The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1912-03-21
OUTLAW KILL THREE
BROTHERS OF VIRGINIA PRISON.
Err MURDER JUDGE, ATTORNEY,
AND SHERIFF.
SCENE is IN COURTROOM
Juror Fatally Shot and Others Wound
ed-Murderers Make Dash to
Mountains and Posses Fol-
low-Mllitia Under Arms.

Hillsville, Virginia. - In a fame
of unprecedented outlawry the entire
human fabric of the Carroll county cir,
cult court, in session here, was wiped
out by murder. Three persons were
killed and several others wounded.
Just al Judge Thornton Massie had
sentenced Floyd Allen to one year in
prison for aiding in the escape of a
county prisoner, two Of Aliens broth
ers and several of their friends opened
fire with revolvers. Judge Massie fell
dead in his place on the bench at the
first volley.
Then the weapons were turned on
Commonwealth Attorney William Fos-
ter and he sank to the floor with sew
eral bullets in his brain, death being
instantaneous. Sheriff Lewis Webb,
making a frantic effort to reach the
ringleaders. was shot dead before he
had taken ten steps.
Juror Douglas was also hit and
Floyd Allen, the prisoner, was NOR
tally wounded but Is still living.
Dexter Goad, clerk of the court,
room. Dexter Goad, clerk of the court,
received a bullet wound in the neck
and is desperately hurt. Several of
the other jurors who had tried the
case were seriously wounded, ]. H.
B~lankenship probably fatally.
The Aliens and other friends, after
the murder of the sheriff, backed slow
ly out of the courtroom, holding all
would-be pursuers in check at the
point of revolvers. Once outside they
made a dash for the mountains on
horseback.
A posse of citizens soon was in pur-
suit. Special officers are being rushed
into the county to help in running
down the murderers. Governor Mann
has offered a reward of $500 per man
for the capture of any of the murder
ers. The governor also had ordered
Roanoke and Lynchburg national
guard companies to be prepared to
proceed to Hillsville.
A dispatch from Bristol, Tenn, says
that seventeen of the mountaineers
have taken refuge in a barn in the
mountains, where they are preparing
to resist efforts of any posse that may
overtake them. All the outlaws are
said to be well supplied with ammuni-
ton and from their stragetic position
could Withstand an assault by a much
larger number.
There had been reports that an at
tempt might be made to rescue Floyd
Allen, who himself had aided a prison
er friend recently to escape from the
county officers. The trial had been in
progress for several days, however,
without any indication of the plot to
effect his escape.
Allen had been found guilty and had
been called for sentence today. The
stufry little court room with it's coal
stove and crude furniture was crowd
ed. Sidney and Jack Allen were
among the first arrivals and were seen
to take their places near the rail,
marking the enclosure for prisoner
and counsel engaged near by were sew
eral Of their associates and friends
from the Blue Ridge mountains.
Judge Falls Dead.
/, Judge Massie began the sentencing
of the prisoner in the usual matter-of-
fact way, but the words, "One year at
hard labor" scarcely had passed his
lips when there came the crack Of a
revolver. This was followed imme-
diately by a volley of shots, and the
Judge, who started to rise at the first
shot, lay dead and bleeding on the
bench.
Commonwealth Attorney Foster was
sitting directly in front of the bench
and was next TO succumb to the deadly
aim or the outlaws. Fully 100 shots
were fired in the courtroom. In the
first fusillade several jurors had been
wounded. Sheriff Webb whipped out
his revolver, made for the prisoner,
who had joined in the shooting with
an oath and then declared he never
would go to Jail. The officer was
stopped by a hail Of lead. He
crumpled to the floor a lifeless heap.
BY this time the shooting in the court
room had become general and there
was a wild rush of the unarmed for
windows and doors