The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-03-17
ALLEN OUTLAWS AWAIT
BATTLE IN DEVILS Den
Continued from Ftrst Page. +.

DSN'""Nt t'V"s W.
almost .unbroksn. wilderness along the
crest Of. the Blue Ridge. They an-
doubtsdly have figured on tho posi-
bility Of escaping into Tennessee or
North Carolina and taking ono Of the rail.
road trains that creep through the noun
tain gaps II, the pursuit gets too hot. II
Is to forestall such q move that the Gov
eminent; forces have thrown guards into
all the defiles. .C...... '" -.
While, the ALIENS are ensoonoed in their
mountain fortress. they arc able also to
keep in fairly good touch With n base Of
food supply Their homes. and very
modern substantial homes they are.
are along the base Of the. moantains.
and they can slip down. under cover Of
the thioket. Apparently their food sup
ply 10 being Furnished regularly by the
women OF their families and by friends.
1t was q strange soene IN the court
house here this morning 1t the reopeninE
Of the court ih the little room which still
bore the bullet marks and bioodstains Of
last Thufsday,s battle. Il looked like the
enactment OF scene from . melodrama
and required mental plotting every nov
and then to convince oneSelf that +eally
here war an efort to administer Justice
in State whose beginning dates from
*. bsnGSp %Ss II.
oJudge Massie, pale. sad, but courageous.
On his right leaning upon . table for sup:
port, hishead swathed In bandages, stood
a man whose pAnid akin and blue lips
told of the lQss Of blood. This man WAS
Dexter. Goad, clerk Of the court. who
followed the Aliens to the door of the
court house on that tragic Thursday and
turned their fire until the chambers Of
his revolver were empty and he had sank
70 ,his knees ct the door. 0oad insietsd
today ", upon being prss,snt ,e st the reopen.
before the Grand, Jury. ~ -
On either side Of the bench stood men
OF the fnnky lem Southern mountAineer
type each with q ride slung .scruss h,s
arm. Ranged along the walls OF the
court room were othere of these guards.
were scAttered; among the spectators
in the court room.
And these sbectators-they, were. for
the most part a grim, 'sullen looking lot
Probably every mothers son of them
carried a gun on his hip and another in
his boot. Thefe. wsre some friends Of the
Aliens who, took seats on the benches. but
for the most part the spectators showed
plainly enough that they sympathized
with the return to law and order and the
effort that was to be made to bring the
| murderers TO Justice Frequently they
nodded their emphatic approval Of re-
Indicated that they welcomed the oppor-
thnity that had at last arisen to rid tho
county. Of family that had menaced it's
peace and order for thirty years or more.
! Nine men. drawn from Hillsville and
the surrounding mountain country. had
been summoned to act a. Grand jury.
1 lNl m NrnsS eAA
:. An impressive hush fell over the, court
room when Judge Staples charged the
Jury. He characterized tho tragedy In
the court houne Is the most 'humiliating
that had ever occurred on the American
ooniineot. He charged tho Jury to let
no man eeospe through fear or favor. but
cautioned them also not to indict through
feeling Of revenge. - -,
Act only in the fear Of 0od.' said he.
and from one of the mountainoers, a. he
dropped the butt Of his riie on the floor
came feryent Amen
! The jury needed only one session Of .
few hours TO bring In the indictments
| While the 'reopening Of the court has
tended to encourage the iawabidipg ele-
mept Of the community, this hamlet other
wise Prevents very much tho appearance
OF an armed camp. The etreets are pa
each With ride over i1is shoulder Twenty
guards heavily armed until late. tonight
tsurrounded The little brick jail in which
Floyd Allen, the old he devil OF the gang
Was enduring the humiliating experienos
Of belng behind bars for the fret time in
the jail, in fact in the oell with Floyd
Allen. sat four other guards. They fear
that the outlaw may attempt to finish the
job which he began yesterday. when he
gashed his throat with knife, but they
were more seriously concerned over the
possibility Of Floyd's brother and nephews
county Jail to effect his release. That
has besn greatly, feared by the guards
ever sinoe old Fioyds son Victor wss
overpowered sttths hotel and his father
was carrled'a prisoner. suffering from
three bullet wounds. to the county jail.
late this evening Floyd and the other
wers taken 10 0slax. through the noun
tain country. and thence by special train
to Roanoke. This was done to pre-
vent any attempt to rescue Floyd
from isil.i The fear OF another rush
hung like . pail over the town. and every.
Floyd Allen and the other prisoner.
were driven sixteen miles under dis.
tressing circumstances. Floyd was suf,
fering from three bullet wounds ane
from the self-inhicted gash in his throat
|
on either side Of him and other armed mel
following and preceding the wagon h,
was. carted over the rough mountain
roads with wheels sometlmes up 10 tn,
AK les in mud. :+ t- 80. r
All.here including sm all army Of news
noses out OF doors at night < walk
through tho streets after dark is likely
To- result in the unpleasant eNperlenos
OF feeiing q, rife barrel preessd against
ones breast, The two little hotels in
tae town are crowded from cellar to gar
seek lodgings In the town homes,
Old Floyd Allen and the others Of the
Allen family are mighty interesting
studies. While they were capable o.
committing cowardly murder. their rec
ords show that they have been on COCA
sions az daring as q man could be Alat
while the lives Of the Aliens OF the oldel
generation seem to have been marke(
BY one act OF laylesspess after another
they have . peculiar kind OF honor. Fo
inatanoe, in money matters and In matter
involving their word OF honor thes,
rugged mountaineers. who bold human
life 30 cheaply. have a very high reputa
tion among their fellow citizens. II i
aGommon remark in Hiilsville THAT Floy,
Allen never went back ON his word. =,
l. Floyd iAllen. the leader OF the clan
and the others took peculiar pride II
Lying up to their word. For instance
when Sidna Allen was arrested for coun
,terfeittnk he was never looked up. h
gave his word that he would appear II
court. and he kept 1t. When Floyd Allel