The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-17

defending his father. But was Claude Allen
defending his father or deliberately aiding him
IN shooting up the court? Claude Allen knew
what his father had threatened 10 do, and
he was in court with pistc: concealed on
his person when the shooting began And
right here would cali the attention of Mr..
McDaniel'to the testimony of former Judge ID.
w. Boen, giten Tuesday In the trial of Sidna
Allen AT Wythsville. Ii we remember correctly.
Judge BoIen was counsel for Floyd Allen in the
case which caused the Hillsvile tragedy. Judge
Bolen testified Tuesday that he saw both Sid
ney and Claude Allen with reviewers In hand
firing In the direction of Judge Massie. Other
reputable witnesses testified that the first shots
fired in the Hilsviiie courthouse came from
the corner of the room in which Sidney and
Claude Allen standing.
These witnesses must be discredited their
evidence overthrow before Mr.. Mcdaniel can
bring intelligent, law.abding people to his
view of the IL appears that Sidna and
Claude Alb,n began the shooting. Did the
denee to that effect If they fired the first
shots. against whom and what were they de-
Tending Claude Aliens father? And why
should Claude Allen have shot Judge Masse,
or shot at him? Alas! for Judge Massie. I'm
armed and defcnseless and having committed
no offense save that of passing sentence on
Claude Aliens father, who had been convicted
of violating the law he was shot to death as
one would shoot dog in the streets. He
sleeps In untimely grave today because in
daring TO do his duty to the State he incurred
the wrath of gang of lawless men: and while
! the sadhearted widow and fatheress children
look with fearful eyes into cneerless future
!
! himself with an effort to arouse sympathy for
one of the men VINO with ruthless hand robbed
them of husband and father.
| Let us gather up few facts and correct
| them: The Allen regarded desperate
men. For years they had deies the law. and II
was boast among thert that Allen had
ever gone would go to JAIL At last
Floyd Allen was arragned in court on Grim
inal charge He announced that IL he WAS
| convicted and sentenced to in jail he
would shoot big hole in the court" On the
| day that the verdict in his was to be
rendered there half dozen members OF
+, the Allen clan in the court room with pistols
concealed their persons Floyd Allen was
found guilty and Judge Massie Sentenced him
TO ore year in Jail. Scarcely had Judge
Massie ceased to speak when two three
fatal bullet ploughed their way through his
| body and he Tell dead. He was the first OF
! tie five people killed by the Allen gang in
| the HilsYile courthouse. And 1t has been
established IN the mouths Of reputable wit.
nesses that the first shots fired from the
corner where S.dna and Claude Allen stood,
and that these were shooting in the direc
| ton of Judge Masse.
! Was Claude Allen defending his father Or
was he helping to carry out his fathers threa,
| to shoot a big hole in the COURT" Mr.. Me-
| Daniel he defending his father and
! that 1t would be a blot upon Virginia to
| send him to the electric chair. Rut the jury
which heard the evidence and discussed and
NeigTed it fongfa Clgf11de Alien guilty OF n4ur-
| der in the first degree.
Let! Mr.. Mcdaniel think what he will and
! say what he Will; but the and women OF
, Virginia who respect the law and love JUS
| tice. which IL the end of the law consider
! seriously the fRctS In the case before deciding
! to join the Richmond preachers sob squad
| Bristol Herald Courier