The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-30

armed wit hW'inchestcr repeating
rifles and all arc picked men. who
know how to use them. To each of the
mounted scouting parties have been
added seevral HillsNille residents who
have been selected not only for their
fearlessness and their skill as marks
mon. but primarily because they know
and would recognize at sight n
member of the oulawed band. These
local members Of the posses nave
been equipped with revolvers and
with the regular army Springfield
magazine rifles brought here to the
number of about a score from h ar
lnory of the state militia in Roanoke.
With these weapons bullets MAJ he
pumped through the walls of Il house
with almost machine IL rapidity.
and they can do deadly execution.
Captain Harry w. Davant OF Com
pany f. Second Virginia infantry.
brought the rifles to Hillsville. He is
under orders from the state adiutant
generals office to remain here n
report the situation daily to military
graduate of the Virginia Military in
stitute at Lexington. which is often
spoken of as the West Point of the
South lie has been in the state
service since 1905. With him are
First Sergeant q. l.. White and Cor
poral Robert L. IIartigan of the same
company and regiment.
The officers ride with the scouting
parties day and night. Their khaki
service uniforms add a military touch
to the otherwise somewhat monde
script appearance of their comrades.
Sergeant White has seen nine years
of service. He was one of General
funston's scouts. and WAS wounded
in the Philippines. He is an expert
marksman. and for two years was a
member of the national military rifle
team. Corporal HartiGan has also
been in the service nine Years. He is
another ~sharpshootcr.
Hardy. Expert MarkSmcn.
Indeed. the posses of men who have
been following the mountain trails
are largely of this experienced, hardy
and expert type. Numbering original
ly 100 or more. and made up of such
promiscuous material as was imme-
diately available, the officers in COM
mand have now winnowad their fore
es down to only about two score men.
but they are believed to be the pick of
the lot, the survival of the fittest.
There were plenty of volunteers for
the man hunt. Some of them were
believed to have been a little too close
ly associated with the Aliens. and
their loyalty was not above suspicion.
NV ouS cay tHc tolSc has pCCIl
strengthened by pruning it.
Despite the savagery Of their crime
and the blot it has placed upon the
old dominion, the men whose weapons
detjed the Carroll county court appar-
emily do not lack sy%mpathizing parti-
sans here in their own home COM
munity. though the predominating
sentiment is ~law-abiding and quiet.
one of the leaders Of the sheriff
posse informed the correspond
ent that no sooner does a scouting
party start out from Hillsville than
mountain residences miles away are
informed of the numbers of the posse.
its armament, and the direct QUITE it
has taken.
There is no telegraph wire to this
town, the nearest connection being
on a spur OF the Norfolk and Western
railroad. at Barren Springs, sixteen
miles away. There is, however, Il
single telephone wire. and most Of the
farmhouses and residences of the
mountaineers scattered through the
district have home connections over
the same wire. In this way news can
be quickly disseminated . 1t was ow-
ing to this situation that the authori-
ties last Wednesday established at the
telephone station in Hillsville some
thing very like Il military censorship
over the wire.
. Messages Are Overheard.
Captain Davant complained that cr-
en- his verbal reports to military
headauarters were being picked up by
listening in" on the one-Wire serv-
ice.
Captain Davant does not believe
there is likely to be any call for eth
or field artillery or machine guns.
though the Virginia National Guard
stands ready to send both should they
be needed.
Il nave great faith in the regulation
Springfield magazine weapons" said
, he. "One Of these rifles will pump
II target full of holes in mighty short
order in the hands of a good man.
They are likely to be more serviceable
and practical in this kind of noun
tain guerilla warfare than field ord
nance or machine guns would he"
Should the outlaws be brought here
for trial. it is believed that then, if
ever. is likely to come the call for
protection by the uniformed forces
of the state. Many Carroll county
residents think the court house will
have to he placed under military
guard when the wounded Floyd and
his son Victor. who are now in Ro-
anoke Jail. are brought to trial. There
is some talk for a possible applica-
tion for a change of venue. but the
disposition Of the locrl authorities
seems to insist upon Carroll c%ounty's
right to vindicatc its own sullicd rep
%utation..
Not excepting Floyd Allen, the
wounded prisoner now in Roanoke
awaiting trial for his life. the most
picturesque of THE --narkablc fam
lily. many Of the male members of
which are now hunted outlaws, i.
Sidna Allen. the youngest Of the five
sons of jeremiah Allen, who was a
confederate soldier. Sidna. accord
ing to the most reliable Information
available here. is probably worth
$4,000 or 100000 in real and person.
al property.
Owner of nj hundreds Of acres.
much of which he subjects to tenant
farmers. Sidna Allen might we'll he
and varied activities.
Make MOOnsline Whisky,
That he. as we'll as his relatives,
also manufactured "moonshine" whis-
ky on a considerable scale was gem
orally believed. The armed raiding
parties of A few days ago confscated
and brought into Hillsville Floyd Al
lens contraband stills and a lot of
"blockaded" corn liquor from his
were won from the Edwards boys.
who are the SOM Of Sidna Aliens sis
ter.
The Aliens fortunes. in part at
least. were probably won in these
hidden mountain stills. According to
a Hillsville denizen. one bushel of
corn. which is worth 81, yields about
312 or $13 worth Of corn whisky, so
the profits Of the Illicit business are
large.
The state sumptuary law Of viringia
is one permitting local ontion. ana