I've been told a family legend all my life that I cannot verify. My great grandfather John William Britts, son of Samuel and his second wife Mary Campbell, and his spouse Jailey E M Brickey Britts lived in Craig with their growing family. After 14 children were all born in Craig, they moved to Louisa, VA. No other relatives went with them. John purchased a farm there, and all 14 children went with them. The legend has it that the move was precipitated by a murder by one of the sons in a poker game. One of the older boys Jesse James Britts supposedly caught someone cheating, so he shot him. No one was charged or arrested. This was in the 1900's, so there must have been some circumstances that looked like self-defense, maybe an argument, or whatever. We've been told that Daddy John and Jailey were embarrassed and felt the resentment of the community. Jesse's descendants of course never heard this tale, but many of the rest of us heard it. It would have been between 1905 and 1917.
Any ideas on how to check it out? What could have started such a story if it's not true?
Also, about roughly the same time period, Sydney Britts ran away at age 14 to try to reach Oregon on his own. He had some Brickey/Barr cousins there. He may have left from Craig shortly before the move. Any info on Sydney?