The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-06-06

anu cNNMAAMAAl II GSL0OIlSnOO the i
fact pretty clearly-about as clearly
as anything i'm connection with the
shooting could be established. Its
chief witness in this connection was
Judge ID. w. Bolen. who had unusual
opportunities to observe what went
on i'm the first. stages Of the melee.
Witnesses almost innumerable said
that the first firing came from the
corner i'm which Claude Allen and his
Uncle Sidna We're stationed. AS to
But Claude Allen, who admits that
he shot four times. swore that his
quarry was Clerk Dexter Goad, and
. that his demOniac activity came from
the hhal impulse to protect his IA
Jher.
Pie did not claim. while on the wit
ness stand. to be either ashamed or
regretful of his part i'm the tragedy.
He simply explained that what he
saw convinced him that Old Floyd's
lie was in danger and that hence he
fired.
Morally and legally il makes little
difference whether or not Claude Al
len deliberately aimed at Judge Mas
Sle or whether he actually killed him.
Shooting at one man and killing an
other made him equally guilty, what
ever the grade Of the homicide.
But another question in connection
with the crime is more important.
The huge Interrogation point in the
young mans case-and in the case
of all his aSsOciates-follows the ALL
important query: Had they previ-
ously entered into a conspiracy to
shoot up the court?
The pros and cons Of this have been
thoroughly threShed out. Different
conclusions. too, have been reached
as 10 the strength of the prosecution
I'm this respect. But unanimity on
any subject is hard TO get. Such puz-
zles. i'm the field Of crime, are left al
most solely to the arbitrament of ju-
ries and appellate courts are Ioath
to reverse their findings as to matters
Of fact.
Whatever the other facts. IT IS to
be lamented that Claude Allen went
into the court room on the morning
OF March 14th With a pistol And il
was Stlll more unfortunate for him
That he carried weapon not his own
The big pistol he used so freely
was weapon which had been pre-
NiouSly brought TO HillsVille by his
brother. Victor, the rural mail carrier.
The two spent the night of March
18TH together at the town hotel. In
court the brothers told somewhat con-
flicting stories as to how Claude got
the pistol. Claude says he merely
picked 1t up on the morning of the
shooting as the two were about to
leave the room through fear lest 1t
be mislaid.
At any rate. he bore it into court
with him and was terribly quick to
use it. And the world has il from
Claude himself that he took deliber-
ate aim at Clerk Dexter Goad and
did his level best to bring down that
rather bulletproOf individual. AS a
marksman, Claude did not show him
self expert though he apparently had
no fear as to his personal safety dur
ing the firing.
Not Good Marksman.
But in the matter of filial duty
the one great excuse advanced -
Claude Allen-it does not appear tnat
he finally showed as much gard for
his father as did i.,s cider brother
Victor. The latter stuck by the old
man when Floyd lay wounded in a
shed at Hillsville and later when he
was removed to the town hotel.
Claude sought flight i'm the noun
tains after he and his retreating com
vades had supplied themselves with
cartridges a Sidna Aliens store.
AS a result Of Victor's fidelity he
was taken into custody at the same
time that his father was arrested.
Fourteen days later-March 2Bth-
Claude was captured under circum-
stances which did not indicate that
he was as much of a fighting man
as many had supposed.
He was prompt to throw up his
hands when the detectives sighted
him. though two pistols were in his
possession. BY then the cravings of
hunger and the anxiety that invaria-
bly, harnesses fugitives had broken his
spirit His surrender, in view of what
had happened before, seemed almost
ignominiouE.
In its prosecution Of the Aliens. the
Commonwealth has sought to leave
no holes in the net il threw around
clansmen has been accused of the
murder OF each OF the five persons
who lost their lives as a result of the
shooting. and the purpose has been
to meet failure on one Indictment with
prosecutions on the other.
Floyd Allen was first tried on the
charge Of killing Commemorative At
torney William NJ. Foster. And the
jury was informed that even if it did
not believe that Foster actually died
at the hands of Floyd Allen, still il
should convict If il believed, beyond
a reasonable doubt, that the Common
Wealth's Attorney owed his death TO
a conspiracy entered into by the ac-
cused with his companions.
II has never been definitely stated
what the jury in the case of Floyd
Allen thought about the conspiracy.
Doubtless. however, it reached the
conclusion that there was a precon-
ccrted agreement that led to the ira
gedY.
Little that threw additional light
on the shooting developed in the case
Of Claude Allen. He and his brother.
Victor, had previously testified in the
case of their father. And Claude. in
his own trial, of course had to stick
by what he said on that occasion.
And this he did
The young man is much more up
tO-date in his ideaes than his father
and uncles, and it would seem that
with the opportunities that came to
him, he would have entertained diff
ferent ideas as to the majesty of the
law. But his career is another of the
thousands of Illustrations that blood
is thicker than water" and that 1t
takes a man but a moment to make
the mistake of a lifetime.
WOMEN WILL WEAR
TROI-SERS EOIl DOIn