The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-03-28

planned with calm elaboration.
The position of the men who did
the shooting indicates this be-
yond all question. The Aliens and
their followers occupied all the
points of vantage, having COM
mand of the exits of the room,
and they began shooting pretty
much at the same time. The men
realized that they had gone to the
extreme-that they were TO face
public condemnation, and that
their leader-certainly an infIu-
entail person among them-had
been sentenced 20 serve a term
in the penitentiary as n common
felOn. Hence, the shots from
Floyd Aliens gun were aimed at
the sheriff, the prosecuting attOr-
ney and the members of the jury
who had dared, i'm each instance,
the discharge OF a sworn duty.
That Is all there is to that mat
ter.
My own opinion is that the men.
when captured, should be tried at the
scene of their crime. The moral eff
feet of this will be great. They have
boosted that they would not be tried.
They have terrorized the county for
some years. To demonstrate to the
people of that county that the laws
cannot be disregarded will go a long
way towards preventing any further
violations of the law. not only in that
county. but in other sections of the
State.
AS to the Military.
There has been much said in some
OF the papers regarding the refusal
to Carroll. 1t would have been the
height of folly TO have done that.
Great expense would have been en-
tailed; IL would have been a hardship
on the men, and they could have done
absolutely nothing. There was never
90
tempting to release Floyd Allen and
Victor Allen from the Jail. That
would have been playing into the
hands of the officers. The removal
or the Aliens was not to prevent their
That action was taken in
order to relieve the men doing guard
duty, so that they might get into the
hunt.
''There has been no difficulty
IN getting men behind guns to
shoot the Aliens. The trouble has
Deen in getting a sight of the
Aliens &c shoot. That there will
De shooting, and shooting to kill,
when the Officers come up with
that gang, there is not the least
question. And the Officers are
Just as good shots as the fugi-
tiVeS. Furthermore, they have
DETER weapons and are lust as
brave as the Aliens or their fol-
lowers.
In my humble Judgment, Governor
=, 1Ianh mas acted wisely in every step
ne mas taken. He has not made any
rash statements. His actions have
been deliberate and the people who
nave been on the ground, and who
know the conditions existing, are of
the unanimous opinion that the Gov
ernor has pursued the wise. the SEN
slole and the safe course in dealing
with the situation. / happen to know
that when occasion demands troops
Wi! be sent to Carroll and that they
VIII De sent In sufficient number to
10 what is expected of them.
Court Resumed Business.
When Judge Staples assembled the
bench and opened court the day az
-er the tragedy. the people seemed
20 breathe easier. When we got there
hey appeared to be dumbfounded. al
most paralyzed. for conditionse were
chaotic. They apparently did not
Judge Staples did not mince matters.
ae named a sheriff and appointed
'ther court officers. and the calling
" the men TO serve on the grand
ury was forthwith begun. Then the
'eople began to breathe easier and
o nave their shattered nerves sooth-
Talking with . large number of
nen In the county ] assured them
hat the Governor had promised that
othing would be left undone to bring
he Offenders to justice. They were
lso told that the laws were to be
nforced with due elaboration. I fur
hermore announced to the people of
'arroll that, II necessary, all the
roops in the State would be sent to
phold the course of justice, and that
mere would be no temporizing with
ne lawless element, whatever its
numbers, power or wealth.
That Sidna Allen Message.
perhaps there was never man
nore surprised than / when I read
n the papers a statement to the eff |
ect that 1 had sent a message to Gov
rnor Mann telling of the shooting |
II Sldna Allen In his home and the
'llllng OF his wife. That message |
I'D not come from me. / knew moth |
ng in the world about it and had |
lever heard of such a thing, until I |
aw 1t in the papers. / do not saw |
nat the message was not received. |
tut as TO my sending it, there is not |
ne least ground in the world for
uch report. / have no idea whence |
started. AS a matter of fact. / did |
eceive several telephone messages |
1hfle In Carroll, but the voices were |
Q indistinct that / could not under
tRnd one word in twenty that was