The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1912-03-20
Outlaws Kill Officials
i'm Court Room.


the Blue Ridge today to the. Carroll
county court house here and assassi-
mated the Judge upon the bench, the
prosecutor before the bar, ano the
sheriff at the door, while sentence
was being pronounced upon Floyd
Allen, one of their number.
When the crack of the rifles died
away only one member of t. human
fabric of the court-Dexter Goad,
clerk of court-was alive and he had
been wounded One of the jurors re-
ceiyed wounds from which he died
short while afterwards, while other
members of the panel were more or
less seriously injured, and 19-year-
old girl, witness, was killed by one
of the outlaws bullets.
Gov. Mann has offered $1,000 re.
ward for the capture of the asssssins
and holds State troops under arms for
orders at Lynehburg and Roanoke.
The shooting terrorized Hillsville to
the point of paralysis. There was not
man to give an order or organize
pursuit. Citizens fed 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 lead across his< desk.
William Foster, commonwealth at
torney, with half dozen bullets in his
brain, crumpled down to the floor.
Sheriff Lewis Webb was shot and
killed as he reached for his revolver
and sprang forward. Bullets grazed
Goad and in the confusion he was re-
ported killed. Jurors who had been
slightly wounded were reported dead
and by that indefnable method Of
communicable which prevails in the
woodland country reports of whole
sale slaughter were spread to the
countryside.
Floyd Allen was before the bar this
morning, convicted of taking a pris-
oner from deputy sheriff. Allen had
struck the sheriff over the head with
the butt of a rifle and the prisoner es-
capped. Sheriff Webb had gone up
into the mountains and taken Allen,
despite dire warnings Of what such a
venture might mean. Attorney Fos-
ter had prosecuted fearlessly and q
mountaineer Jury gathered from the
inland section, for no man in Carroll
county cared to sit on the trial Of an
Allen, had convicted him.
This morning the sentence of Allen
attracted an unusually large gathering
to the quaint old red brick court
house, which stands en- green square
| well in the centre of the village.
Those who could not get into the small
room peere through the windows,
opened to the first lays Of spring.
Just as Allen was about to 6e called
up for sentence his two brothers, Sid
ney and Jack, at the head of troop
of about 20 mountaineers, road up to
the court house.
The brothers and their companions,
ONE carrying rifles and others armed
with revolvers, crowded into the small
| court room AMI stood behind the rail
! and about the doors. Floyd Allen,
| aged so, tall and gaunt, much the ia
miliar type of mountaineer, was in the
dock.
Judge Massie mounted the bench
and Prosecutor Foster moved sentence
upon Allen, who stood up. There
| was shufn:ng of feet ana a general
| movement among the mou ntaineers IN
| the back Of the room, but no sign to
foretel the terrible tragedy then in
| the minds of every one of them.
The usual Legal formalities over,
Judge Massie began pronouncing SEN
tence. The last words that fell from
his lips precipitated the tragedy.
Zone year at hard labor"
Before the last word was cold, the
fusilade began. Allen, muttering an
oath that he would never go to prison,
sprang out Of the prisoners dock as
Judge Mass 9 collapsed upon the
bench. Ant cher 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 onlookers at bay, although
that probably was not necessary, the
asssssins slowly backed out of the
| court house snd across the green to
their troop Of ponies. In a second
they were galloping like mad men
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