Scott County’s Only Double Execution: Powers and Gibson

On February 6, 1885, thousands gathered in Estillville, Virginia, now known as Gate City, for an extraordinary event in Scott County history.

Two young men, Wayne Powers, 23, and George Gibson, 25, were to be hanged together for murder.

It would become Scott County’s only double execution.

The Murder of William Gibson

The crime had occurred the previous year as William Gibson was returning to Scott County. Traveling with him were his cousin, George Gibson, and two brothers, Jonas and Wayne Powers.

Jonas Powers left the group before trouble began.

The remaining men had reportedly consumed about six pints of brandy when an argument erupted between George and William Gibson. The dispute became violent, and Wayne Powers soon joined the fight.

Both George Gibson and Wayne Powers shot William.

He died instantly.

The killers then stripped William’s body and divided his meager possessions, valued at only a little more than $9.

A more gruesome version of the story later entered local legend. According to this account, the killers hanged William’s body and set it on fire, supposedly murdering him for $12 and a new suit of clothes.

No solid evidence appears to support that version of the crime.

Confessions and a Criminal Life

Wayne Powers and George Gibson eventually confessed to William’s murder.

Powers went considerably further.

While awaiting his fate, he published a pamphlet describing his criminal history. According to his own account, his past included several attempted murders, including an attempt to kill his own brother.

The two men were sentenced to hang.

Thousands Gather at Estillville

Although authorities did not stage the hanging as a public execution, thousands of people nevertheless gathered in Estillville on February 6, 1885.

Before their deaths, both condemned men were permitted to address the crowd.

Wayne Powers used his final opportunity to warn those assembled about the dangers of gambling, alcohol, and violence.

George Gibson took a different approach.

He joked that the rope might break when his turn came.

It didn’t.

The Double Execution

At approximately 12:30 p.m., Wayne Powers and George Gibson were hanged together.

For Powers, death came quickly. The drop broke his neck, killing him almost immediately.

Gibson was not as fortunate.

His neck failed to break.

Instead of dying instantly, he remained suspended from the rope and struggled for an extended period before finally dying.

The execution brought an end to a case that had begun with a drunken quarrel and the murder of a man for possessions worth little more than a few dollars.

Wayne Powers and George Gibson entered the history of Scott County for another reason as well.

On that February afternoon in 1885, they became the only two men ever executed together in the county.