Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-03-15
OUTLAW BROTHERS
FIRE ON OFFICIALS
I'd SAVF KIRSNAN
Judge 7, S, MaSSie, Attorney
Foster and Sheriff BIanken-
ship of Carroll, When Noun
taineer Is Sentenced
nv A...ci.tss Prsss.l

few deadly SECONDS the ehNiie Aa"i ~
of the Carroll county circuit court
Judge Thornton Massie. Of Pulaski.
vas the first victim He was shot dead
on his bench Ly kinsmen Of Floyd Al
len. who had just been sentenced for
noonshininE. William Foster. states
attorney. was Tire next 10 fan dead
with a bullet-pierced brain
Then fell the sheriff. Lewis Webb.
As ne reached for the assassins. bull
lets hit him in a dozen places
TmplacabIe. the Allen brothers con-
tinucd their work OF death. They aim
al at the startled men in the jury box
Several or them were shot J. H.
Blankenship is said TO be dying.
Tier deadly guns finally stilled, the
ou..aas backed from the court room.
hoIdiuE a few OF the remaining officials
"A hay. Then they broke for cover
kuHets Kissed after them one OF the
Aliens is said to have been shot The
others. with their friends. fled 10 the
mouutails-
TROOPS CALLED OUT.
Governor Mann has offered reward
u 81 .0so for the murdeTers who escaped
from tire HiIsviIle court house after
havinE slain the court officers
The governor has also ordered Roa-
coke and Lynchburg militia companies
10 ,.rocecd TO Hillsville. Posses are also
Il pursuit
IRE men who did the shooting are
lack and Floyd Allen. brothers of Clyde
Aiken. a defendant who mad been con-
sfrted az q charge Of resisting arrest
ana upon whom Judge Massie had Just
imposed a prison sentence
As the fate OF Clyde Allen was an
nounced from the bench, Jack and
.FIcyd Allen burst into the court room
and BEGAN q wild firing of their
weapons. aiming first at the judge on
the bench and then at the common
vveaIth-s attorney, both of whom fell
- The first victims. The shooting con-
tinaed until four had been laid low in
death.
OfHcers who had clyde Allen in Gus
todS resisted the attacks OF the broth
crs.. who. simultaneously with firing
into The court. sought to gain liberty
Tor their brother. In the struggle. the
officers made unsuccessful efforts to
santilrp the two brothers. one of the
three Aliens was shot in the melee. but
the others made their escape It is not
vet known here which or the trio was
scot
The attack was wholly unanticipated
and neither the 4odicers- nor athe-iviatinls
were prepared TO resist Immediately
the court room became a scene of wild
chaos and excitement and so intense
was the pandemonium that two of the
ATlehs escaped with little difficulty.
Posses were soon organized. however.
and went in pursuit.
MASSIE WELL KNOWN.
Judge Massie was one OF the best
known jurists in Virginia He had
been mentioned as a gubernatorial pos
sihIIity- He resided at Pulaski, where
he has a most interesting and cultured
family. His wife, two sons and one
daughter survive.
Hillsvflle is about 20 miles southeast
OF Pulaski and about 100 miles east Of
Bristol
II is the home OF George L. Carter.
one OF the most widely known indus
trial and railroad promoters in the
south. who built the Carolina Clinch-
field and Ohio railroad from southwest
coal fields into the CarOlinas toward
the coast
CITIZENS JOIN POSSE.
The village was thrown into a fer
ment The murder OF the law officers
left affairs in the hands OF unframed
citizens. hut nearly every man in this
section has Joined in the hunt
The scene OF the wholesale murder
was the old fashioned red brick county
court house. Hillsville being the seat OF
Carroll county. There had been reports
that an attempt might he made TO res
enc Floyd Allen. who himself had aided
a prisoner friend recently to escape
frVm the county Officers The trial had
been in progress for several days. how
ever. without any indication becoming
PUBLIC Of the carefully planned plot OF
the Allen brothers and their associates.
Floyd Allen had been found guilty and
had been. called for sentence tOdeN. The
stuffy little court room was crowded.
Sidney and Jack Allen were among the
first arrivals. They took places near the
rain marking the enclosure for the pris-
oner and counsel engaged in the case.
Standing nearby were a number of
their associates and friends from the
Blue Ridge,
JUDGE BEGINS SEM ICE.
Judge Massie went about the sentenc-
ing OF the prisoner IN the usual matter
of-fact way. but the words zone year
az hard labor had scarcely passed his
lips when there. came the crack Of a
revolver In an instant this was fol-
lowed By a vOlley Of shots and the judge,
who had partly risen at the first shot.
lay dead aad bleeding on the bench.
commemorative Attorney Foster was
sitting directly In front Of the bench
and was next TO succumb.
The brothers and their friends must
lave been well armed. for il seemed TO
spectators who escaped from the sham
bIes that fully 100 shots were fired. In
the first fusilIade several jurors had
been wounded. Blankenship probably IA
tally
SHERIFF. Is KILLED.
Sheriff webb. whipping out his own
weapon. made for the prisoner who had
joined in the shooting with an OATH
and declaration that he would never
go 60 Jail. but the officer was stopped
by q hail Of lead and Crumpled into
lifeless heap on the floor
By this time the shooting in the cou n
room had become general. and there was
q wild rush OF the unarmed for windows
and doors
Dexter Goad. clerk OF the court re-
ceived a bullet wound IN tho neck and
Is desperately hurt His death would
mean the Wiping out OF the last of the
courts Officers
Judge Massie was one Of the most
Hmiuent jurists OF the state lie was
pointed 70 the bench by Governor
Swanson IN 1915 lie was - years old
and is survived ~ a wife. two SONS and
a daughter Judge Massie had been con-
sidered recently Tor promotion 10 the
state supreme bench