The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-23
TRIAL OF ALIENS
MAY BEGIN TO-DAY
Prisoners Taken From Roanoke
to Carroll County in Readiness
for Case to Be Called-Neither
Commonwealth nor De-
tense Expected to Ask
Change of Venue.
By AEExAxpER FORWARD.
Special to The rimes.Dispatch J

Especial 10 The Times Dispatch
Hilisvilie. Va, April 22.-Again the
town of Hllsville is guarded by
armed men, and rifles are TO be seen
everywhere. Judge. prisoners and
counsel arc here ready for the trials
of six of the Allen clan. charged with
the courthouse murders OF March IL
Twelve detectives and u score OF
special constables will protect the
court and guard the jail. Acting
Sheriff George NJ. Edwards contem-
plates examining ali who enter the
courtroom. SO that no deadly weapons
viii be carried there, save by ofiicerz
of tho law
The six prisoners arrived from
Roanoke at i o'clock this afternoon.
Floyd Allen had to be carried into the
jail. y tear Glistened in his eye as
he spoke TO old acquaintances, but he
tried 10 smile. Friel Allen looks i'll,
and ssid he had not been we'll in
Roanoke Claude Swanson Allen
CONF 'ains of rheumatism. Sidns
Edwards alone looks better than when
arrested. and is in good spirits
floyd's leg has only partly healed
All the prisoners and the party
dincd 1T Chief Detective Thomas ].
felt's home. at Blair. w. G.. Baldwin
is also here.
any change OF venue in the Alle,:
trials is had it Will be upon motion
of Judge Waller r. sta pies. 1t is i'm
probable that either the Common
wealth or the defense will seek
removal of the scene OF the trial. The
court may under the statute. take
action OF its own volition. AS "A mat
ter of fact, Judge Staples or no one
else knows where the trial will be
held
VIII Resist Removal.
Attorneys for the prisoners say
tonight that they will resist re-
movai. Their original motion, heard
at Wythevil!e. was to have lloyd Allen
tried in Roanoke. 1t appearing that
Judge Staples will not grant this,
the defense prefers Carroll as the
scene OF the hearings.
In attempting to prove conspiracy.
the Commonwealth will have an adj
vantage on placing its witnesses inl
the courthouse in the exact positions
assumed during the tragedy by those
who played the principal parts BY
facts and circumstances, the effort will
be made TO show that there was an
understanding that the court should be
wiped out before Floyd Allen should
go to jail In the minds of the pro-
scouting attorneys. the only objection,
now almost removed. to trial in Hills
vile. was the possibility that men
friendly TO or terrorized BY the Aliens
might hang the jury.
judge Staples came In this after
noon. as did Joseph c. wysor and
John s. Draper, Jr, of Pulaski, and
Waller S. Poage, OF Wythe. who will
assist commemorative Attorney S.
Floyd Landrcth in the prosecution.
For the first time in the history Of
Hiilsville. covering seventyi five years.
the town to-day had Geographic COM
munication with the outside world,
the Western Union connecting an in
strument with a telephone line 10
Galax The people watched tho pro-
ceedinss with interest Message No i
went to The Times Dispatch.
Floyd Allen will nrst be arraigned
and placed on trial Tomorrow, unless
a change of venre is granted The
Commonwealth expects TO convict
Floyd Allen. Friel Allen. Claude Swan
son Allen and Victor Allen OF murder
in the first degree. The extent of 1uilt
OF Sidna Edwards is i'll doubt and de-
ponds upon the evidence There seems
TO be little against Bird Marion, but
conspiracy basis may involve him.
Outline OF Defense.
Not only Will Floyd Allen. when
placed on trial for his life, claim that
he did not fire in the courthouse trag-
himself shot to the floor. but he will
In addition endcavor to so account for
the bullets discharged from his weap-
on as to make ii appear that no one of
them was fatal.
Claude swanson Allen ana Friei Al
len. who took part III the shooting
will claim that they fired at men who
still live.
The remaining defendants who are
In custody--Victor NJ Allen. Sidna
Edwards and Bird Mavion--win deny
that they were armed. or took any
part in the tragedy. BY the process
of elimination, therefore il Will be
sought to show that the four court Of
icers who We're victims of the assas-
sins bullets were slain Ivy the weap-
ons of Sidna Allen and Wesley Ed
wards.
Tho outline of the defense was de-
tailed to The Times Dispatch CORES
pondent to-day by r. II. Willis. attor
ney for tho prisoners. MI of the law
ycrs for the accused men are here. in
GLIDING Judge y. H. Hnirston and Il.
II. Willis. of lIairston, Wills X Hairs