The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-29

walked from the courthouse had been
man ked for certain death. Warning
after warning had he received that lie
wculd meet the fate of Judge Massie.
who was assassinatcd on the bench ty
members of the Allen clan as he SEN
fenced Floyd Allen to a term in tire
penitentiary.
Some of these threats came in the
crude handwriting Of rugged noun
tain outlaws. Others were delivered
by word of mouth to the intended VIC
tim.
Still, through week of bitter per-
sonal feeling and the most intense
suppressed excitement. Jonesville has
passed without SO much as a street
brawl.
The man who has brought the
mountain bands to an Understanding
that coWardlce is word that has no
place in his dictionary is Judge Henry
A. W. Skeen of Big Stone Gap. Judge
Skeen has lived all his life in the
mountains of Virginia. He knows the
feudists and their habits and tactics.
And now they know him better than
they ever had known him before.
Judge Skeen was designated by
Gov. Mann to try the wholesale cleo
ton bribery cases in the southwestern
tier of counties of Virginia. For years
there had heen mutterings that elec-
tlons In this section of the state were
mere farces. 1t was charged that
white men and negroes. republicans
and democrats. We're bought like so
many sheep or hogs.
The election scandals in Ohio and at
Danville. ILL.,. hardly compared in
brazenness with those which finally
We're revealed in this part of Virginia.
Ruling Price a Dollar a Vote.
n i,,f 1,N
jury began an investigation. 1t was
found that votes throughout this sec
ton were being bought by the hun
dreds at almost every election. The
ruling price was n dollar a head More
than 100 persons We're indicted
Among them We're a dozen of the most
prominent men in the county. One was
the pastor of q leading church.
The entire state was astounded that
such corrupt situation had eisted
The indictments stirred the mountain
GERS to fever heat. Open threats were
made that the Judge who tried to send
any of their number to prison for the
election frauds would be assassinated
on the bench as Judge Masse was at
Hillsville.
II will send the entire state militia
to Jonesville to protect YOU if neces-
sary' Gov. Mann said to Judge Skeen,
when the latter was designated to try
the cases.
Thank you. governor" the judge is
quoted as having replied. II don't
think we will need any troops. I
know those men and am not afraid of
them"
Convicted and Disfranchised.
Judge Skeens court worked like
whirlwind. Fortynine of the indicted
persons confessed accepting or giving
son, or both. All have been dis
franchised, dishonor which the aver
age Nirginian shuns most. Forty-three
cases have been dismissed for various
causes. Many escaped on technicali-
ties. More than twenty of the accused
had given testimony before the grand
jury and therefore were immune
Fifteen cases We're retired from the
docket on account of the age or physi-
cal condition of the accused. usually
inability to be- brought into court.
The preacher convicted of selling his
vote Is the Rev. Lewis Gibson. pastor
OF a Methodist church in Lee county
Thirty-six Republicans and fourteen
democrats pleaded guilty. Most Of
them We're sent to prison for terms
varying from one month to one year.
Those who got off more lightly had to
pay fines of S1O0.
Spectators Are Disarmcd.
The trials attracted hundreds of
mountaineers, including many social
ed bad men, At the opening of the
court Judge Skeen ordered that all
persons entering the courtroom be
searched and deprived of weapons if
they carried any. This task was as
signed to half a dozen husky country
men, whose prowess and fearlessness
was known.
Not a great display of cutlery and
firearms was the result, although
sufficient number of big pistols were
gathered to show a courthouse mass
acre easily could have been executed
had the "toters" of these been permit
ted to get into action.
Nine of the cases We're bitterly con-
tested, resulting in six convictions, but
there was not the slightest indication
at any time that there would be an
outbreak in the courtroom.
The Allen trials. resulting in the
sentencing of several Of the clansmen
to the death chair or to long terms in
the peniteitnary. are believed to have
had salutary effect in the bribery
trials, but the Judge with the cold gray
eyes and the high cheek bones who
declared he did not need any militia
to protect him had most to do with the
Of the murderous spirit
of the mountain outlaws who were
brought face to face with him and got
their deserts.
MOTT NII?N WA NTICn