Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1912-03-22
Court Officers Assassinated.


In fame of wellnigh unprecedented
outlawry nearly the human machinery of
the Carroll County Circuit Court, in session
at Hillsville. Va, on Thursday of last week,
was either wiped out or laid low by as
sassins' bullets.
Just as Judge Thornton Massie had SEN
fenced Floyd Allen to one year in prison
for aiding in the escape of county pris-
oner, two of Aliens brothers and their
friends opened fire with revolvers. Judge
Massie fell dead in his place on the bench
on the first volley.
Then the weapons were turned on Com
monwealths Attorney William Foster and
he sank to the floor with several bullets
in his brain, death being instantaneous
Sheriff Lewis Webb, making frantic effort
to reach the ringleaders. was shot dead be-
fore he had taken ten steps. Two of the
jurors who had tried the case were seri-
ously wounded and the clerk of the court,
as well as spectator, were badly injured.
The only one Of the outlaws to come to
grief was the man sentenced.
The Aliens, including the prisoner and
their friends, after the killing of the three
officials, backed slowly out of the court
room, holding all would-be pursuers in
check at the point of revolvers Once out
side some of them made a dash for the
mountains on horseback.
The village was thrown into great ex-
citement. The killing of the law officers
left affairs in the hands of unframed citi-
zens, but nearly every man in that section
Of that county joined in the hunt for the
fugitives
The scene of the wholesale murder was
the quaint little old-fashioned red brick
county court house, Hillsville being the seat
of Carroll county. There had been reports
that an attempt might be made to rescue
Floyd Allen, who himself had aided a
nephew recently to escape from the county
officers. The trial had been in progress
for several days, however. without any
indication becoming public of the carefully
planned plot of the Allen brothers and
their associates.
Governor Mann has offered a reward of
$4,000 for the arrest of the murderers of
the three officials.
Carroll county lies in the southwestern
part of the State bordering on North Caro-
linn and ;e nm Of tho r;oho,. oa.;o,,I.,,.oI
and mineral sections of Virginia. Its peo-
pie have been noted for their disregard of
both Federal and State laws for years, the
making of moonshine whisky being one of
the occupations of many residents.
Hiding among the remotest recesses of
the castellated Blue Ridge Mountains,
among the crags and caves and shadowy
forests, where rhododendrons give all but
inaccessible refuge to fugitives, the Allen
clan continues to defy capture by posse
OF rs detectives and citizen volunteers.
Dexter Goad, clerk of the court, with a
bullet in his left cheek and bandaee
across his face, showed the folks Just how
it happened. He rehearsed the scene with
vivid detail, even to placing the bullet
scared chairs which were occupied by
Judge Massie, Sheriff Webb and Common
wealths Attorney Foster. A row of bullet
holes, low on the right-hand wall, were
added evidence of the tragedy.
A shattered rail in front of the judge
bench also showed the effect of the fusil-
lade, and upon the floor was the discolora-
ton of blood.
Goad pointed out how Attorney Foster,
after being fatally shot. staggered and
dropped his head upon a sheepskin volume
of the law. A dark coat of blood on the
book was mute evidence.
The fighting Aliens cannot be traced
back further than their parents, Mr.. and
Mrs. Jerry Allen, both of whom were
Scotch. Mrs. Allen was a Combs, which
originally must have been McCombs. Mr..
and Mrs. Allen were high-strung, quick
tempered and ready to resent an insult,
real or fancied. Allen was Confederate
soldier in the Civil War and on many bat
hefelds proved his courage. Industrious
and thrifty, he prospered as stock breeder.
Jerry Allen was known as a sensitive,
hot-tempered man. sound of body and mind
and amply able to take care of himself in
any physical or mental contest with his
neighbors He was considered the cham
pion fist-fghter of Carroll county, and his
fists werethe only weapons he used. He
was not ferocious or savage, but ever
ready to accept anything that looked like
a challenge. He wore chipon his shoulder
and ready for the man who knocked it of.
In cove in Fancy Gap he reared seven
sons and two daughters. The boys and
girls grew up and prospered. The young
Aliens were weather.. keener witted and
more powerful physically than the average
of their neighbors. They inherited brains,
courage, temper, aegressiveness and clan
nishness from their father and mother
The Aliens were the business, social and
physical leaders of large section Of beau.
tiful mountain country.
Maryland Farm Products Up.