The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-03-15

man emptied his revolver rapidly and
could almost feel the heat from the
bullets as they passed my cheek.
Il heard several men cursing, and one
OF them said: I'VE will get Justice this
0me OF break mp this damn court and
everybody connected with it,
Before the shooting / heard several
men talking about injustice. Ono of
them said A man has as much right
to make whskey out of the corn he grows
as he has TO make meal out Of that same
corn. These damn Sheriffs and Judges
cause man more trouble than prison
full Of thieves. Our children are bounded
and our homes made unhappy The only
way to get justice is TO go after it your
self
while the Judge was passing sentence
on Floyd Allen the court room was as
quiet as a church. The room was full
Of people. and outside the little court
house were perhaps five horses saddled
and tied to trees.
"When the Judge finished one could
have heard pin drop for just a second.
Then man almost shouted, That is
hell. amt i'll
AS if these words were intended for
a signal the court room in a second be-
came ,veritable hell. The first shots
came from the direction of where the
Allen brothers were standing. then from
all parts of the room bullets began to fly.
1T was all over In minute. Seventeen
men rushed through the room. knocking
over chairs and tables and anything else
that got in their way"
Judge Staples of Roanoke has been
designated by Gov. Mann to hold the
remainder of the term of court, and he,
together with Attorney General Samuel
W. Williams. will arrive at Hillsville to-
morrow morning.
The cause Of to-day's assassinations
dates back to last fall when deputy
sheriff arrested a nephew Of Floyd Allen
on a charge of illicit distilling. En- route
to Jail Allen intercepted the sheriff and
beat him into insensibility with the butt
Of pistol and brass knuokles. Leaving
the officer for dead he spirited the pris-
-oner away and secreted him.
At the December term OF court Judge
Massie was informed that the officers
feared TO arrest Allen and the court then
announced that he would have Allen
brought to justice il he had to go out
Of the county to get men to arrest him.
Friends Of Judge Massie warned him
then that his words were indiscreet and
that his life was in jeopardy. Allen was
never arrested but furnished bond for
bic appearance at this term Of the court.
Hillsville is the county seat Of Carroll
county. but is not on a railroad. The
county is pierced by only two branch
railroads. and as soon as the news of the
murders reached Barren Springs. the
nearest railroad station TO Hilsville the
news was flashed 20 Gov. Mann. The
Governor Immediately ordered the militia
companies at Roanoke and Lynchburg
TO be in readiness to go to Hillsville n
case the followers of the Aliens should
organize to resist the capture of those
concerned in the shooting.
At the same time Gov. Mann offered
reward of 81. 900 for the capture Of the
assassns and wired to Gov. Kitchin
of North Carolina that it was reported
that the Aliens were making for the North
Carolina border. twenty miles from Hills
Vile. Late this evening Gov. Mann in
creased the reward from 81 600 to s.. 600.
Gov kitchin notified the Sheriffs OF
the counties along the border to have
posses in readiness for the outlaws should
they attempt to cross from Virginia into
North Carolina.
Gov Mann also ordered the Sheriff
Of Mont gomery county, next to Carroll
county. to gather posse and go to the
scene of the shooting and help in the
capture OF the outlaws.
Owing to the remoteness of Hillsv.le
which il high up among the hills of the
Blue Ridge. the early reports coming
from the little village We're scant and con-
nicting. One rumor said that al! but
two OF the twelve jurors had been wounded
Another report had it that as soon as Judge
Masse had pronounced Sentence on Floyd
Allen the news was brought to members
OF the clan who were hiding in woods and
that they at once left their horses and
raided the court room
Messengers from Hillsville late in the
afternoon took the report TO Bristol.
Tenn, that the escaping outlaws had
been traced by posses TO barn i'll the
heart Of the mountains some miles dis
tant from Hillsvile. where the Aliens
have barricaded themselves and with
'pleAtiful supply Of ammunition await
the arrival of posses which were formed
to pursue them.
The Aliens have been trouble makers
for score of years and have often
threatened Judge Massie for his severity
in enforcing the laws.
When the news came to Judge Massies
home town, Pulaski Va. a special train
was made up at once and went to Barren
Springs to fe tch back the body of the
Judge Judge Thornton l.. Nassie was
f8 years old He was appointed to the
bench by Gov Swanson in 1908 and had
been recently mentioned prominently
as a candidate for the State Supreme
Court. He is survived by wife, two
SONS and daughter.
Commemorative Attorney Foster had
been in Office eight years. He was 40
years old and was Republican leader
OF Carroll county. He was known among
the lawless element Of the region as q
fearless prosecutor.
Sheriff Lew Webb was elected to the
Office last November and before that
had been a deputy sheriff for a score
Of years.
Hillsvile is a little town Of 2ss inhabi-
tants in the southwestern corner Of Vir-
ginia, not far from the borders of North
Carolina and Tennessee. The type OF
native of the region is the whitecracker
and the moonshiner. The neighborhood
is not far from the feud belts Of Tennessee
and Kentucky, where it is regarded as
nine points of the law to carry a gun.
Gov Mann issued the following state
ment this evening:
,'"'rhe murder Of the Judge, Common