Shadow Chasers : The Woolfolk Tragedy Revisited

by Carolyn Deloach

In the early morning hours of August 6, 1887,in rural Bibb County, Georgia, Captain Richard F. Woolfolk and eight members of his family died at the hands of an axe murderer. A single member of the household survived the attack. Tom woolfolk, the Captain's eldest son escaped the slaughter and sounded the alrm, only to be arrested for the crime.On October 29, 1890, after languishing in jell, chained to the wall of his cell for three years, enduring countless trials, he calmly climbed the steps to the gallows, proclaimed his innocence one last time and forgave those who were about to kill him. After extensive research, and in vivid detail, author Carolyn DeLoach has been able to capture the emotions of the period. Shadow Chasers is a factual account of one of the most horrendous crimes in the history of the state of Georgia, as told by the actual participants, in their own words. Ms. DeLoach guides the reader through the tangled web of tragic events and subtly presents haunting evidence that a serial mass murderer was protected by the political forces of the State, and an innocent man was sacrificed. The murderers of the Woolfolk family went on to kill another family and possibly many more. Find out how Shadow Chasers is changing history by revelaing who really killed the Woolfolk family.

400 pages, Paperback

First published June 2, 2000

Reviews

[Harriman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man charged in gruesome murder of nine family members . Takes place following the War Between the States and has political and racial overtones . Public hysteria and prejudiced legal system seems to influence the course of Justice . A bit detailed in the repetitive legal testimonies and courtroom procedures. However this is the way our legal system works. It is worth reading through the entire book to form your own opinion based on testimonies and court rulings presented. Be sure to read the epilogue. You may be surprised.

[Jim Giddens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating! Over 20 years of research went into this well written account of the murder of the century and the events that followed. If you live in Macon, Georgia, it's a must-read part of the history of Macon-Bibb County. I call it captivating because the action kept going throughout the entire book. Well done, Mrs. Deloach!

[Patricia Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

You would think if a book has an updated edition that someone, perhaps an editor or a proofreader, would catch all the misspellings and grammar mistakes. Every single time I came across another one, it would completely pull me out of the narration as I rolled my eyes so hard you could probably have heard them all the way down to Macon. I'll give the book a 4 for content, but am marking it down to a 3 for apparent lack of proofreading. (Note that I'm not referring to dialogue or transcripts from any of the trials. These errors are in the author's narration.)

As the murders took place about an hour's drive from where I currently live, I was interested in the subject matter. It certainly appears that the judge was prejudiced against the defendant and made every effort to thwart the efforts of his attorneys. It was quite difficult to see this play out in each successive trial.

[Pamela Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a well written book, but a sad story.

[Tasha Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is absolutely fascinating but most of the book consists of the trial arguments presented in a dull manner. This story and book would have been far better if it had more information about Simon Cooper or more emphasis placed on story lines that keep you on the edge of your seat. I wanted those who manipulated details to serve their own purpose to be exposed for their opportunistic actions and what factors led to a possibly innocent man being put to death in such a cruel manner. I think the idea and story are great but the book could have been made more exciting.

[Lori Inouye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very intriguing book... so dumbfounded at the bias shown against the defense throughout the entire proceedings. Kept thinking how things would most likely have turned out very differently if he had been tried in the court system today. Highly recommend this book.

[Danath01 · Rating 1 out of 5]

terrible