The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-03-19
OUTLAWS CROSS STATE
LINE; AIM TO co WEST
Are Now in Wilkes County, N. c.,
One Of the Most Inaccessible
in the Mountains.
DELAYED BY SID'S WOUNDS
Discovery Of Illicit Whlskey Stills Brings
U. s. Authorities Into the
Man Hunt.

Hn.LsvILLE, Va, March IS. The Aliens
have crossed the State line into Wilkes
county. North Carolina.
A party OF detectives and deputy
sherfs. returning tonight TO this little
town as the base OF their operations
reported that they have evidence that tn
gang Of murderers have moved over
into the Blue Ridge Mountains on the
North Carolina side.
The mountain country which the Aliens
have now entered is the toughest in the
Blue Ridge range and will afford them
greater protection than they enjoyed
in the DEVILS Den on the Virginia side.
Wilkes county has a bad reputation as a
moonshiners' stronghold too.
In addition they have complicated tn e
work Of their pursuers by involving a
question OF State jurisdiction. but steps
will Immediately be taken to empower
the Virginia posse to continue the man
hunt on the North Carolina side.
In fact the mountain detectives and
deputy sherirs started to-day withou
| any special authority to beat the North
Carolina cover.
Information has reached the Baldwin
Felts men that the Aliens have finally
awakened to a realization OF the fact
that the laws OF the s tate OF Virginia
are stronger than they are.
The younger members OF the clan.
so the detectives have learned. have
finally persuaded the older heads that It
Is useless to remain in the Fancy Gap
country and fight for IL; that II one band
Of detectives is picked OF another will
surely appear.
The younger Aliens. so friends OF the
family have informed the Government
force. are preparing to strike for the
West. and they are going to take old Sid
with them The only thing holding them
now is Sid's condition. He was wounded
twice in the court house shooting, once
in the arm and again N the shoulder
The old man was abls to stick to his
horse after the court house tragedy.
but his wounds are regarded as serious.
1t was-learned to-day that the first thing
the gang did after riding away from the
bloody scene in the court house was to
rush Sid Allen to his home There his
wounds were dressed rs carefully ~
possible and then the outlaws took to
the woods.
Sid Allen has been laid up In the rough
mountain camp ever since and the de-
tectives believe that the daring excur-
sions OF Sid Edwards and other younger
members OF the gang down to their homes
in the foothills have been for the pur-
pose OF getting things for the relief OF
the wounded man. The younger outlaws
are going to stand by Sid until he is able
to travel without attracting attention
and then they plan to separate and make
for the West.
This information in regard to the plans
OF the Aliens is likely to lead to more
, prompt and drastic action on the part
OF the virginia forces IN pushing the
pursuit. The impression here ia thatthe
Aliens have arranged to leave their prop
erty interests in the h nnds OF Jack. q
brother OF Floyd and Sid. and then drop
back gradually to the Fancy Gap country
after the talk Of the court house shooting
has died down. The unexpected de
cision OF the Aliens TO move out from theil
Fancy Gap prinoipality is supposed to
be due partly to the daring acti witty o
the mountain detectives in raiding tn,
Allen homes. and partly to the fact tha
old Flovd and his son Victor are in ia |
and anv further bloodshed by the bano
might make it harder for the former
/ leader OF the clan and his boy.
| The fact that the younger All ems are
standing by Sid until his wounds hea
recalls lso the LOYALTY shown by Vic
| Allen to his father. Floyd. When Floyd
backed ont OF the court room and mounted
! his horse he had two bullet wounds IN
his legh nd ia inteda nd fell from the saddle
Vic Allen picked him up and. waving to
the others to go on. carried the old man
to the Texas Hotel. preempted "a room
and stood guard over the door with drawn
revolver until he was satisfied that no
! personal violence would come to Floyd.
| Vic has been indicted for murder. but
contends he had no hand in the shooting
The county's prosecuting attorneys
have their case mapped out against the
Aliens. Floyd will be accused of mur-
dering Sheriff Webb, Sid OF killing Judge
Massie and the younger members OF the
gang OF shooting Commonwealth Al
| torney Foster.
The lawyers will present the stron gest
kind Of evidence that tho murders were
the result OF conspiracy planned in
detail before the Aliens entered the court
room. They will charge that four men
were picked for death. Judge Massie
the Commonwealth attorney, Foster
Sheriff Webb and Clerk Goad. They will
contend that the victims were allotted
in such way that an equal number OF
shots might be fired at leach and that
the Aliens took definite stations in the
court room for the purpose OF carrying
out this design. 1t will be shown that
three bullets were fired into Judge Massie
and that three lodged in his chair; tina,
the Commonwealth attorney was shot
six times in the back that Clerk Goad
received three bullets in his body and tina
three more were lodged in his desk and
that Sheriff Webb was hit five times
In other words, six bullets were fired a,
every one OF the marked men. The ap-
portionment had been made lamong the
gang and they had carried il out Others
were hit accidentally when the shooting
became general.
This will be the prosecuting attorney
answer to Floyd Aliens contention tina,
he shot in self-defenoe. Floyd explains
the tragedy by saying that he was reach
ing into his pocket for papers after sen.
tence had been pronounced on him and
his relatives and followers. believing he
was reaching for his gun opened fire