Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1912-05-24
FLOYD ALLEN GUILTY
Convicted of First Degree Muir.
er For HiIlSy!Ile Crime.

y
Allen, first of the Hillsville noun
taineers tried for the Carroll county
courthouse murders, was adjudged
guilty here today ard will probably
pay the penalty OF his crime In the
electric chair at Richmond.
The jury was out all night and 1t
was not until after 10 O'Clock this
morning that the II men were brought
into agreement.
When court opened today the jury
was called in and the foreman was
questioned by Judge Staples. The
Jurors declared there were number
of points OF difference existing in the
panel and it was doubtful whether a
verdict could be reached. Judge
Staples declared the case was one OF
such magnitude he felt he must send
the jury back, with few words OF
caution and ADVICE.
He said that when number OF men
were thrown together in intimate
isolation for long period OF time,
With all their thoughts and attention
conferred upon one matter, it was but
natural there should be tendency to
different views and positions. Along
with this tendency of the human mind
to fix deep-rooted in ones own mind
Iunwarranted opinion in earnest effort
| to convince others.
JURY BRINGS IN VERDICT.
Judge Staples declared the jury had
not been sworn to Go other than to
reach one csnclusion-the guilt or
innocence of the accused. He said if
the jurors lost sight of that issue in
any private individul opinion, they
would do wrong to themselves, an un-
intended violence to their solemn
obligation and grave injustice either
to the Commonwealth or the accused.
The jury againg retired, and it was
but short time before announcement
was made that an agreement had been
reached. When court reassembled,
the foreman read the verdict of
I''guilty as charged IN the Indictment. I"
Judge Staples held that was not the
proper form. The foreman then ex-
planned that the verdict was one of
guilty in the first degree, the penalty
being electrocution.
Floyd Allen was charged specifi-
Ically with the murder of Common
wealth's Attorney William NJ. Foster,
prosecutor in the Carroll court at
Hillsville, last March, when the trial
OF Floyd Allen eliminated in the
killing of five persons: Presiding
Judge Thornton L. Massie, Prose
lcutor William M. Foster, Sheriff L.
If. Webb, Miss Elizabeth Ayers and
] Iror Augustus Fowler. The news
of the shooting up OF the court Great
ed a pronounced sensation and sent a
thrill of horror throughout the coun-
try.
| OTHER TRIALS IMMEDIATELY.
The tragedy created a panic in the
little mountainside town of Hiilsville,
where the inhabitants always held the
Allen clansmen in deadly terror. Ar
lrests OF several of the Aliens followed
1.-THE shooting, but five of the princi-
pals escaped to the mountains. Re
wards for their arrestresulted in three
OF them being taken. but SIdna Allen,
leader Of the clan, and Wesley Ed
wards, his nephew. are still at large
The other prisoners, it is expected,
will be tried Immediately.
Sentence was not pronounced on
Allen today, as he may be called to
testify in the other cases
Allen was very cheerful this morn
ling in expectation that mistrial
would result. When the verdict was
ANNOUNCED he relapsed into despair.
There was barely "a handful of peo-
pie in court. Whether this was be-
cause of fear that the Aliens might
attempt to repeat the scene enacted at
Hillsville is not known, but there was
no reason for such fear. Armed de-
tectives searched persons entering the
courtroom.