Shotgun Justice: One Prosecutor’s Crusade Against Crime and Corruption in Alexandria & Arlington

When Crandal Mackey was elected commonwealth’s attorney in 1903, he set his sights on the illegal bars, bordellos and casinos of Alexandria County. The Virginia county–now Arlington County and parts of Alexandria–was plagued by crime in the streets and corruption at City Hall. Armed with a shotgun and accompanied by an axe-wielding posse, Mackey embarked on a crusade, busting up saloons and conducting raids throughout the county. When the dust settled, Mackey had shut down an infamous racetrack in Del Ray and politicians on the take in Alexandria County’s political machine. Yet, in 1915 he mysteriously withdrew his bid for another term. Author Michael Lee Pope uncovers the little-known story of one man’s battle to rid Alexandria and Arlington of sinister vice and violent crime.