The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-24
ALIENS HAVE MANY FRIENDS
Developments Indicate Possihilf. OF
Elton, ~ RESCUE PRISONERS.
By The .issOciatcj Press.

jBy tho Associated Prcss.l
Iliilsvillc. Va. April 23.--pcsperate
bu, futile efforts were made late to-
day. according to the detectives here.
"a smug=lc weapons TO six members
OF the Allen clan in Jail. Earlier in the
day they had pleaded no, guilty TO
indictments charging tncm with tive
murders in Carroll county courthouse
on March H. and their trials were set
for April so. at Wythevlle in an adj
jaccnt county. Tho prisoners Will BE
taken there during the night. and strict
prccaution Will be taken during their
transfer from here, the days de-
velopments showed that the Aliens had
many friends who might attempt "a
rescue.
On the pretcnsc OF being ntoXicat-
cd Weslcy Smith attracted attention
around the jail and was locked UP. In
AN alteration with Detective II II.
i.ucss Smith drew a dagger. but the
detective Knocked him unconscious.
Smith is said TO be friend of the
.Nlcn,. and his plan Is said 10 have
been to get into cell adjacent to
Floyd Alien 10 communicate with 1im.
Later in the day. al the point of AIS
rifle. Detective T.. c. Payne drove J.
{. and David Strickland from the vi
cirity OF the pail. The two brothers.
who hitherto have been under suspic-
ion OF aiding Sidna Allen and Wesley
Edwards, still al large i'll the noun
,ains. were charged by Payne with
lettering in front OF the Jail and act
ing threatingly. Counsel for the Al
lens were appealed TO hy the Strick-
land boys. ono OF them declaring that
Payne had struck him. The attor-
neNs sought out Judge Walter T.
staples. who visited the ja;, ana Sc
cured Paynes version of the affair
The judge told Payne not 10 relax his
vigilance in guarding the prisoners.
In the court proceedings carly to-
day b; was decided that tho bullet
SCARED courthouse OF Carroll county
would not bo the scene of The Allen
trials Attorneys for the six mem
b"rs OF the Alien clan thought the
lead punctured walls and chairs would
IL prejudtcial reminders 10 Il jur,. of
the tragedy OF M.,rcn II. when the
Judge. the prosecutor, the sheriff. !,
juror and bystandcr were killed.
The application OF the defense for a
change OF venue was not opposed by
the prosecution and Judge staples
granted il.
To all indictments the SIX defendants
pleaded not guilty. Their ATTORNEYS
announced severance Of the eases
ana the Commonwealth will try Floyd
Aiien first and probably his sons.
claude and Victor Allen, then his NO
Bird Marion.
Towards the close of the days pro
ccedines reference was made TO Sidna
Allen, who. with his nephew. Wesley
Edwards. is still being hunted In tho
mountains by detectives.
y. i. OSlesby. OF Bristol. OF counsel
for the prisoners. moved that attach
ment OF Sidna Aliens property he dis
missed, as had been done with the 9TH
UeIandlnfS
Huircd how Mr.. OGlasby had been
selected to act for Sidna Allen. and IL
he had communicated with the lattcr
about the subject. The attorney re-
piled that he was acting for Sidna Al
len. at the direction of Mrs Sidna Al
len The court reserved decision
Court proceedings drew a pictur-
csque crowd of mountaineers. Judge
Waller L. Staples sat IN the same chair
in which Judge Thornton +. Massie
met his death. Behind the rail was IA
detective. and a siX-shooter hung con-
spicuously on his rip. Among the six
prisoners. as we'll a At various stra-
tegic points in tho small courtroom
armed pickcts were stationed As the
crowd filed in the room. Detective Tom
Felts. assisted by Sheriff Edwards.
searched all for concealed weapons.
Some who had rode In from the
mountains expressed surprise at the
unusual proceedings. but precaution
was not lacking. a Gordon OF armed
deputies guarded, the six prisoners as
they were brought to the courtroom
FLOYD Allen. on account OF an injured
knee. had to he carried, but the other
Ave defendants strobe slowly to the
courthouse in marked contrast to the
morning of March II, when they gal
Hoped into town and deficd the law.
AS Clerk Dexter Goad read the five
separate Indictments charging five
murders, the six defendants listened