Jean,

I am not familiar with the biographical details of those Scotts, but hanging men to get them to tell what the hanger wanted to know was very common in Missouri during the CW. All sides used this grotesque technique. The trick of the hanging was to convey to the victim that he could easily die in the process, and in a hurry. Sadly, some hangers in the CW got carried away and killed the victim who took his secret to the grave.

Bruce