Book description
Murder! Mystery! Outrage! Victor Hall, young railway depot master,
married to the strikingly older widow of his former employer, was shot
dead in his store just hours after someone torched his competitor's
business. The sheriff, state investigator, and railroad detectives
suspected Hall's business rival until strange circumstances, rumors of
poisoning her first husband and of a freakish love interest fixed
suspicion on the innocent widow. Even her own Pinkerton detective turned
against her! Arsons, frenzy, and conspiracies forced Mrs. Hall's arrest
for murder. Civil unrest forced her exile until trial. Cabal, perjury
and media sensation secured conviction and sent the widow to prison
leaving daughters to fend for themselves. Reason returned, but
convoluted politics barred her release. Embarrassment repressed the
statewide sensation that newspapers predicted to become ." . . one
of the most famous criminal cases in Virginia."
