testimony, John Ed Pearce, Kentucky’s best known journalist, weaves engrossing accounts of six of the most notorior accounts to uncover what really happened and why. His story of those days of darkness brings to light new evidence, questions commonly held beliefs about the feuds, and us and long-running feuds—those in Breathitt, Clay Harlan, Perry, Pike, and Rowan counties. What caused the feuds that left Kentucky with its lingering reputation for violence? Who were the feudists, and what forces—social, political, financial—hurled them at each other? Did Big Jim Howard really kill Governor William Goebel? Did Joe Eversole die trying to protect small mountain landowners from ruthless Eastern mineral exploiters? Did the Hatfield-McCoy fight start over a hog? For years, Pearce has interviewed descendants of feuding families and examined skimpy court records and often fictional newspapeputs to rest some of the more popular legends.


Book Synopsis Days of Darkness by : John Pearce

Download or read book Days of Darkness written by John Pearce and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 1994-11-15 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: " Among the darkest corners of Kentucky’s past are the grisly feuds that tore apart the hills of Eastern Kentucky from the late nineteenth century until well into the twentieth. Now, from the tangled threads of conflicting testimony, John Ed Pearce, Kentucky’s best known journalist, weaves engrossing accounts of six of the most notorior accounts to uncover what really happened and why. His story of those days of darkness brings to light new evidence, questions commonly held beliefs about the feuds, and us and long-running feuds—those in Breathitt, Clay Harlan, Perry, Pike, and Rowan counties. What caused the feuds that left Kentucky with its lingering reputation for violence? Who were the feudists, and what forces—social, political, financial—hurled them at each other? Did Big Jim Howard really kill Governor William Goebel? Did Joe Eversole die trying to protect small mountain landowners from ruthless Eastern mineral exploiters? Did the Hatfield-McCoy fight start over a hog? For years, Pearce has interviewed descendants of feuding families and examined skimpy court records and often fictional newspapeputs to rest some of the more popular legends.

Conviction

Conviction

Author: Denver Nicks

Publisher: Chicago Review Press

Published: 2019-06-04

Total Pages: 211

ISBN-13: 1613738366

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On New Year's Eve, 1939, Elmer Rogers and his wife, Marie, were preparing for bed when a shotgun blast sent buckshot deep into Elmer's rib cage. When Marie ran from the room, screaming for help, a second gunshot erupted. The eldest Rogers child grabbed his baby brother and ran while the middle child clung to the bed frame, paralyzed with terror. The intruders poured coal oil around the house and set fire to the front door before escaping. Within a matter of days, investigators identified several suspects: convicts who had been at a craps game with Rogers the night before. Also at the craps game was a young black farmer named W. D. Lyons. As anger at authorities grew, political pressure mounted to find a villain. The governor's representative settled on Lyons, who was arrested, tortured into signing a confession, and tried for the murder. The NAACP's new Legal Defense and Education Fund sent its young chief counsel, Thurgood Marshall, to take part in the trial. The NAACP desperately needed money, and Marshall was convinced that the Lyons case could be a fundraising boon for both the state and national organizations. It was. The case went on to the US Supreme Court, and the NAACP raised much-needed money from the publicity. Conviction is the story of Lyons v. Oklahoma, the oft-forgotten case that set Marshall and the NAACP on the path that led ultimately to victory in Brown v. Board of Education and the accompanying social revolution in the United States.


Book Synopsis Conviction by : Denver Nicks

Download or read book Conviction written by Denver Nicks and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2019-06-04 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On New Year's Eve, 1939, Elmer Rogers and his wife, Marie, were preparing for bed when a shotgun blast sent buckshot deep into Elmer's rib cage. When Marie ran from the room, screaming for help, a second gunshot erupted. The eldest Rogers child grabbed his baby brother and ran while the middle child clung to the bed frame, paralyzed with terror. The intruders poured coal oil around the house and set fire to the front door before escaping. Within a matter of days, investigators identified several suspects: convicts who had been at a craps game with Rogers the night before. Also at the craps game was a young black farmer named W. D. Lyons. As anger at authorities grew, political pressure mounted to find a villain. The governor's representative settled on Lyons, who was arrested, tortured into signing a confession, and tried for the murder. The NAACP's new Legal Defense and Education Fund sent its young chief counsel, Thurgood Marshall, to take part in the trial. The NAACP desperately needed money, and Marshall was convinced that the Lyons case could be a fundraising boon for both the state and national organizations. It was. The case went on to the US Supreme Court, and the NAACP raised much-needed money from the publicity. Conviction is the story of Lyons v. Oklahoma, the oft-forgotten case that set Marshall and the NAACP on the path that led ultimately to victory in Brown v. Board of Education and the accompanying social revolution in the United States.

Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon

Author: David Grann

Publisher: Vintage

Published: 2017-04-18

Total Pages: 356

ISBN-13: 0385534256

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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history, from the author of The Wager and The Lost City of Z, “one of the preeminent adventure and true-crime writers working today."—New York Magazine • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • SOON TO BE A MARTIN SCORSESE PICTURE “A shocking whodunit…What more could fans of true-crime thrillers ask?”—USA Today “A masterful work of literary journalism crafted with the urgency of a mystery.” —The Boston Globe In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe. Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. One of her relatives was shot. Another was poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more and more Osage were dying under mysterious circumstances, and many of those who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered. As the death toll rose, the newly created FBI took up the case, and the young director, J. Edgar Hoover, turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to try to unravel the mystery. White put together an undercover team, including a Native American agent who infiltrated the region, and together with the Osage began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history. Look for David Grann’s latest bestselling book, The Wager!


Book Synopsis Killers of the Flower Moon by : David Grann

Download or read book Killers of the Flower Moon written by David Grann and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2017-04-18 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history, from the author of The Wager and The Lost City of Z, “one of the preeminent adventure and true-crime writers working today."—New York Magazine • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • SOON TO BE A MARTIN SCORSESE PICTURE “A shocking whodunit…What more could fans of true-crime thrillers ask?”—USA Today “A masterful work of literary journalism crafted with the urgency of a mystery.” —The Boston Globe In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe. Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. One of her relatives was shot. Another was poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more and more Osage were dying under mysterious circumstances, and many of those who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered. As the death toll rose, the newly created FBI took up the case, and the young director, J. Edgar Hoover, turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to try to unravel the mystery. White put together an undercover team, including a Native American agent who infiltrated the region, and together with the Osage began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history. Look for David Grann’s latest bestselling book, The Wager!