Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-09-19
DETECTIVES FIND
LAST OF ALIENS
Traced to Des Moines through
Woman Who Was to Marry
Younger Clansman.

Des Moines, Iowa. Sept. 15.-Sidney
Allen, leader OF the Allen clan which
shot up the Carroll county courthouse
at Hillsville. Va, March IA, killing
Judge Massie and others, and his neph-
ew. Wesley Edwards. are manacled in
cells at the city hall. as n result of n
love affair which led detectives to
them. Both have announced their will
lingness to return to Virginia without
ircquisition.
Edwards, for the love of whom Miss
Maude IrOler Of Mt. Airy, Va, had in
nocently led detectives to Des Moines,
was captured last night as he was re-
turning to his boarding house, after
having worked all day with a paving
gang.
Just as he boarded a street car, de-
tectivos and officers surrounded II. Ed
wards was trying to escape by crawling
through the front end Of the car when
the officers caught him. The arrest of
Sidna Allen was affected earlier in the
day.
= visit by Edwards 20 Miss Iroer in
her Virginia home Just month ago
and the accidental loss of letter put
tives had been in Dcs Moines since
April %. Allen under the name of Tom
Sayrc. worked rs carpenter end Ed
wards. under the name of Joe jackson.
was employed with city paving gang.
ALLEN ADMITS IDENTITY.
Allen was arrested at the home Of
John Cameron, where he and his nephew
had been rooinins. by Detectives Baldwin,
Lucas and Munday Of Roanoke The ar
rest occurred few minutes after Miss
lroler stepped into the Cameron home
to meet Edwards, whom she was to wed
last night according to an arrangement
made when he visited her in Virginia
Detective Lucas was a her heels
Allen was in an upper room. When
informed that the visitors wanted to see
him. he came downstairs. AS he did so
Detective Lucas covered him with a re-
volver and asked him to surrender
Allen hestated, then threw up his hands,
romarklng as he did so, II guess I'm your
man
Sidna Allen in his cell talked freely of
the events of the last few months. but de-
clined to say much concerning his move
inents Immediately after the courthouse
tragedy.
He and Edwards remained in the noun
tain country of Virginia and North Caro-
lima for about a month and then got over
into Kentucky, going to Louisville. where
they spent several days Their next stop
WAS in st. Louis, whore they remained a
week. They had sufficient money for their
needs ana Travelled as iirst-class passen-
gers.
II don't know why we came to Des
Moinos," said Allen, unless it was that
| thought We would be safer here Sew
eral years ago | was in the l<londYke and
| figured that the officers would think I
had gone back there. So we came to Des
Moines and | got work as carpenter,
and expected to remain here until it was
safe bac: home.
II would have given myself up long
! ago, If | had thought we could get a
square deal. liut see what they've done to
| Floyd my brother, and Claude"
RELIEF vt HLISVII.LE.
lIillsvillc Va, Sept. l5.-News of the
arrest of Sidna Allen. desperate leader
of the notorious clan which for years
terrified the people of the mountain
country of western Virginia with it's
utter disregard for the law and Wesley
| Edwards. his nephew, known as a
bad man." brought "A sense of relief
to this village.
These captives, considered the most
dangerous Of the entire clan, had been
hunted since March IA last, when their
gang Of outlaws shot up the Carroll
county court here, killing the Judge
| on tho bench, the prosecutor, the sher-
| iff juror and woman.
Several Of the murderers fled to the
surroundil . mountains and in their
strongholds dcfiod armed posses of de-
tectivcs and officers for weeks, All Of
the fugitivcs. save Sidna Allen and
Wesley Edwards were captured. Large
rewards We're offered for the arrest of
these two and reports, internationally
flt"ring into this little town that the
desperadoes were still in the recessss
of the mountains kept the people con-
tinually in fear
This court room tragedy was the eli
max of the trial of Floyd Allen. brother
of Sidna, convicted of assisting n pris-
oner to escape from Il deputy sheriff
Just as the words sentencing Floyd
Allen to one year at hard labor were
uttered by Judge Massie the outlaws
opened fire and the court of Carroll
county practically was wiped out.
Floyd and Claude Allen were tried
separately and sentenced to die on
November 90. Friel Allen and Sidna
Edwards received long terms in the
penitentiary Victor Allen was acquit-
ted Friday of killing Attorney Foster,
NO CLEMENCY FOR THEM.
Richmond. VT, Sept. 15.-Floyd AL
len and his son. Claude. who were sem
fenced on Wednesday to die in the
| electric chair November %. have little
hope of escaping the fate allotted to
them
The Aliens need expect no clemency
should they fail to get new trials,
Governor Mann is quoted as saying.