The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-04
TELLS Of S|DNA'S
PART IN TRAGEDY
JUDGE nOLEN DESCRIBES SCENE
IN COUNT RooM AT TIME OF a.,
SHOOTING.
CLAUDE FIRED FIRST
INSISTS Hrs BULLET STRUCK JUDGE
MAssiE AND SECOND SHOT
COME rFaoM SAME DiREc-
TiON.
CLAUDE FIRED FIRST

Especial to The Richmond virginian.)
WYTHEvILLE. VA. Dec. THE
trial OF sidna Alien for the murder
OF w. NJ. Foster In the Hlllsyille trAt.
edy OF March AZ, .igias was resumed
this morniAS at 1910. A few MIN
utes' delay was occasiohed BY the
judge, jury, and attorneys attending
the body. Of Juror ]. b. Seibert to the
train. Seihert dropped dead In the
depot yesterday afternoon a. he was
about to board the train 10 return
home after having been excused from
service OH the jury.
Bolen TN the Stand.
The opening statements being con.
cluded last evening, Judge ID. w.
Bolen, an attorney OF Hilisville, ana
counsel for Floyd Alien In the case
tried at Hiilsville, was the first wit
ne for the prosecution. He gave Ia
detail the form and sixe OF the courtA
room In HillsvilIe and described the
contour and surroundings Of the
court green ana the positions Of the
various actors In the tragedy and the
part taken by each ~ impressed at
the time on his memory. He adhered
to his statements In former trials that
the first shot came from Claude Al
len In the northeast corner OF the
courtroom, that he saw the bali from
this shot strike Judge Massie near the
joint OF his right shoulder In his
breast, and that he saw the lint ny
from the judges clothing from the
impact. He also stated that the Sec
ond shot came from near the same
point as the first, and tina. the spray
from the shot was in the direction Of
Judge Massie; that he did not sec
who Aired 1t, but Sfdna, the prisoner.
advanced out OF the smoke and spray
with a pistol In his hand. and fred
several times At the court officers.
On cross the witness
stated that Of the four brothers Of
Floyd, Sidna. the prisoner. was the
only one present, and that he was
there under process from court. ~
were the others implicated. eAc1pt
Claude and Eriel Alien: that Mrs. Ed
wards mother OF bidn4 anu wesley
Edwards. was present In court 1t the
time OF the shooting. Tho trend Of
the QUESTION: was to refute the theory
OF thS prosecution that there was con.
csrted action. The chair Ia which
Judge MAssis wa1 sf1ot wAa then intro.
ducsd. ana the witnsss We asked 4
he saw the chair opened and the ball
found, and was asked q TO the posi-
ton OF the chair. Thu hole OF sn-
trance OF the bali n on the len arm.
and was found embedded IN the pad.
ding Of the back. On Te.exAlnina-
tion witness Wa asked to point ct
which balls struck In the courtroom.
No New TeStlmncny.
w. u. Tompkins. m attorney o1
fIiiisviiie, was mex. called, and i1fy
evidence was the Same - that in for
mer trials.
c. l.. Howell. the foreman OF the
jury which found Floyd Allen guilty
and fixed his punishrnent IT one year
In the penitentiAsy, and C. G. Kane.
member Of the jury, gAve
practically the same evidence Ar In the
other trials
4 Frank Fowler. one Of the deputies
Of Sheriff webb. was next called. ana
was subjected to Z rigid crose-exAmi.
nation. much OF which We bAssd
upon questions asked ~ to statements
made to other parties soon after The
shooting.
r. G. Gillespie was the next vii.
ness. and nothing nav was siicitsd
from him.
/ Both the prisoner and his wife
show the great strain upon them, ths
prisoner looking worn and broken.
During the examination 0f Witmene
Fowler. the prisoner wA1 taken quito
Dtelr. and there was 81 suspension ~
for ffteen Or twenty nhiA-
utes until he rscoyefsd from the ~
lack.
49,