Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-03-29

from the Quaker City at 20 oclocF
yesterday morning. liz (
! The executives first official act upoi
arriving at his desk shortly after 81
o'clock was to say to his secretary
Telephone the superintendent of tht
state penitentiary that the governor q
Virginia in his Office at the capitol"
Until o'clock yesterday morning
Allen sympathzers sat in conference
with Lieutenant Governor J. Taylo,
Ellyson in prolonged and frantic eff.
forts ITO induce this state official tc
grant communication of sentence to
Floyd and Claude during the absence
of Mann from Virginia.
The conference began at the home
: of Mr.. Ellyson, 10 Fast Franklin
street but was adjourned over to the
residence of John P. Branch, l West
Franklin street, shortly after 10
o'clock. From that hour until after 1
o'clock argument was made before the
lieutenant-governor. Mr.. Ellyson did
not definitely outline his Intentions,
pleading uncertainty as to his jurisdic-
'tion during the absence of the chief
magistrate.
A touring car was dispatched for
Samuel w. Williams, attorney general
of the state, who waited upon the con-
ference. 1t was the judgment of Mr.
Williams that the lieutenant
lacked auSnority To grant commuta-
tior to the condemned c;ansmen. He
preferred however, to look up authori-
ties on the question and announced
that he would deliver forml opinion
in the matter at noon yesterday.
Acting upon this declaration it was
determined that the electrocution of
Floyd and Claude, which was to have
taken place at the state prison at 7:15
ths morning, should be postponed
pending the opinion of Judge Will
liams. The Rev. J. j. Scherer was
dispatched with message to Major
James B. Wood superintendent of the
penitentiary and Wood ordered that
the electrocu-ion Of the doomed men
be temporarily postponed.
Such a proceeding as that at the
residence of John P. Branch Thursday
evening is probably without precedent
in Virginia. The meeting was attend
ed by several men of prominence.
Richard Wingfeld a judge of, the state
commission, was active in
his efforts to induce Mr.. Ellyson to
assume gubernstorial jurisdiction in
the matter of communication of the con-
demned outlaws. The Rev. Dr.. George
w. Mcdaniel, pastor Of 1.-THE First BaD-
tist.
Church here, was an active solicitor
for the condemned. Victor Allen, son
of Floyd and brother to Claude, was
present. Among others may be men
toned Lawyer D. C. O'Flaherty, Hi
ram NJ. Smith, assistant federal dis
trict attorney; the Rev. j. j. Scherer,
pastor of the First English Evangeli-
cal Luthern Church; Captain James
H. Price.
The meeting of the sympathizers fori
last nights conference was not uneN-
pected and was not unknown. The prob
ability Of such meeting had been
discussed as far back as last Wednes-
day afternoon. So soon as Governor
Mann, who left Richmond ait $3.50
o'clock yesterday afternoon, was be-
lieved to be outside of the borders Of
Virginia, the sympathizers gathered.
They were scheduled to. assemble at
Jefferson Hotel, but the real meeting
was had at the residence of John P.
Branch, who said he was to i'll to-
leave his home.
At 6:20 o'clock yesterday morning
members of the jury required by law
to witness executions, began to arrive
at the penitentiary and in solemn sill
ence were admitted TO the building
where the mandate of the court was to
be carried out and the death sentence
was to be visited upon father and
son. The scene was awe inspiring III
the extreme. Big STRONG men, Off
GERS of the aw and citizens, spoke in
whispers while the silence usually OBJ
served in scenes of death was preva-
lent in every department of the recep-
ton division of the prison.
At the heavy iron gate that sepa-