Hell in the Woods

Tucked deep within East Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau, the Scott County coal town of Helenwood earned a brutal reputation as one of the bloodiest settlements in the state—ignited two days before Christmas in 1896 by an unthinkable betrayal. One-armed schoolteacher Mike King murdered his elderly benefactor, Aaron Beck. After a suspicious sheriff forced the killer to carry the frozen corpse from its shallow grave, King was hanged in Huntsville, kicking off a notorious year of shootouts that saw forty-seven people shot in a town of barely two hundred. In this Tennessee Tales Tuesday edition of Southern Ghost Stories, Allen Sircy explores the savage holiday murder that earned Helenwood its terrifying nickname: "Hell in the Woods." Be sure to like, subscribe and leave a review! Check out Allen's books on Amazon! https://amzn.to/3HEf2u9 Got a question or comment? Hit us up on our socials! Instagram https://www.instagram.com/southernghoststories/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/southernghoststoriesonline Follow Allen on X https://x.com/ATOAllen Use code SAVE10 for 10% off your order over at https://monstercitymadhouse.com