The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-15
Enraged by Sentence I'm posed on One of Their
 Number
JURYMEN AND CLERK
 SERIOUSLY WOUNDED
Outlaws Are Up in Mountains Wlth Only Band of Citizens in Pur- suit-Little Likelihood of
 Their Capture Soon

mountain outlaws rode uo"h out oA eHe Blue Ridge today to the Carroll county courthouse here and assassinated the judge upon the bench, the prosecutor be- fore the bar and the sheriff at the door in less time than it takes to tell it while sentence was being pronounced upon Floyd Allen, one of their number When the crack of the rifles died away only one. member of the human fabric of the court-Dexter Goad, the clerk-was alive and he had been wounded. Jurymen and onlookers were struck in the fusillade, but none were wounded fatally.
 Have Good Start
 Tonight the outlaws with a good days start are up in the mountain bush with citizens posse, little organized, making semblance of pursuit. Sheriffs and deputies from neighboring counties can not reach here before early morning. A special train from Roanoke, Va, brought 20 detectives to Galax, the nearest rail- way station, nine miles away. It will be midnight before these can get over the mountain roads, hub deep in spring mud. It probably will be. daylight before they can be assembled.
 Governor Mann offered 5000 reward for the capture of the assassins and holds state troops under arms for orders at Lynchburg and Roanoke
 Hillsville Terrorized
 The shooting terrorized Hllsyille to the point of paralysis. There was not man to give an order organize a pursuit. Citizens fled to places of safety and mothers gathered up their children while the assassins rode out of town.
 Judge Thornton l.. Massie had risen from his chair as the bullets struck him and fell across his desk bleeding corpse. Commonwealths Attorney William Foster, with half a dozen bullets in his brain, crumpled down to the floor. Sheriff Louis Webb was shot as he reached for his re- yolver and sprang forward. Bullets grazed Clerk Goad. and in the confusion he was reported killed. Jurors who had been ssisl.tiy wounded were reported dead, and by that indchhnbas n Es 5d of cornmunires sion which prevails isi the woodland coun- try reports of wholesale slaughter shot out to the countryside.
 Aliens Offense
 Floyd Allen was before the bar this morning, convicted of taking prisoner from a deputy sheriff. Allen had struck the sheriff over the head with the butt of rifle and the prisoner escaped. Sheriff Webb had gone up into the mountains and taken Allen, despite warnings of what such venture might mean. Attorney Foster took the case fearlessIy and q mountaineer jury was empaneled to sit on the trial from the inland section, for f Fo tn sit on the jury if Allen was convicted.
 This morning the sentence of Allen at tracted an unusually large gathering to the quaint old red brick courthouse which stands on a green square in the center Of the village. Those who could not get in the small room peered through the win dows opened to the first days of spring.
 Brothers to the Rescue
 Just as Allen was about to be called up for sentence his two brothers, Sidney and Jack, the head of a troop of about 20 mountaineers, rode up to the courthouse. The brothers and their companions, some carrying rifles and others armed with reyolvers. crowded into the small court room and stood behind the rail and about the door. Floyd Allen, aged 50, tall and gaunt, much the familiar type of mountaineer. was in the dock.
 Judge Massie mounted the bench and Prosecutor Foster moved sentence upon Allen, who stood up There was a shuf- fling of feet and a general movement among the mountaineers in the back of the room but no sign to foretell the ter lrible tragedy then in the minds of every one of them.
 The usual legal formalities over Judge Massie began pronouncing sentence. The las, words that fell from his lips rccipi- tated the tragedy.
 Sentence Interrupted
 'One year at hard labor"
 Before the last word was called the fusillade began. Allen, with an oath that h., would never go to prison, sprang out of the prisoners dock as Judge Massle collapsed upon the bench. Another roar of shots and Prosecutor Foster was on the floor in heap. Sheriff Webb was springing forward for his prisoner when the lead found him.
 Then holding the panic stricken jurors and onloolxers at bay, although that was probably not necessary. the assassins Slowly backed out of the courthouse and across the green to their troop of ponies. In second they were galloping like mad men through the aroused village and off to the hills.
 With them the assassins half carried. half dragged one of their number, wounded
 The quiet of Hillsville had been dis turbed by such roar of firing and 3DO men, women and children rushed to the courthouse. Webb and Foster were stone dead.
 Judge Massie died in less than an hour.
 Hurry for Help
 When a semblance of order came out of tho chaos that followed some horse men hurried down into Beaver Dam Aal- Hey to spread the news and get help. More intrepid men rode off toward Betty Baker. where there is railroad sta tion and telegraph wire.
 Word of the tragedy was slow in get ting to points from which help could be asked, but the machinery of the law, once started. worked quickly. Governor Mann ordered the state militia com 1panies at Roanoke and Lynchburg to be held ready to go to Hillsville if their hid was needed. Police, detectives and Volunteers from nearby places took all possible means of transportation to get To Hillsville. Late today Governor Mann Autographed to Judge W. R. Staples of Ehe Roanoke corporation court to go to kFIiIsvile and take charge of judicial pro- teedings there. Attorney General Will hms of the state of Virginia has also
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