Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-05-29
COMES TO SONS DEFENSE
Floyd Allen Is Chief Witness of the
Day in Trytheville Court.

len who was convicted Of murder in
the first degree last week Tor killing
Commonwealth Attorney William NJ.
Tester at Hillsville, March Il, was the
principal witness today in behalf OF
his son Claude Swanson Allen, who is
on trial for killing Judge Massie. He
entered court on his crutches and
climbed up into the witness; chair. lie
has not changed in appearance since
the ;!ay he was convicted for the shoot
ing of Foster and in quiet way be.
pan is testimony.
He repeated his St'.y about as he
cid It in his evidence when he was on
t.ial. lie sad that lie remained all
,11~ht with his brother Sidna the night
,eroro the shooting. came to town with
Kim and hurried to - ri. He did not
sec c;'hpr Claude of Victor while on
his way to the courtroom. lie rciat-
Il low the shooting commenced and
said he saw oGad with pistol and
.tnc sheriff with orc before The fiji
ing /. gan. He said that he was shot
IN 81 hip before he fell and tnen drew
his pistol and fired t!s;, e at Deputy
,Clcri Qucsenberly.
On cross-examination by Mr. Wy
;or he said he had a conversation
with Isaac Martin and said the auth
;)rities had compromised worse cases
than his, but denied saying that if
hey convicted him they would hav :
lis box to make. He admitted that
Ju6ge Massie reprimanded him for in
,imidating witnesses, which ne denied
LONG, and that the Judge said ne
would enforce the orders of the court
he had to call out the militia. He
,epeated that the Judge told him that
le would carry a pistol, too, if some
nan was carrying one for him, but
hat it was unlawful to do so. He
.laimed he carried the pistol on ac-
cunt of Peter, Ester and Solomon,
rom whom he had rescued the Ed
wards boys.
The defense today laid great stress
IN the fact that other men than VIC
tor Allen wore black mulflers on the
morning of the shooting and intro
luced Emmett Bolen, an adopted son
If Judge Bolen, who said that he saw
Victor Allen coming out Of the court
.oom, down the steps about the center
If the crowd, when the crowd was rush
ing from the courtroom. Also that
1e saw Wesley Edwards that same
morning with a black muller around
his neck and saw him on the court
rreen with black muller on. (Vlc-
or Allen has figured heretofore as
,mong those shooting up the court as
the man with the black muffler.")
DR.. c.. 3. Nichols said that Friel Al
en- on the morning before the shoot
nc came to his drug store to consult
,im and said he would come in later.
A strong point made by the state
against Friel Allen was that while
his ostensibie reason for staying In
IillsvilIe was to consult Dr.. Nichols,
le had remained three days without
loing so.
The doctor added that he saw Floyd
Allen after the shooting when he left
he courthouse steps and thought he
vas shot, Judging by the way he
walked. Did not see him go to the
Wilkinson property, nearly opposite
he Nichols store, and get together
With the other Aliens.
w. N. Cochran corroborated the
testimony of, DR.. Nickuls as to when
Friel was in the drug store. Noah
Rigney testified as to the good charac-
.cr of Claude and Victor Allen.
Daniel Thomas gave detailed re-
.ital of all that occurred in the Hills
Vile courtroom from the beginning Of
The shooting until all was over. He
Jaw all the carnage and wreck wrou
:ht by the Allen clan and, left alone
in the courtroom, he went from one to
me Their doing what he could to relieve
md assist. He saw Sheriff Webb ~
ne in his blood: Fowler, juror, dead;
Commonwealth Attorney Foster
killed. He approached Judge Massie
and found him in dying condition.
Heard him call for whiSkey and ex-
claim; ooh, l am dying! Oh, l am