The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-05-09
JUDGE: NOT SURE
4 Who STARTED SCRAP
Floyd Made First Suspicious Mo-
ton, and Claude, Witness
Thought, Fired the First Shot.
But He Saw Nothing to
Suggest Conspiracy.

WYTHEVILllE, VA.-Special.-I is
not to be wondered at that old man
Floyd Allen WINGED when the
trial Of his case got fairly under way.
Tor he suffered a terrific eXcoriation
at the hands of ]. c. Wysor chief
counsel FOR the prosecution. The law
yer certainly must have made a deep
impression on the jury, for he thun-
derously charged the prisoner at the
bar with being the arch conspirator
In one OF the most atrocious crimes
known In the history OF the world
a crime which, according to him, will
result not only in Floyd Aliens un-
doing, but in that of his brothers, his
sons and his nephews.
Moreover, Mr.. Wysor declared that
certain vengeance would come upon
the accused, and predicted for him a
death by that mysterious force which
once was believed to belong exclusive
ly TO the lightning. In this figure of
speech he referred, Of course, to the
electric chair.
Even assuming that Mr.. Wysor's
speech, which was delivered with
great eloquence and power, will be
regarded by the jurors only as the
effort OF a born orator who puts
things in a pointed fashion, the twelve
men must have felt the weight of the
testimony of Judge Bolen, the first
and only witness offered by the State
at the morning session of the court
Judge Bolen cannot be regarded as
hostile to the accused. He was pris-
oner's counsel on that dreadful occa-
sion which led to the killing of five
persons and the wounding of several
more. 1t was on Judge Bolens stall
warJ figure that Floyd Allen fell when
he was sent Keeling downwards by a
bullet.
This witness, as far as his memory
would permit, described the tragedy
MI
TALLY Many things he naturally
could not recollect. but he recalled
enough to give his auditors a good idea
of what happened at Hillsville March
14th.
Judge Bolen heard the accused say,
the penitentiary: Il amt a goin to
co. and a few minutes later. when
his client stood up, he saw him de-
iberately tumble in one of his inside
pockets of his vest or sweater.
Noting the CLEAN of the prisoners
revolver, he foresaw trouble even then
and started to invoke the aid of the
prisoners sons to prevent their father
from doing anything desperate. But
Judge Bolen reached his determina-
ton too late. In the twinkling of an
eye there came a pistol shot; then
many others, and then complete chaos
in the room containing $50 or 200
people.
1t was Judge Bolen's impression that
Claude Allen fired the first shot; also
that it struck Judge Massie. The wit
ness ministered to the dying jurist a
rev minutes before he expired. He
ala not hear him name anyone as his
ASA Ssin.
Testimony Damaging
Judge Bolen's evidence, though GER
talnly damaging to the accused, con-
tanned little suggestive of conspiracy
on the part of the Aliens 1t was
rather the other way That at least
was point for the prisoner.
In his opening statement for the de-
fense, X. II. Willis declared the Aliens
had been remorselessly misrepresented
by the press and others and that the
evidence would show how grossly thew
had been wronged.
Judge Bolen frankly and somewhat
humorously admitted that when the
shooting became general he became APP
prehensive as to his own safety 1t was
the instinct OF elf-preservation that
made him get down on the floor and
which probably saved him from harm.
While In this position his wounded
client fell upon him. 'T entreated him