Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-03-19
THE HILLsvILLE TRAGEDY.
Further Developments In the Court
House Assassination Horror.


| House Assassination Horror.
Immediately following the bloody
tragedy at Hillsville, Va. last Thurs
day, Governor Mann Of Virginia, put
the entire machinery of the law tt
work and announced that the resources
Of the commonwealth would be ex.
hausted, IL necessary, to vindicate the
majesty Of the law.
The first step of the governor was
to designate Judge Staples to take
charge in place Of the assassinated
Judge Massie, and to send Attorney
General Williams to the scene to helr
get the machinery Of the law in order
Militia had already been ordered for
ward from Lynchburg, Roanoke and
other points.
1t developed that after escaping
from the court house. desperately
wounded, Floyd Allen was moved to q
room in the one hotel in the village
and there, guarded by his son he was
found by the posse. He was at once
taken to Jail and was afterward start
ed off for Roanoke In a hack. After
being taken from the hotel Allen made
an unsuccessful effort to commit sui
eide by cutting his throat with a pen
knife.
The posse that was collected imme-
diately after the court house affair
followed the outlaws high up In the
mountains. but without result. There
are stories to the effect that the out
laws had supplied themselves with
large quantities Of arms and ammuni-
ton from q hardware store, and taken
refuge in Devils Den," one Of the
most inaccessible places in the entire
Appalachian mountains. The den" Ia
located on lands belonging to Robert
Harris, a brother law OF Sidna Al
lien.
| The total number Of immediate VIC
tins Of the court house battle was four
the judge, sheriff, prosecuting attor-
ney and juror. On Friday there was
another death. Miss Ayres, woman
OF 10. was In the court house. After
the battle she complained Of a bruise;
but did not know she had been shot
She died Friday.
A special term of the court was con-
vened on Saturday and a special
grand jury was summoned and put to
work. The grand jury Is composed OF
mountaineers Of the same class that
the outlaws were recruited from. Judge
Staples, In his charge, told the grand
jurors that they would be backed In
state Of Virginia: but they were men
who were unafraid and in full sympa-
thy with the law. In short time they
returned indictments charging murder
against the following: Sidna Allen,
Freel Allen, Wesley Edwards, Sidney
Edwards and Bryan Morein.
A report was sent out to the effect
that Sidna Allen had been captured in
his home after a desperate battle with
the posse and that his wife had been
killed while engaged In loading rifles
for him; but that turned out to be q
mistake. The story was corrected af-
Mann and published; but just where
1t came from except through detec-
| ltives to the governor Is not known.
Posses have been hunting in the
mountains for the outlaws since
Thursday; but up to last accounts
without results. The mountain streams
are all swollen from recent rains. the
roads are In fearful condition and It
| Is difficult to get from one place to
another. Governor Mann has given It
out that he Is going to run all the out
laws down and bring them to justice
at whatever cost.
Dispatches Of last night from Hills
vile say that posses returned to town
empty handed and discouraged, be-
lieving that the outlaws had escaped
into North Carolina or Tennessee. A
story that the outlaws are fortified In
DEVILS Den Is discredited and not
much confidence Is placed in another
story that they have prepared to make
a stand on Squirrel Knob. Governor
wards for the outlaws to $4,000, on a
dead or alive basis. Sidna Allen, on
whose head there is a price Of $1,000,