Lewis Franklin Webb

In the small, remote community of Hillsville, Virginia, a tragic event unfolded on March 14, 1912, that would leave a lasting mark on the town's history. On that day, Carroll County Sheriff Lewis Franklin Webb, a 64-year-old male, was shot and killed in a chaotic courtroom shootout. The incident, which also claimed the lives of a judge, a prosecutor, a juror, and a witness, erupted during the trial of Floyd Allen, a prominent local businessman.

The violence began just as the verdict was b ...