Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-03-20
THE CARROLL TRAGEDY
Judge and Court Officials Killed
BY Enraged Mountaineers
During Trial

assassnated the judge upon the
bench, the prosecutor before the
bar and the sheriff at the door in
less time than it takes to tell it,
Sentence was being pronounced
upon Floyd Allen, one of their
number, and when the crack of the
rifles died away, only one member
of the human fabric OF the court.
Dexter Goad, the clerk-was alive,
and he had been wounded.
Floyd Allen had been on trial for
taking a prisoner f,om a deputy
sheriff. He had struck the sheriff
on the head with the butt OF rife
and toe prisoner had escaped.
Sheriff webb had gone up into the
mountains and taken Allen, despite
the warnings OF What such d venture
might mean.
The jury had returned a verdict
Of guilty and Aliens punishment
was fixed at one year in the peni-
Tertiary.
Just as Allen was about to be
called up for sentence, the two bro
theirs, Sidney and Jack, at the head
Of q troup Of 20 monntaineers, rode
up to the court house, their hardy
ponies splashed with mud, testify
ing to long ride through the hills.
The two brothers and their con-
panious, armed with revOlvers,
crowded into the small court room
and stood behind the rail and about
the door Floyd Allen, tall aud
gaunt, much the familiar type of the
mountaineer, was in the DOCK.
Judge Massie mounted the bench
and Prosecutor Foster moved sen
tence upon Allen, who stood up.
There was 4 shutting of feet and \
general movement among the noun
laineers in the back ot the room.
but no sign to foretell the TERRIBLE
tragedy then in the minds Of every
one OF them.
The usual legal formalities over,
Judge rMassie began pronouncina
sentence. The last words that fell
: from his lips precipitated the TRACE
dy.
] "One-year-at-hard-labor-
q Before the last word was cold th,
I fusillade began. Allen, with an oatl
= that ue would never 90 20 prison
i sprang out Of the prisoners dock =
}. Judge Massie collapsed upon In
C bench. Another roar of shots an
; Prosecutor Foster WAS on the foo
in heap. Sheriff Webb was spring
It ing forward for Ills prisoner whe
n the lead found him.
a The court room presented a seen
a of widest confusion. Officers al
l. some Of the spectators who happri
g. ed to De armed joined in the MT {
Is and tried with all their might TO d
< fend the court attendants and II
h Floyd Allen, the prisoner and tn
IS man who from some accounts begA
a. the affair, was wounded in the al
domen.
r Then holding the panic stricke
a jurors and onlookers at bay, a
al though that probably was not n,
D. cessary, the assassins slowly bacl
10 ed out of the court house and acrOs
at the green to their troop of ponie
In a second they were gallOpir
e, like mad men through the arouse
"a village and off to the hills.
ar Word of the tragedy was slow
of getting to points from which he
could be asked but the machinei
of the law, once started, work,
quickly. Governor Mann order
\ the State companies of militia
o- Roanoke and Lynchburg ready
90 to Hillsville if their aid shou
~ be necessary.
- Governor Mann telegraphed
- Judge w. r. Staples, of the Roam o
corporation court, TO 90 to Hillsvi
and take charge of judicial procee
OF ings there. Attorney General w
IN liams. OF the State of Virginia, "
MS also ordered to Hillsvile.
'rg Accompanied by Attorny-GeneI
my Samuel w. Williams. Judge Slap
a arrived at Hillsville Friday aft
tho r..