Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-05-15
THE CARROLL TRAGEDY
Trial Of the Aliens Being Held at
WythevilIe

vile oil the Carroll county outlaws
known as the Allen gang-cannot
be followed at all fully. by the rea-
son Of the voluminousness OF the
testimony, the summing up Of the
case by Alfred B. Williams, editor
OF the Roanoke Times is given. Mr..
Williams is attending the trial in
person. He saws:
Floyd Allen is being tried on an
indictment charging him with con-
spiracy to murder the county OIL
GERS OF Carroll.
What has the State proved?
1t has proved that months before
the tragedy Floyd Allen openly and
freely declared that il the thing
happened that did happen he would
blow hole in the court" as he
expressed it. 1t is proved that he
and his brother and at least several
OF his sons and nephews went to
court with loaded revolvers in their
pockets, some of them with extra
supplies Of cartridges. 1t has
proved that tho day before, when "a
verdict was expected at least two
OF the Aliens we're at vantage points
with hands on their pistols. 1t has
proved a whispered conversation
between Floyd and Claude Allen
Few minutes or moments before the
outbreak. 1t has proved that Floyd
Allen arose suddenly and declared
he would not go to prison, and be-
gan to tumble in a garment from
which he afterwards produced a
pistol, and on That instant the shoot
ing began, starting in the North
east corner" where Sidna Allen
and Wesley Edwards were. 1t has
put on Witnesses who have sworn
directly that Floyd Allen pointed
and fired his pistol towards Foster
aud that Foster was killed by pistol
bullet wounds. 1t has proved that
at least four members Of the family
on the morning of the tragedy, and
half an hour before. were in such
desperate hurry to get to the court
house that two declined TO put their
horses in stalls and two others left
their breakfasts unfinished, one of
these leaving his overcoat.
The taking OF evidence was COM
pleted Saturday. Floyd Allen being
the last witness. The prisoner
testimony was devoid of anything OF
remarkable interest. and it was, it
is generally felt. distinctly hurtful
to his own cause. He contradicted
too many witnesses and gave such
apparently unsatisfactory explana-
ton OF his actions that the attorneys
for the prosecution we're much
pleased with the showing be made.
The contention of Floyd Allen is,
briefly, that he would have gone
peaceably to Jail at the direction Of
Judge Thornton L. Massie but for
the overt act OF Clerk Dexter
Goad, who pulled his pistol partly
from his pocket, winking at Sheriff
L. +. Webb as he did so: that this
so enraged him that he announced
he would not go to Jail; that Sheriff
Webb fred the first shot; that he
himself did not fire until after he
had been wounded; that one of his
own four shots went to the ceiling,
one into the'table in the bar, and the
other two in the direction OF Clerk
W. c. Quesen berry, whose Are he
returned.
The prisoner further contended
that he fired no shots outside the
courthouse. save two at Clerk Goad :;
that be did not shoot at Juror James
N. Early, and that be had made no
threats whatever against the life of
Common wealth's Attorney William
NJ. Foster. All idea OF conspiracy
he denied absolutely.
The Parker W.ecking Company OF
Boston. has applied for permission