The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-24
Fatasnn Secret of Carroll Corantys Reign of Terror
7 TILLsVILLE. VA. March 23.--Ta-
talism Is largely the secret Of


tho display OF unbridled passion
and reckless disregard OF consequences
which chnracterlzes the Aliens OF Car
roll county. 1t has played It's sinister
part In the horrible crime at which
The world has stood aShast during the
Reries OF offenses against life and limb
and property OF which members OF the
gang have been guilty.
BY that curious sort OF mental pro-
csas In which man seek for that e1-
tent Of religious belief which will help
to Justify their conduct in their own
eyes. the Aliens have chung to the por-
ton OF the belief OF the Primitive Bap-
lists which Il suited them to enter
tain. They have disregardcd the ex-
hortatons to right living. TO peace and
harmony, to soberness and goodness, to
observance Of the golden rule. ana
have singled out tho ons doctrine Of
predcstinetion. This they chose 10 re-
gard only In the sense of an invita-
ton TO be az bad as they wanted TO be.
since Providence would not permit
than to do anything except that which
they were foreordained 10 do They
failed to leaYen the lump with the idea
OF free will. simply because they did
not desire TO do so.
Did an Allan harbor grudgc
against neighbor. It was no discredit
due 10 die, anyway. y shot fired IN
anger was the inscrutablc decree OF
the Almighty, who would not permit &c
unless It was doreordained. SO tho
All ans sought to justify themselves In
the breaking OF every commandment OF
the decalogue.
Garland Allen, tho Primitive Baptist
preacher. and brother OF Sldna. Jack
and Floyd Allen. has sought to teach
right living. But implanted In theH3
all Is the fatalistic halief that what
ever Is to be viii DO.
Their Distorted Religious View.
SO the spirit OF lawlessness has been
encouraged through the generations by
distorted religious view. Some OF
them have been heard to say that the
worse a mans life. tho more chance
that the Almighty would notice him
and convert him. The conception OF
conversion from within has part In
their philosophy. Acceptance, into
church fellowship Is usually based upon
dream or vision such as was grant
sd unto saul Of Tarsus. Tho simple
submission OF the human VIII 10 the
divine was insufficient So they sinnedl
and waited for the call from heaven.
Tor which perhaps thsy were never
Dveranxious.
In the carly days Of the country's
settlement. when might made rient.
y
The advance OF civilization toned down
this feeling, bringing In It's train Inu-
tual regard for tha rights OF others
and recognition ~ the necessity for
courts and officers OF the law TO act
Tor the body or the people. To thise
Influences the Aliens Eav. largely btcn
immune. First the fst. then the brass
knuckles. then The pistol hay. been
their machinery OF regulation. aud their
pwn Wills and prejudices and desires
have been their tribunals.
No study o; the psychology of tho
Aliens would be complete without ref
rrcnce to whiskcy. Most of the Fed
have made IL a practice 10 deal with
this subject IN the light Of reason and
Ia make its disposition matter rather
OF education than of arbitrary so!u-
ton Less than a half century ago
every man could distil splits from the
Farm products produced by himself or
his neighbor. II waB free OF tax and
free OF regulation. When II was mad,
9 source oil internal revenue these men
were put in chronic attitude OF pro-
test.
Government was an abstract thing In
Washington. and tax was an unwar-
rantatlc interference with private
rights. SO they reasoned. The result
was resistance. Most of the courts
began with destruction OF stills. vari I'd
this with comparatively slight penal
ties. and were aided by the gradual
advancement OF public sentiment for
law and order. or late years they
have been more severe. but II IS no
secret at all that the securing of ON
GERS who regarded liquor dIstilling as a
serious crime has been at all times
difficult
1t can therefore be easily sem why
Ruch men as the Aliens could continue
to make and sell liquor. being protected
6oubly by tho fear OF their neighbors
and by public sentiment not largely
aroused. But the whiskoy selling fea-
ture of their lives helped to make the
Aliens less observant of law aid more
inclined TO hold judicial machinery in
contempt,
In NOR, recent years prosecutions for
Illicit liquor selling among the clan
haye been few. but it was surprising
TO no one when the stills were found at
the homes of Floyd Allen and OF the
Edwards boys by the searching party
of detectives.
Charged With ConnterfeitinE.
The counterfeit!ng feature Is one
which the people here know but little
about. Sidna Allen was accused of ut
tering spurious half-dollars. the case
being worked up by United States off,
Gals, The prosecution failed. and
Sidna Allen was indicted for perjury
and convicted, new trial being just
granted. Unless some word has been
gotten to Sidna Allan by friend since
the murder. he does not know he Is
free OF this charge.
To the student of human nature
further reasons for the fearful out
break OF the Aliens will appear from
review of their lives and records:
Jerry Allen. father of the present
senior generation, drove a stage coach
into Winston, N. c., years before there
was a railroad there. He was known
as man ever ready to bear his part
In quarrel in which no invariably
used his fists Jasper Allen, in his
Interview with newspaper men In
Hillsville last Tuesday. complained
that some enterprising journals had
dragged his father. Jerry Allen from