The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-05-23


metal frame.
1t was not explained why the handle
was homemade" yet the history of
Sne matter is interesting. The original
handle was shot away by one Cody, of
Surry county, N. c., who is among
those who have sent bullets in the d.
recton of the prisoner.
Codys missile struck Floyd's weap-
on and was detected. Thus the old
mans gun" saved his life. but was
itself badly shattered.
. ana now, to return a moment to
the Carroll vernacular. 1t often brings
INTO use the word 'peart" and the ex-
preston right smart" and pretty
toIerable." Several of the witnesses
testified that they took one or more
snoots at the accused during the
trouble: Hisn" Is a popular posses
eive adjective among the Allen follow
lag, while the past tense of the verb
to rise is "riz" Two witnesses smoke
or the livery stable as the delivery
stable, while all OF them, without ex-
ception. called their pistols guns"
Clerk Dexter Goad. a cultivated
Legislature, testified that the durors
squandered" when the shooting be-
gan. BY this he meant that thew
scattered and sought safety as best
=, Mrs. David Ayers, sister-in-lav of
the girl killed in the shooting, spoke
""scrouching'' during the rush for the
doors She either meant by this that
tney crouched or that they jostled
each other in their flight
A North Carolinian, now n resident
OF carroll, while on the witness stand.
invariably pronounced the word bar
as though it were spelled bare
Others old the same. Time and again
the witnesses referred to explod ed
cartridges as "hulls"
Other peculiarities OF speech also
manifested themselves in the court
room, though they were nothing like
so striking as might be imagined. And
In intelligence the Carroll people are
certainly the equals of those in other
parts of the State.
They Don't Get Excited
=, Ihey are phlegmatic and almost en-
urely without emotion or any out
ward signs of sentiment or resent
ment, but do not lack for a certain sly
humor.
While testifying Saturday old FLOYD
cracked a good many jokes and once
or twice enjoyed a hearty laugh. He
was inclined to talk freely and some-
times with n tincture OF audacitv
when irritated by counsel for the
prosecution. Apparently he did not
realize how important ii was for him
TO be cautious.
His sons. especially Claude. made
uptop witnesses because almost all
their answers were monosyllabic. They
old not waste words or say anything
more than was absolutely necessary.
In fact, they were almost like au-
tomato in the way they demeaned
themselves.
Evidently they were apprehensive Of
the pitfalls being laid for them by
the States attorneys. The result OF
this was that they failed to be i'm
pressive because they seemed so we'll
drilled.
And in order to keep their poIse
they never once looked into the ewes
of the prosecuting lawyers. but gazed
unwaVeringly into the stolid faces OF
the jurors.
Old Floyd, on the contrary, swung
his body around and "sassed" the at
torneNS as much as he pleased and
apparently without the slightest fear.
lie was unafraid and imprudent, but
on the whole seemed rather to enjoy
his experience. His pluck, II moth
ing else, impressed his hearers
Other men, wounded as he is, would
have collapsed utterly.
Newspaper readers OF the larger
cities hardly realize how limited is the
worldly experience of most of the
Aliens. The fugitive Sidna, Il IS true
has been to Alaska and Honolulu, but
the detectives say that he is a wretch
edly poor traveller and when out OF
his native mountains, hardly knows
how to take care of himself. 1t is for
Nall~ IcfSOH llltl lllOSI OF lne SnGr-
locks adhere to the belief that he is
still in the laurel Businesses of the
Carroll hills.
If Floyd Allen goes to Richmond
either to die in the electric chair or
to serve in the penitentiary, it will be
his first visit there.
Some of the other Aliens have never
seen larger cities than Roanoke or
Raleigh. Claude Allen took a bust
ness course at college in the Caro-
lima capital, and also had a few
months course at a local high school,
so he, perhaps. is the best educated
Of the clan. Friel Allen, the young
est of the prisoners-he is only TWEEN
ty-has never been to any towns save
Galax and Mount Airy, n. c.
n Limited Horizon.
This limited sphere of activity
practically bounded by the Carroll no.
rizon, should go a long way towards
explaining, if not excusing many OF
the misdeeds of the outlaws Their