The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-03-28
TELLS INTERESTING SIS
STORY OF ALIENS


Writing under Hillsville GATE line.
Alfred ID. Williams. editor OF the ROa- |
noke Times. in something over a page /
story for his paper yesterday, has this |
10 say, in part. of the Allen clan and !
the Carroll county horror:
To understand the full story we
must go back good many years and
Try TO get the surroundings clearly in
mind. The father of the Aliens. the
originator of the family. was Jerry
Allen. Some of the Oldest poop, m
AlllsVille have been consulted regard
ing the family descent, but nobody
seems to know of it further back than
Jerry Allen. Judging from his name
and from some of the family charac-
teristics. he was OF Scotch ancestry,
but il seems impossible to ascertain
when he came into this country or
from what section, or whether he was
born here. He was a man of excel
lent character and a Confederate sol
der who served through the war
faithfully and bravely as a private.
In civil life and in the county he was
known as a man of very quick tenn
per and a fighter, probably the cham
pion of the county, but always using
his fists. He was not ferCciOus or
savage, but he was ready to take Of
Tense on small provOcauOn or to &C
cept anything that could suggest it,
self to an eager mind as a challenge.
In a cove Of the mountains he brought
up seven boys and two girls. All these
sons and daughters Of his grew up
mind than their average neighbor and
given to battle. All of them seem to
have prospered abundantly according
to the standard of their section. All
the boys acquired land and homes
and proved themselves to be good
business men. Naturally, they estab-
lished strong and wide influence.
They had the combined force of
brains. unusual courage and agrees
siVeneSS and a strong family or clan
feeling which held them together. and
enabled them to act practically as an
organization. They were proud to be
known as the lighting Aliens" They
would fight singly; when it became
necessary TO maintain their family
tradition Of supremacy they fought
together. On occasions when their
tempers. which they seemed rather to
cultivate. broke over all bounds they
would fight each other.
A Battle of Brothers.
A few years ago Floyd and Jack
Allen, brothers, became involved in
some dispute and Jack shot FLOYD
through the body. Floyd fell insensi-
BILE or fainting and Jack. in fury
of rage. beat him about the head
with the barrel of a revolver until
actually the blows on his skull or the
flow of blood revived the wounded
man and with some weapon, knife or
pistol, he wounded Jack desperately.
Floyd Allen did not recover from the
wound in many months, and he and
his brother were regarded as at dead
they would kill each other. One day
they met in the courthouse yard at
Hillsville. One Of them Immediately
drew his revolver, but the other
quietly beckoned him aside and they
had a conversation in undertone; the
final result of which was that they
became firm friends.
Backing MoOnshiners.
Nobody knows positively, so far as
can be learned here, that the Aliens
engaged directly in moonshining. 1t
was suspected through the county,
however. that they were the hackers
of many small illicit distileries. help
ed the moonshiners by giving them
protection and warning and in placing
their product and took considerable
shares of the profits. Sidna Allen,
FOR instance, owns thousand acres
of good land, has a handsome country
pondents have exaggerated its value
very largely-and a store, supplying
the neighbornood with goods 1t is
said he has number of tenants on
his place and that he has lent money
and advanced goods to many of his
poorer neighbors.
Naturally these conditions make
him not only powerful, but popular.
He is a kind Of a king of little prin-
cipality with his dependents bound 10
him by obligation and affection; for he
is a good and kind if imperious neigh
Dor, liberal and hospitable, his home
does not dislike.
Homes of the Aliens.
Floyd Allen. Oldest of the brothers.
and apparently regarded as the head
of the family, lives six miles west of
Hilsville in a beautiful section OF
country, near the foot of the Blue
Ridge mountains and the entrance to
q gap through the mountains known
as Fancy Gap His brother, sidna,
lives near the top of the mountain on
fertile plateau. Jack Allen lives
on the other side of the mountain,
near the western end of the gap. One
of the Misses Allen married an Ed
wards Other members of the family
are scattered in the county, but in the
same general section. Victor, who is
said TO be a licensed preacher. is
a man of substance who also has
store and a comfortable home.
What HiIIsviIIe Is.
Hnlsville. the capital and court
house seat of Carroll, is a little more
than a hamlet. IT is twelve or four
teen miles from the nearest railway
station. Most of the roads are fearful
in the winter time, although winding
through SUGGESTIONS of picturesque
and beautiful wild mountain scenes.
Its only direct communication with
the outside world during bad weather
j. through mail carriers and one tel
ephone. line, built and managed by
local organization, with willing but
unframed operators, and wire,
cheaply established in the first place
and subject to many Interruptions in
bad weather. incidentally this last
fact accounts for the confused, frag
mentary and frequently contradictory
reports which have come since the lit
tie town became the center of the hOr-
rible interest of the entire country and
the attention of the newspapers. The
central office at Hillsville is a room in
q private residence. Remote and un-
protected. Hinsville has no charter of
incorporation, no local government
and no police protection. The last
census gives il 445 inhabitants. From
outward appearances it hardly seems
to have so many. 1t struggles along
much ground most OF il strung on one
street. unpaVed except IN the immcoi-
ate neighbour God of the court house
and without the slightest suggestion
OF ROAD way except tnc ordinary mud