The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-03-22
JUDGE AND NINE OTHERS
SHOT IN COURT ROOM
Also KIN the Prosecutor and Sheriff Of
HiIllsVille, Va.-Nine Other
Men Are Shot.

Richmond, Va.--A gang of noun
taineers and moonshiners known as
The Aliens shot and killed Circuit
Judge Thornton l.. Massie in the little
red brick county court house at HIS
yille, the county seat at Carroll coun-
ty, on the southern border OF the
State; killed Commonwealth Attor-
ney William l.. Foster and Sheriff
Lew Webb and mortally wounded a.
G.. Cane, a Juror; A. G.. Fowler, a
Juror. Dexter Good, clerk of the court,
and Stuart Warrall, spectator. Floyd
Allen, the leader of the gang, got two
bullets.
Seventeen of the outlaws then back
ed out OF the court room exchanging
shots with the jurors and the deputy
sheriffs. who had drawn guns tie
moment the fusillade on the county
officers and jurors began and escaped.
Judge Massie was shot three times,
" ebb stopped four bullets AID Foster
.Mo. Cane was shot twice. Fawler
w 'Ce and Good once.
Floyd Allen was taken TO a hotel
IOOli buiA lLS llbhl N"O buliolOl
wounds in his stomach and one in his
side ard broken leg. His leg was
broken as result of be nS ramplcd
upon la the court room Following
the escape OF Jackson and -,iIn2y Al
len, LuTsued by the only OaCAr5 able
to follow, Floyd Allen was removed to
the hotel room, where his son Victor
heavily armed. stood guard and threat
ened to shoot any one who attempted
to enter his fathers room.
The tragedy occurred in the little
court in this town, just as Judge Mas.
sic had passed sentence on Floys Al
len. convicted of aiding a prisoner TO
escape Allen was given one year in
the penitentiaTy at hard labor. and
Judge Massie had hardly finished pass
ing the sentence when from some
where in the court came the words
that is hell amt it."
Then there was a sound of a pistol
shot. and in less than minute the
court room was resOunding with revol
yer shots. curses OF the outlaws and
the cries of the wounded The first
shots were fired by Sidney and Jack
Allen, brothers of the man on trial
Hardly were the words that is hell.
amt it," uttered before these two
men, who were standing close up TO
the rail where Floyd Allen was seated,
whipped out their revolyers and began
firing. Judge Massie, after the first
shot, dropped back into his chair and
fell dead with his head resting on his
desk.
Sheriff Lew Webb. sitting by the
prisoner had half risen with his hand
reached for his gun, when he was shot
down by a concentrated fire, and died
Immediately.
When the Aliens opened fire on the
jury box. the jurors, themselves, not
unsupplied with weapons, returned
The gunplay and at the same time the
deputy shcriffs scattered about the
court numbered their Winchcstcrs
and in the hail OF bullets that follow
ed Dexter Good, was dropped with a
bullet in his neck, and J. I'll. Blankon-
ship, one of the Jurors, was wounde,.
When the return fire against the Al
lsus and their followers began to get
too hot for them they backed out OF
the smokehlled courthouse took to
their horses and broke for the hills.
The Aliens have long been consider
ed the most dangerous men in this
section. They have a large following
and the average citizen is afraid to in.
terfere with them in anything they at.
tempt to do.
Governor Mann Immediately order
ed the militia companies OF Roanoke
and Lynchburg TO be in readiness to
60 to Hillsville in case the followers
II the Aliens should organize TO resist
The capture OF those concerned in the
shooting. The governor offered a re.
ward OF $4,000 for the capture of the
lssassins