The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-01-29

war upon the established order. and
determination to have his own way.
He deserved, at the very least, one
year in the penitentiary for taking
away an officers prisoners and his pis-
toll. and for clubbing him on the head
with II.
But he Yves determined that he
would not be punished for his an
archy. We hear of a conspiracy on
the part of the court against the Al
lens. Did anybody conspire to make
the Aliens disturb public worship. tn
run across the State line. to club the
officer and to take away the prisoner?
Did anybody conspire to compel the
Allen clan to come to court fully arm
ed. and to place themselves around
the court room in advantageous posi-
ton, and so direct their shooting that
all the officers of the court were killed
but one, and he was badly wounded,
and not a single Allen was killed and
only one wounded? What clumsy set
OF conspirators the court officials
were The absurdity of this charge
Of conspiracy against the Aliens is
sufficiently indicated by the fact that
the Aliens are all living and ali but
one OF the court officers are dead. by
the awful fact that there sit today
four widows and thirty-two orphan
children simply and solely because the
Allen anarchists determined that they
would not be punished for violating
the law, even II 1t were necessary TO
destroy the law in the person of the
administrators Of the law. believing
that even If they did this infamous
deed they would somehow escape the
penalty. And sad to be told. there are
men and women Of influence who are
working nrayant fhaGA anarchists
from suffering the righteous penalty
for their murder of the court officers,
who bravely and knowingly took their
lives In their hands, that law and or
der might be maintained in Old Vir-
ginia, and the Aliens be taught that
they should no longer be an excep-
ton to the law. and be allowed to ter
rorize their neighborhood.
The defenders of the Aliens have
not been content with pleading for
mercy, but some of them have gone
to the horrible length of trying to
besmirch the officers Of the court who
died in defense of Virginia They have
tried to make a hero out of Claude
Allen. and have denounced the clerk
as a wretch and william. and the
court as a set of conspirators. They
have not attacked Judge Massie RS
party TO the conspiracy and yet Judge
Bolen testified that the first shot was
fred by Claude Allen at Judge Massie
himself, and ne saw it strike the
Judge. This shot was not fred in con-
fusion, but was the first shot and was
aimed at the Judge and struck him,
and was fred by Claude Allen, who
by this cowardIy infamous act, for
ever destroyed all the claims his de-
tenders make for him that he is
hero defending his father.
The facts which must finally weigh
with those who believe that justice
and mercy must go hand in hand.
that society must be protected from
such cowardly assaults, are the de-
cisions of the courts, and not the
pleas of those who have allowed the
youth and good looks and tender ties
of criminal to demand the abroga-
ton Of the findings OF the courts.
Judge Staples presided at the trial
Of Claude Allen. and listened to all the
testimony. and IN preaeunesaE fsfag-
ment used the following language:
THE judge, q man pure In charac-
ter and steadfast in purpose. incap-
able of wrong toward any man. was
shot three times, where he sat helpless
and unoffending. The attorney for
the Commonwealth, fearless in his
vigorous prosecution OF one OF you
was shot Ave times. The sheriff in
the act OF taking you, Floyd Allen.
into custody was shot six times, fall
ing where he stood. when your de-
flance of the law was uttered. The
juror was shot in his seat These
four and woman were the persons
killed, A second juror was shot as he
retreated and the clerk was shot very
near to his desk"
lit was all done In less than q mo-
ment Of time: done by you and your
associates-done with a quickness and
an accuracy of aim and action impos-
sib1e TO men acting under the impulse
OF surprise. Yet, the law which has
suffered so great an outrage has out
OF reeard for her own inherent prin-