The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-06
Alleged Murderer Gives
Way to Despair and
Weeps Bitterly.
EMOTION FOLLOWS
VISIT OF FIANCEE
Girl Evidently Devoted to Man
Who Is Accused of Having
Killed Judge Massie--Allen
Jury Spends Sunday Co.
ing to Church and in
Singing Hymns.
BY ALEXANDER tonwAnp.

Wythevilie, Va. May 5.-Plunged
into despair by the accumulation of
evidence against him. brought out in
the Floyd Allen trial. Claude Swanson
Allen, charged By the direct and posi-
tive testimony of Judge ID w. Bolen
and others with being ne murderer OF
Judge Thornton L. Masse, has his first
breakdown to-day. II followed a visit
paid him by mis- nancce Miss Lett!e
WISER. of Pulaski She was permitted
to see him. The girl is young, pretty
and evidently devoted to Claude
When she had departed. Claude AL
len gave way to despair. and wept bit
terly He had. 1t is understood, been
appraised of the serious evidence
against him by his mother. Mrs. Floyd
Allen. With Miss WISER was her
aunt, Mrs. Victor NJ. Allen. who had an
interview with her husband, the broth
er OF Claude. She reached Wythevilic
TINS morning. after spending a week
at Pulaski. Mrs. Aliens condi-
ton makes her pitiably weak and sick
when combined with tae strain which
she Is undergoing.
Floyd Allen Cheerful.
Mrs. Floyd Allen. Wno is daily
visitor TO the Jail. found her husband
cheerful. His leg. which previously
had given him much pain, is in a de-
cidedly better condition.. DR.. Triton
Green the jail physician, said TO day
That the stories sent out to the effect
That Sangrene WAS probable, were
ridiculous. as not the Slightest symp-
toms OF anything of the sort had APP
peared. The ends of the fracture have
Tapped. and unless the leg is rcbrok-
en-. Floyd always will be lame
The men have been eating fairly
we'll Victor Aliens appetite had i'm
proved UP to to-day. sidna Edwards
continues to add flesh. and his all
pervadinS good humor is his most
prominent characteristic. Bird Marion
still suffers from rheumatism, but was
better to-day. friel Allen reads a
great deal. Stacks of papers and
magazines were carried TO the Jail
to-day by DIR. Green.
Claude Allen was inclined to-day to
deny that his name contains the word
swanson He said he did not know
how or when ii was started. nor how
1t got into the court rscoris.
Waller Poage. of counsel for the
prosecution, counts torty-seven wit
nesses yet to be introduced for the
commonwealth in the Floyd Allen case.
however some of them probably will
be dispensed with. while the examina-
ton of most OF the oircrs will con-
sumo but a few moments each.
Allen Jury Religious.
Indications are that the Allen Jury
is about as religiously inclined as was
that In the Beattic case All the mem
bers went TO the Methodist Church
this morning, and, barring a walk in
the afternoon. most OF The rest of the
day was taken up in singing hymns
All are well and report promptly at
meal times.
The feeling is general among local
attorneys and citizens who have
closely followed the trial, that the case
OF the Commonwealth iq even strong
er than had been expected The de-
tails are being proven with exactness.
Yet the defense has witnesses who Will
present the view that all the shots
were fired by the Aliens for the pur-
pose OF saving the life of Floyd. who
was attacked. they wifi say. bv the
officers Naturally the claim will be
that Judge Massie was shot accident
ally.