Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-03-31
A REIGN Of TERROR
THAT ENDED FRIDAY
Aliens Father and Son, Electrocuted-
Brief Story Of the Crime for
Which They Died,

Richmond, Va, March 3l.-Over-
whelmed at last after century of
mountain feudal tyranny, the power Of
the Allen gang was forever put to an
end Friday, when Floyd and Claude
Allen, father and son, died in the cleo
trio chair for the quintuple murder in
the Hillville court house, March IA,
1912. Just a year and n fortnight after
their desperate effort to avenge the
conviction Of a kinsman by a mere
court, they entered the death chamber,
after all avenues Of possible reprieve
had been barred against them.
When a jury foreman tremblingly an.
nounced verdict of guilty against
Victor Allen on a charge Of perjury in
a moonshining case, the rage Of the pa
,triarch of tho clan vented itself in a
pistol voley, in which other members
of the family joined, Judge Thomas
L. Massie Commonwealth Attorney
Thornton L. Foster and Sheriff Lew
Webb were carried from the court room
dead or dying, Juror Fowler and Miss
Elizabeth Ayres, stenographer, died
later from wounds.
When the great needle had swung
slowly backward for the last time to-
day. and the current was shut off after
dealing death to the "pariarch Of the
Allen clan" and his son, Justice had
triumphed after century of rule by 4
family whose power dated back for
generations and which took unto itself
the dominion over life and death, Time
and again the Aliens have defied the
law and as their power grew they be
came more insolent. 1t was their boast
that none Of their breed should know
any law, save God 3 and their own. Sc
when a jury found Victor Allen guilty
the clan made good its boast. There
was flash Of steel, yolley and wher
the shrielsing spectators who had FLED
cringcd back again they found Judge
Massie dying, Sheriff Webb dead anj
Prosecuting attorney Foster mOrtally
wounded.
Victor Allen n few months before had
been n government witness in a moon
shining case, He was sullen and tho
testimony he gave was decidedly in ia
vor of the defendant. A few weeks af
terward Allen was arrested for perjury
Floyd Allen assaulted the officers wher
they seized his son but they managed II
take the young man, mad with rage, II
jail, On March Ia, after a trial of TIVE
days on the perjury charge, Judge Mas
sic instructed the jury. The little cour
room was packed, and as Prosecuting
Attorney Thornton i. Foster dared /,
excoriate not only the defendant, bu
his father, the crowd gasped in sur
prise,
When the jury returned there was I
quick movement toward the Judge :
bench and when the foreman Of tn,
jury announced verdict Of guilty
with n screaming oath Floyd Allei
whipped his hand to his pocket. ThC
other Aliens crowded closer and crouch
ed low with squirting weapons. Sheriff
Lew Webb, who had drawn when FloyC
Allen made his deadly move, dropped al
the first yolloy, Then came pandcmo
mum. Screams, the rush If terrOrizet
men, women and children and the cracl
of pistols, mingled with the oaths of tn,
Aliens, as they scattered, leaving the
little room empty have for its dead
Floyd Allen was shot through the foot
Clerk Of Court Dexter Good, who shot
him, received bullet through the Jaw
and his coat nearly burned off by III,
near fire; jurors and spectators who had
stampeded for the door, received slight
wounds. But the Aliens, save Floyd
escaped mscathod
Good staggered after the Aliens ant
they turned and fired on him from IN,