Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-04-05
FREEL ALLEN NOW A PRISONER

HllleSvllle, Va, March 29.-"lt
will be a battle to the death. If
the detectives eyer take us back to
Hillesvilie it will be in a wagon
with oar toes turned up ana our
boo on. And there will be some
of them in the same wagon.
"Neither of us expect to see
home or family again. We have
three revolvers and a pump gun
and plenty of ammunition. If we
are sighted we will shoot to kill
We will never surder.'
This message from Sidna Allen
and Wesley Edwards was brought
into town this afternoon by Young
Freel Allen, a girlish looking lad of
II, who had been hiding out in the
mountains most of the time since
the court house slaughter. He wos
Cal tured today, INTERESTINGLY, hid
! ing in the carriage house behind his
fathers home. eight miles away
| from here. He left his uncle Sidna
and his cousin Wesley two nights
ago because. as he expressed it, he
was plum starved out"
In addition to thrilling defiance
he brought in the grave and impor-
tant news that the court house
shooting really was the result of a
conspiracy that the Aliens planned
it in advance and that Sidna Allen
and Wesley Edwards at least had
their victim selected.
"When we were lying out there
under shelved rock and hiding in
the laurel and ivy" said Freel to
the detectives, Uncle Sidna sale
he'd killed his man. That was
Judge Massie. Cousin Wesley al,
lowed that he had killed Will Eos
ter.
"Uncle Sid told me and Wesley
he had emptied his pistol three
time and that was what he was try
ing to do was to kill the judge, the
Jurors and the whole d--push
He and Yves said they had made il
up before hand. Uncle Sid was tt
get Judge Massie; Yves was to shoot
1t Will Foster and some of thu
others of our crowd were to xii
Sheriff Webb and Dex Goad.
When Freel left the others Wed
nesday night they were in a wilt
section of the mountains about 2,
miles southwest of here. They hac
been there about s or 9 days then
ready for a fight at any moment
Every night the camp they hac
was close to some trunk of fallel
tree which they might use as 1
breast works to protect them ant
as a resting place for their weapons
The young fellow believes tina
beyond doubt they will both di'
fighting. So, too, do the detective
there was grimer look than eve
; on the faces of the mountain scouts
who rode out of here this evenln,
to relieve comrades who were il
the general vicinity of where tn
desperadoes were last seen. 1t wa
noticed that some OF the scout
shook hands with friends who re
maincd behind. Same of then
may not come back alive.
1t is probable, according to Cap
: TO-. To,,, F@lts, that Alton and Ed
wards have not moved away blu
will make their stand where they
are. This is a place called Nc
Mans Land.
The fight may be in the darkness
after night-it may be tomorrow
1t cannot in any event be long de
ferred.
Freel Allen, the prisoner of to
day, is the son and idol of Jacl
Allen, brother of Floyd and Sidna
He is accused of having fired sever
al shots in the court house and wa:
pronounced by his cousin Claude
in an inter, few this morning to b
the best marksman of the whole
clan. Before he was lodged in thu
tiny brick Jail, where Claude still
remained, Captain Felts allowed
the newspaper correspondents tc
talk with. The boy spoke freely
about every thing except his own
action in the court house on day OF
the tragedy.
His father, Jack Allen, who has
long been known as bully and q
hard cold man, broke down and
wept when the boy was captured
in the outbuilding and was brought
INTO the house to say farewell.