Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-03-20
THE FIERCE ALlE, CLAN
OF CARROLL COUNTY, VA.
Have Been a Terror to Community
For Many Years

llshed in the Roanoke Times of Sun
day, written from HillSvils:
Probably the most prominent and
important fact in connection with
the tragedy here Thursday is that
the Common wealth OF Virginia is
determined that the Allen clan in
Carroll county shall be destroyed
and it's long reign of terror ended
forever.
To understand the full story we
must go back a good many years
and try to get the surroundings
clearly in mind. The father of the
Aliens, the originator OF the family,
was Jerry Allen. Some Of the old
est people in Hillsville have been
/ consulted regarding the family de-
scent. but nobody seems to know
of it further back than Jerry Allen.
Judging from his name and from
some Of tie family characteristics
he was of Scotch ancestry, but it
/ seems impossible to ascertain when
/ he came into this country or from
/ what section, or whether he was
/ born here. He was a man Of excel
lent character and a Confederate
/ soldier who served through the war
faithfully and bravely as 4 private.
| In civil life and in the county he was
known as a man of very quick tenn
per and a fighter, probo bly, the
/ champion of the county, but always
using his fists. He was not fero-
cious or savage, but he was ready
TO take Cffense on small provOcation
or TO accept anything that could
/ suggest itself to an eager mind as
challenge. In 4 cove Of the noun
tains he brought up seven boys and
/ two girls. All these sons and
daughters of his grew up to be
thrifty, OF very much quicker mind
than their average nefghbor and
given TO battle. All of them seem
TO have prOspered abundantly ac-
cOrding 10 the standard of their sec
tion. All the boys acquired land
and homes and proved themselves
to be good business men. Natural
ly they established strong and wide
influence. They had the com bined
force of brains, unusual courage
and aggressiYeness and a strong
, family or clan feeling which held
them together and enabled them to
act practically as an organization.
They were proud to be known as
1.-THE lighting Aliens.
= Nobody knows positively. so far
4 as can be learned, that the Aliens
r engaged directly in moonshining
=, 1t was suspected through the
y county, however, that they were
the hackers OF many small illicit
20 dislilleries, helped the moonshiner.
4 by giving them protect ton an
, warning and in placing their pro
10 duct and took considerable share.
of the profits.
10 Among the family traditions the,
had established among themselve,
70 was that none of the Allen kith OF
kin ever should wear stripes or g,
y, to Jail. In other words, havin,
pretty we'll tyrannized over tn
~ people, they determined to asser
i themselves as above the law and it,
representatives. Possibly the
L did not realize that they were defy
- ing the commonwealth. the cOuntr
: and the world.
% Hillsville, the capital and court
ed house seat OF Carroll, is little NOR
than a hamlet 1t is twelve or four
in teen miles from the nearest rail wa
10 station. Most of the roads are fear
ry ful in the winter time, althoug
ed winding through SUGGESTIONS of pic
ed lures que and beautiful wild noun
at tain scenes. Its only direct con
to munication with the outside worl
10 during the bad weather is throug
mail carriers and one telephon
TO line, built and managed by a loo
Ike organization, with willing but III
lie trained operators, and wire, cheaI
ID " established in the first place an
IL subject to many Interruptions
yas bad weather. Incidentally this la
fact accounts for the confused, fra