Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-15
LATTER SLASHES THROAT
WITH KNIFE IN HIS CELL
Suicide Is Prevented-Betty Ayers,
Hurt in Court Row, Dies.
VICTIMS NOW NUMBER FIVE
Defective With Twenty Men Estab-
fishes Martial Law in Virginia
Town-Organized Search
for Desperadoes.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch The Star
| HlLLSVILLE. Va. March 15.-Detec-
tive I. L. Felts. with twenty men. ar
rived here this morning at o'clock and
at once assumed control OF the town as
officers of the law. following the shooting
up yesterday OF the Carroll county circuit
court, the killing of Judge Massie, Com
moHwealth's Attorney Foster, Sheriff
! Lew" Webb and Clerk Dexter Goad
Soon after the arrival of the detectives
| they proceeded to the place of Floyd AL
len, the man who started the shooting.
and his son Victor. under arrest, and es-
corted them 10 the county Jail man
named Strickland. said to have been i'm
picated In the affair." also was arrested
and lodged in Jail
| Victor Allen and Strickland were found
| hiding in house In Hillsville. Floyd
/ Allen had been under guard In hotel.
| All were captured without serious re-
| sistance, although il said they at
| first Indicated an impulse to shoot their
4 way to liberty.
Fifty Men Searching MountainA
| Fifty men are pressing into the noun
| tains trying to locate others OF the gang
| who are believed to be hiding along the
North Carolina border, where they are
/
is believed, however, the capture of Floyd
Allen will have taken away their moving
| spirit and the knowledge of his arrest Is
expected TO make their resistance less
| determined.
| rhe body of Judge Massie will he taken
to Lynchburg for burial tomorrow. The
other dead will be buried at Hillsvills
| tomorrow.
\ strong force of men. al, heavily
armed, was placed in the Jail with orders
to hold it at all hazards against all
| corners and to shoot to kil on the first
sign of any interference with their duties.
| Two men, members of the Allen gang,
entered Mt. Airy, n. c., last night. broke
open hardware store and took all the
pistols in the place, along with a pienti-
Iul supply OF ammunition.
| Mt. Airy is twenty miles from this
place. When Detective Felts heard OF
the robbery of the hardware st re he said
| he expected trouble would follow. and IL
prepared to meet all who come to Hills-
vile for that purpose.
Floyd Alien Attempts Suicide.
1t is plain from the manner and actions
of the officers here that there will be not
the least temporizing with the outlaws
Floyd Alien, the leader of the gang OF
desperadoes which has terrorized Carroll
country for years. at IL o'clock produced
a pocket knife in his cell in the Jail ana
slashed his throat. Guards seized him
and prevented the man killing himself.
He did not seriously hurt himself. He is
now being closely guarded
Girl Hit by Bullet Dies.
i Betty Ayers. girl eighteen years
old. was struck by a stray bullet yes
terday in the courtroom at Hillsville
and died at noon today This brings
the total death roll to five.
| Capt H. N Davant of Virginia militia
| left Roanoke today with two members
| Of the local company and rifles and
| ammunition for twenty men for this
| place at the governors orders
All Law Officers Wiped Out.
The assassinations OF yesterday wiped
/ out all the law officers Of the county seat
and left matters in absolute chaos. Out
| side help did not reach Hillsville until
early today, the mountain roads leading
i from the nearest railway station, ten
miles away, being well nigh impossible
on account Of the spring rains.
State Attorney General Williams and
Corporation Judge w. r. Staples OF Roa-
noke, ordered here by Gov. Mann. are
\ expected to arrive some time during the
day. They will take charge or anairs ana
| will direct the restoration of order.
| The citizens of the county, lacking a
header were able to do little toward or
| ganizing a systematic hunt for the men.
| The Aliens long nave DeeH hlioWh as
desperate and it was realized that only
] through we'll organized and well directed
effort could they be successfully con-
| fronted In the mountain passes.
i 1t was the sentencing of Floyd Allen to
| one year in Jail by Judge Massie yes
| terday that started the fusillade OF his
| ayengins clan He had been found guilty
| of assisting a county prisoner to escape
! No attempt at an organized search Tor
! Sidney and Jack Allen and their asso-
| ciates had been undertaken up to noon
| today, the detectives here waiting for re-
| Inducements to arrive during the after
/ noon.
Governor Offers Bloodhounds.
| Special Dispatch to The Star
j RICHMOND, Va, March 15.-Gov.
| Mann said today that he would send no
/ troops to Carroll county. as military in
| that section would be helpless as We're
/ Braddock's men in colonial days. But he
| will use every resource Of state to bring
| the guilty to justice He has offered
bloodhounds for use OF county authori-
| ties though it is feared rain has oblit-
i Grated their trail.
Gov. Mann Offers Reward
of $500 for Each Outlaw
| RICHMOND. Va, March 15.-Following
a conference with Adjt. Gen. Sale Gov.
Mann last night announced that troops
/ would not be sent to Hillsville. although
| companies of Roanoke and Lynchburg
| were ordered to hold themselves in readl-