The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-06-06

|
mony.
WYTHEvILLE, VA. Special.-Em-
met bOien, adopted son OF Judge
Bolen. was the first witness put on
today by the defense in the case of
Claude Allen, charged with killing
Judge Massie.
Young Bolen testified that both
Victor Allen and Wesley Edwards
wore black mufflers The line of
questioning by the defense Indicated
I that il would be argued by the de-
Tense later that Wesley Edwards. who
is still at large, was mistaken for
/ Victor Allen by those who testified
the courthouse shooting
DIR. {. u. NuckOlS. of HillSville. who
was used by the prosecution in the
recent trial of Floyd Allen. was also
on the stand this morning. He wa.
in the drug store, he said. and Erie.
! Allen came in for medical advice
about ten minutes before the shoot
ing, leaving and going towards the
courthouse. DR.. NuCkols stated he
heard Judge Massie almost with his
dying breath say Sid. Allen shot him.
The witness had never heard anything
against either Victor or Claude Allen.
! Through r. d. WilkerSOn. cashier
of the Bank Of Carroll. located at
Hillsville. the defense showed that on
; March Sth and 18th Sidna Allen had
deposits totaling S651.71.
Barnett Allen. son of Jasper (Jack)
Allen, FlONd's brother. deposited S15S
for his father the day before the
shooting. Questioned as to the repu-
tation of Claude and Victor Allen, the
witness said he had never heard any
thing against either.
Noah Bigney testified to good repu-
tations for Claude and Victor. The
witness was in the grand jury room
at the time of the shooting and saw
Commonwealth Attorney Foster
when q n "a
swore the attorney had an automatic
pistol in his hand at the time.
Daniel Thomas, who helped rescue a
the panic-stricken crowd in its mad
rush Tor the doors after the shooting
began, told of hearing Judge Massie
, with his dying breath accuse Sidna
Allen - his murder.
Give me some whiskey," the
judge requested when he partly
revived from his first uncOnsciOus-
ness, Then, As he was sinking for
the last time. I'm a weak md broken
voice. he decIarcds 81 am dying.
am dying. Sidna Allen killed me-
The prosecution attacked the veracity
or the witness, recalling an EFFORT Of
some OF his neighbOrs to impeach him
Asked if twenty five OF his neghbors
1id not swear they would not believe
him on oath, he said only five swore
against him while twenty-three swore
Tor him. The incident occurred about
The prosecution failed to shake the
testimony of the witness TO the effect
that the first shot was fired from be-
tween where he was standing and
the position Of Judge Masse, instead
of from the northeast corner, where
witnesses for the prosecution placed
Claude Allen and located the first
shot.
John W. Farris. who was a men,
Der of the jury that had just convict
! ed Floyd Allen when the Carroll
shooting begun, said he saw Sheriff
! Webb approach Floyd Allen when or
l.. u. -
| Floyd Allen later arose and the
next moment, almost witness saw
| Webb with a pistol leveled towards
! Floyd Allen. Two or three shots had
been fired before Sheriff Webb shot.
Then the prisoner appeared in a bel
ligerent attitude. The first shots fired
came from behind the witness in the
northeast corner, where the witness
had shortly before seen Claude Allen
and Sidna Allen.
Tom Hall, a resident Of Hilsville,
testified to the good character of Vic
tor Allen and Claude Allen.
Was In Self Defense.
! Floyd Allen testified that he and
Newt. Devil, the man who yesterday
told OF alleged threats he had heard
Floyd make, were not on good terms.
| Devil owes him money, he said, that
he has never been able to collect.
Witness spent the night before the
shooting at the home of his brother,
Sidna Allen, the roads and weather
being so bad that he did not attempt
to reach his own home. He was a
little late in reaching town the next
morning and hurried to the courthouse
after hitching his horse.
/ While on the stand the witness
rested his wounded leg on a chair,
placed in front of him.
i The verdict, cOnVicting him OF q
felony, said Floyd Allen. was read soon
after he entered the courthouse. Mo-
ton for new trial having been made,
Claude Allen had been called to the
bar by Judge Bolen to send for wit
neSseS. Before Judge MaSsie told the
sheriff to take charge of the prisoner,
the witness said. he saw Clerk Dexter
Goad with a pistol
| Floyd Allen testified that when the
sheriff was told to take the prisoner
he (Floyd) arose and saw Goad and
the sheriff, both with pistols.
marked, and Sheriff Webb and Goad
he said, fired about the same time
l though Webb appeared TO have fired a
little first.
Witness said he was placing some
papers in his inside coat pocket when
the two men in front of him shot He
fell, and about that time came two
shots from the northeast corner and
Il the firing became general.
i Floyd Allen said that he did not get
out his own pistol. a small Smith &
not remember seeing either of his boys
during the shooting in the court room,
but did see Wesley Edwards, over near
the door leading to the Commonwealth
The witness was still on the stand
when court adjourned for the noon re-
cess
CAPTAIN DAVANT RELIEVED.
ROANOKE. VA SneciaI-TO-