The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-06

Immediately after the affair the whole
country WIS filled with newspaper &C
counts OF the tragedy. Tnese articles
were cxtravagant. excited. and in many
respects incorrect and all of them en-
btttc-ed against the Aliens, whom they
termed the Allen clan. the Allen gang.
! the Carroll County outlaws. and the
effect Of these articles was 70 so excite
nd inilanle public sentiment that every
on was crying out for the blood OF
the Aliens 10 avenEe the deaths OF
those who lost their lives in the ter
rible Hillsvilie tragedy Such vas at
that time the cry of an inianned. mad
dened public sentiment. ami while this
state OF affairs sun existed. the Al
lens were being tiled In the Wythe-
vile court. Claude Allsn was h-st
tried for the murde. OF Judge Mas
sic. and after the jury had listeneo
long and patiently to all the evifcnce.
among v hich was that OF Judge Bolen
stating that ne saw Claude Allen shoot
al the Judge listened 10 the foroible
argument OF prosecuting attorneys.
listened 10 the instructions OF the
court then. after summing up all
found Claude guilty OF murder In the
seconl degree
surely the state must have failed
10 prove Inc tAeorv OF conSp.racy. Tor
IL il had proven that point. taen the
jury would have returned verdict
OF murder IN the Drst degree This
did no; satisfy such a state OF pub
lie sentiment. nor -<fd it satisfy the
prosecuting attorneys. who seemed
possessed with a mar MIA for the con-
viction OF the Aliens. 50 Claude was
at once put on trial for the murder
of W NJ Foster. This jury. after
hearing all that could be brought
against claude could not find him
guilty OF murder in ~the first degree
Bur Claude seems TO have been Stat
cd 70. conviction. 81 h- was arfa'sned
the third time and tried again for the
murder % " NJ Fcster. 50 that we
sec that Claude -iil-n was trie.i three
times each tim by twelve OF MS
necrs Why was ne conv tied ny the
third jrry2 Vas thee any new OF
stronger evidence bcfore that jury
than before tie FIST or second jury?
believe rot. nor vas the evidence as
positive as il was iu hrs first trial
Many people seem TO think tina; be
cause q jury nas convicted a prisoner
at the IA. that this fact makes Il
right. and that there should be no
alternative Why not uphold the &C
tion 81 the G-st jury? What evidence
has any one that the men who COM
posed the FIRST jury were less capable
Of Weighing and applying evidence
then those composing the last jury
IS there not q question OF doubt As 10
which ~ these iuries @pplicd most
Jus .l-- th. evidence bofoy" them,
Nov rat eight months have passed
and the lark cioi.i ~ public sentiment
has partially disappeared. ana the PEG
Nd 70
To 500 things rs they really eNiste-
pr.o- - an6 ~ tie time Of the tr2Eedr.
We md = great chsl~ in public senti-
mont and - great c.r fOr executive
cl.u rency for Claude hllen. The terms
tho Men clan. TO Allen gag the
Carroll CO nt~ outlaws. never were IN
existence in Carroll County before the
HiilsviIic affair. a-d tho Aliens do not
deserve sUrn epithct>. They were
family q u,oUlt1iu recp!e. mostly IL
iitaratc- the We = braF@-heaFteH
p-opie f1H % the spirit Of self
,ief-nso They were rot rs some would
have -. 20 30 compared 10 tho Jam"Ses
or Youa-crs. they were neither rob
bcrs nor ,nu-de-crs and the young
Claude did not only inherit this char
acfcr % bravery AT. seif-fctc1sF- nut
nc had ..ecn -aissd ars tuto-cs unafr
the influence Of o.. AMI hc tnorEnt II
his Gio-f-rivrn duty 90 1"fr ~ hinS"ti
md his kin. AMI especially TO detenH
his fsfrcr. -vhe- 80 say bin under tnc
frc OF dexter GcajS automatic re-
rnlv~- N.ny wst~-e ss7 -estify 10 TIC
goo. rr1rsrt-r Of claude as scno"i-
boz and oe younr man nc f@n
reve- been II cc1-i or an charge. ana
W veriiv believe tat r tod IT,
ruth --rcr ~ sad On 30 witness
stand -Wnen I seer en- s@ooting -
-oo Z shot - fneu-." Ny tot give
r-Isr6e crsls- for Being piuci.y enough
s-5 f-sfrfsf eacsEh 10 co1'c into court
a-. tell tho court thsf he shot f0u7
times and hfs pistol hung. lie told hf
500 toll whom be- shot "a and WY
i. .hof We have noticed traf som"
writer's scrfr 90 think That every inaN
trsf writes O.. favor 90 q communication
- sentence - ct klicn sympa'hi1cf
"a docs not believe in Oh" supremacy
81 tfe law. bot ] am rft writing tEiN
.-ttrlo r. tnat sririt % al. believe
,,oat heartily IN the supremacy OF the
- a-f / do not. 81 Tu.c. believe ~
,bc rfrHer courts rove rsine the decis
-. 81 fre lower courts. nor GO
..ftexe tr executive cicucncy N uudc-
sc-vef cares. hut o. o. not a Tact tnet
,bc verdict ~ 3urs q. not prima
e,rse evidence % 5ystice7 Has not u
bspoe-ed time and again inst TIE yer
act Of f.rv has proven - - ~
su~.,r- -hsr -or1s crc other tran ne
rrfsore- has confessed 70 the crine
for which the Dfiso1sr wa eonvieteo.