The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-11-19
Supreme Court Denies
Writ of Error to Con-
demned Prisoners.
MAY BE GRANTED
SHORT RESPITE
Give Chance to Prepare for
Death-Not Believed Governor
Will Interfere in Sentence OF
Carroll Murderers-Judge
Keith Renders De-
cision.

Finding no merit in the appeals OF
Floyd Allen and Claude Swanson Al
len from the Judgment OF the Circuit
Court OF Wythe County. the Supreme
Court Of Appeals yesterday denied them
a writ of error. They must die In the
electric chair for the murder OF VIII
liam N. Foster. late attorney for the
Commonwealth in Carroll County. and
for taking part in the conspiracy 10
murder the officials of the court II an
effort should be made to place Floyd
Allen in Jail.
No opinion was handed down. the
courts decision being announced from
the bench by it's president. Judge James
Keith. As soon as the tribunal met
yesterday morning for the days SEES
sion, Judge Keith announced:
In the case Of Floyd Alien against
the Commonwealth. this court hnds no
error in the record and nothing preou-
dicial to the defendant in the court
below, and the judgment OF the court
below is affirmed. In the case OF CLAUDE
Allen, the same finding Is made.
This was all. Only a few people
were in the court room. mostly at
torneys waiting to argue cases
With these words. the rights, Of the
Aliens in the courts OF this Common
wealth were exhausted. The appeal
has been prosecuted and denied. ledv-
ing nothing more for tine courts to do.
RESPITE Seems Possible.
1t Is believed Governor Mann will
grant a respite to the condemned men.
because of the fact that only four
days were left to them between the
time of action by the court and the
moment set for their execution on FRI
day of this week The Governor has
made no announcement regarding this,
but the superstition il he will permit
delay SO a. to let the men prepare
for eternity.
Further than this. it is believed by
those who have talked with the Ex-
ecutiye, he will not go. He has been
approached by men who desire the
sentences eon.muted u Imprisonment
Tor life, but, SO far ~ has been heard.
he gave no encouragement whatever.
and, in fact. they say. his attitude indi-
Gated that no would not interfere with
the Judgment Of the courts.
Should there be respite. 1t Is
supposed Mrs. Floyd Allen. wife Of the
elder and mother of the younger pris-
oner, will come TO Richmond to say
farewell until eternity.
Govern0r Going Over Cases.
Soon after the Supreme Court re-
fused the writs of error asked Tor, the
Governor sent to the ONCE OF Clerk
n. Stewart Jones and secured the petit
lions and records in the two cases.
which he began to examine. He had
already gone over much Of the testt-
mony. giving it his closest attention.
He will have q statement for the pub
Tic within q few days-perhaps by to-
morrow or Thursday.
Not only Is the Executive going into
the case In detail. but the same thing
was done by the Supreme Court That
body had given daily consideration to
the petition and record since the court
met last Tuesday. indicating its earn
est effort to closely examine all the
legal points raised by the attorneys for
the defense.
Many petitions for Communication are
ready for presentation to Governor
Mann He has already received many
letters from people who desire to see
mercy exercised For the most part