The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-24


! courtroom. There Is one set of steps
TO this platform, at the north end, and
| at the foot of the steps Is the door
to the judges private room At the
south end of the Judges quarters is
the desk OF the clerk. and beyond Is
the door of the jury room.
! On tho main floor in front OF tho
| Judge is the row of twelve chairs
| which holds the jury.
The bar Is an Enclosure rallied of all
around save for narrow opening
| directly facing the judges chair. Thig
! Enclosure Is raised a few inches from
| the main floor. About the rest OF the
courtroom are long benches, which at
the sides run entirely to the doors OF
F., the jury room and tne Judges Office.
| The courtroom is on the second floor
1 Of the building at the rear. In tho
| south front is the clerks office. The
| portico Is upheld by massive columns,
the entire court green in front being
several feet above the street level.
Within the bar are two tables. AT
| one OF these. to the north, were seated
that fata! morning Judge D. w. Bolen
and Walter 8. Upton. attorneys. Just
behind and somewhat between them
sat their client. Floyd Allen. AT the
other table was Commonwealth At
! Floyd Landreth ana w. S. Tompkins,
two Carroll lawyers. who were not in
/ the case. Howard G. Giimer OF
Pulaski. was attending court. and Sec
ing the time had not arrived for the
matter which brought him here, he re-
, paired TO the hotel with his client for
q conference
were seated. Sidna Allen moved up
to the door of the Judges room and
stood there. evidently to prevent
! escape from that quarter. With him
! was one of the young ALIENS. Some
have said IL was Friel. son OF Jack.
and others that 1t was Claude Swanson
| Allen, son OF Floyd. This Will be made
! clear at the trial. y little to their
! rear near a stove, stood an Edwards
Bird Marion. also under indictment. is
said TO have been seen on the opposite
! side of the room
| Sheriff Webb stood outside the bar,
near the clerks desk
Gentlemen, have you agreed upon
a verdict?' inquired Judge Massie.
I'VE have" responded Foreman
Charles Howell. handing the Indictment
with Its notation to Clerk Goad
we the jury" read the clerk, "fnd
the prisoner guilty and fix his punish
ment at one years Imprisonment In
the penitentiary"
| All Eyes On Floyd.
All eyes were upon Floyd Allen
who leaned forward and spoke quickly
! with his counsel His brother. sons
and nephews watched him intenrly
The attorneys made q motion for /.
new trial and Judge Mossie promptly
/ agreed to hear argument. OH the mo-
/ ton the following day. Then re-
quest was made for bail pending the
decision, but the judge said this must
be denied. One OF Floyd Aliens sons
entered the bar, exchanged word
! with his father, and retired
There was a moments luIl. AR
Foster stepped to the clerks desk 10
sec II the verdict was worded properly
Mr.. Tompkins left the bar and stood
leaning across the defense's tatle. il,
conversation with Mr.. Upton regard
ing procedure in another case
The sheriff VIII take charge of the
prisoner. quietly said Judge Massie.
The critical moment had arrived.
| I'll not 20. no man shall ever take
me to JAIL shouted Floyd Allen. He
spranG to his feet and fumbled with the
sweater which he wore. This action
is varIously Interpreted. There are
those who believe that this was an at.
: tempt to draw fire to himself, while
the others wiped out the court and
jury, and that he wore a steel breast
plate which might have been carried
away from the hotel later in the day
by Jack Allen.
| BE this as II may, there was an un-
usual delay in tho drawing of his
weapon. Sheriff Webb drew his pistol
from his pocket. but was perhaps mo-
mentarily delayed in It's use by the
fact that Mr.. Upton stepped in front
of him.
It may never be known who fred the
I ch OF
! Allen When Mr.. Tonpllins turned
Sidna was standing on the bench and
shooting with both hands, his pistols
aimed in the direction of the Judge
and the clerk. BY his side n young
Allen was firing. Mr.. Tompkins, along
with the rest of the crowd, made for
the door in the northwest corner. AS
he passed thS stove an Edwards was
| firing also standing OH q bench. A
bullet hole In the door. received as n
| stood open, probably testines to one
attempt to get MIR. Tompkins, VINO
as United States commissioner, had in
CURED the enmity of tho Aliens
Whoever started firing. 1t was 50
general and the members OF tho Allen
! family responded so simultaneously.
| that the clannlsh feelings of tho old
Scots Highlands showed In the noun
/ tains OF Virginia. Fight oach other
| as these men would without hesita-
, ton. they stood together when what
with a sarange. unreasoning, unscrup
ulous pride. they thought their family
rights of absolute Freedom OF notion.
was assailed.
| So half dozen Aliens on tho one
| hand, with Clerk Goad, Commemorative
Attorney Foster. Sheriff Webb and
f, Deputy Sheriff Edwards on the other
/! there was fought pitched battle I'm
/ tho courtroom. At first, naturally. tho
/ fire OF tile officers was directed at FLOYD
Allen. and no was struck twice. He
foil, practically on top OF Judge Bolen,
who stout and no Longer young, could
not make an aEila escape end who