The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-04-04
DETECTIVE FELTS
TALKS OF ALIENS
SAYS FUGTTIVES MUST Bic SUI
ALLEN NOT DANGEROUS.


hemmed in on all sides by posses OF
officers. their days arc numbered.
Detective Tom Felts, OF the BALDWIN
Felts agency. who has been IA active
command Of the situation in Carroll
county, and who was here last night
was the authority for this statement |
Mr.. Felts talked to a reporter sun
day night In his room at the Ponce
de Leon for sometime, and his inter-
view proved most interesting The
Roanoke News prints the following:
In speaking of the Aliens and how
they are faring in the mountains, MIR.
EeltS said that Nature had provided
them with ample shelter. In that
section shelf rocks are to be found |
most everywhere. These rocks are |
big fiat boulders, which project for
sides The leaves in the fall blow in |
under them and afford a warm, com |
Portable place of refuge for the AL |
lens. They can crawl under the rocks |
and be protected from rain and cold |
and bury themselves in leaves and |
never be detected.
You can readily see that it is no
easy matter TO trail men who are hid
ing in such places and keep coutinu-
ouSly on the move continued Mr..
Felts.
The men who are at large fire.
Quently go for twenty-fOur hours at
the time without food, and il is only
by uSinS lncir wits that they do this.
Some Of the people living in the
Fancy Gap section are furnishing
them food, but they are most eau
tous in the way they manipulate
matters in getting food to the men.
They dare not come to these peoples
homes. tor fear they will be traced
by our men. The Aliens have a sig
nal they use in getting food They
come close enough to the house of q
friend that a peculiar whistle they
give may be heard Later the friend
carries a supply of food to some
designated spot and leaves il there.
Some member of the clan comes af-
ter IL, but they do not hurry about il
for fear they are being observed
Sometimes they have waited as long
as twelve hours before they come for
the food.
Our posses have been divided up
and are required TO do all kinds Of
duty. Certain clews must be followed
and points should be watched and the
men are kept on the go continuous
ly," said Mr.. Felts.
When asked whether or not il was
his opinion that all Of the four men
now at large were in the confines of
Carroll county. Mr.. Felts replied: Il
think they are all there, but if any of
them have gotten out Of that county
Claud Allen is the only one"
Jack Allen Realizes Situation.
In speaking of Jack Allen. the
brother of Floyd, who is in Carroll
county and who had nothing TO do
with the Hillsville tragedy. Mr.. Felts
said: Jack Allen realizes the stu
alton. We have had him under sur
VIGILANCE ever since our men have
been on the ground. He sees the stu
alton and is acting splendidly. He
is not aiding his relatives in escape
nor is he furnishing us with informa-
ton. Jack Allen does not know as
much about the whereabouts or the
movements of his son. Friel. and the
others as we do. He has been out
several times, but each of these trips
have been made in search of his son.
He is anxious TO see his son. The
report sent out from Hillsville yester-
day TO the effect that Jack would lead
the posse against his brother is en-
trely erroneous. l wish you would
print this for me-
Mr.. Felts continued Jack Allen
told us that when Floyd Allen got
into the trouble which led to the
shooting. he came to him and that he
told Floyd he was in serious trouble
and that he did not care to get mixed
up In It l talked to Jack and told
him the Aliens had had their day in
Carroll and that he must make up his
mind TO be Inundated at times and
respect the law. Jack agreed with
me but seemed somewhat worried over
what the newspapers had printed
about him. l asked him If he did
not think that members OF his family
had not laid foundation which war
ranted this. and he replied. Wen,
Il consider Jack Allen the most in
telligent OF all the Aliens He is not
the bad man that he has been re-
ported to be. L heard in Hillsville
the other day that Jack Allen had
"a Winchester rifle and the people
seemed to be much worked up over
this Information. In passing the
house. went and found one Of his
sons there. / asked him to show me
the rifle, and he opened a closet and
shown rid
looked as though IL had not been used
for twenty years"
Floyd the Worst of the Lot.
Il have noticed a number Of papers |
have dwelt upon the fact that Floyd /
Floyd Allen: / have been in touch
NY first experience with him was when /
was In the revenue service He is |
Keen man. who has the heart of q /
demon. but who is clever enough to
work on the sympathy OF the public |
We have evidence. discovered sat |
pT1lasy. which will certainly fasten the !
killing OF Commemorative Attorney /
Foster on Floyd Allen. and the evil /
oence Will show conclusively that the |
killing of CAROLS prosecuting attor-
ney was premeditated.
The man who has given me this in
formation Is one of the most reliable !
men in the county and for the present
MS name is withheld. although he viii |
had. The story given me by this gem
uemsn is to the effect that a year or |
more ago Floyd Allen had some trouble |
With the town officer in Mt Airy, N |
q. ano beat him up pretty badly Allen |
was tried for this. Later when the Ed
wards boys got into trouble, Floyd \
Alien was In Mt. Airy and met this !
o1lcsr. He approached him and asked, |
You were one of those who helped to |
take the Edwards boys?' The officer |
replied to Floyd with a shot from his |
pistol. Floyd was not badly Injured. |
owing to his having on his breast plate |
Ihe omcer was arrested, and pending |
the trial the Commonwealth Attorney J
IN n Airy wrote to Prosecutor Foster. |
IN carroll. to learn something of FLOYD |
AHenS character. Mr.. Foster replied i
and IN his letter made some allusion to /
the erect that ii was more the pity that |
learned of this letter and made the as
sertion that IL such had been written
he would KIN Foster. The man who
gave me the Information said that