Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-03-24
/ NEWS OF THE OLD DOMINION.
THE ALLEN CASE.
Attorneys for CONDEMNED to Make Last
Effort Today.

Attorneys for CONDEMNED to Make Last
Effort Today.
The last chance to save the life OF
Claude Swanson Allen, who, with Sid
ma Allen, participated in the shooting
up of the courthouse at Hillsville, Wa.,
and who has been sentenced to die IN
the electric chair on Friday next, will
TODAY be either realized or lost for all
time, as a result of the efforts to be
made by two attorneys in Washington
to represent him. Appeal after ap-
peal has been made, without success,
to Governor Mann of Virginia, who
has positively refused to. interfere IN
the carrying out of THE courts sent
ence, and to justices of the Supreme
Court in Washington, who have also
declined to issue the writ OF error
which would grant the condemned man
a new trial for his life. The last et-
fort will be concluded today.
Attorneys D. C. O'Flaherty and
George Hanson, who for. several days
! have been attempting to secure the
writ, will try once more to convince
those of the justices OF the Supreme
Court who have not already turned
deaf ear to their plea that young Al
len is deserving of another trial.
Chief Justice White and Justice
Hughes Saturday refused to grant the
writ, and it is considered unlikely thai
any other justice will do so today.
The attorneys base their plea on the
| fact that, as they claim, their client
has been "twice placed in jeopardy"
for the same offense, in violation Of the
Federal Constitution.
If this should fail they shall try 10
gain a new trial on the claim that
young Allen did not have the impartial
jury, which is guaranteed by the Con-
stl~ution.
Two to Die Friday.
Richmond, Va, March 24.-Superin-
tendent Wood, of the State Penitcn-
tiary, will issue invitations early this
week Ito the IL men who will be asked
to serve as the jury to legally witness
the execution of Floyd Allen and his
son, Claude Swanson Allen.
They will be put to death next Fri
day for the shooting of Common
wealth's Attorney W. NJ. Foster in the
Hillsvile courtroom on March IA, 1912.
The jurymen are selected from the
applications made from time to
time and each is required to promise
that no statement relative to the
scenes in the death chamber will be
given to the press. Usually the jury
is composed of one or more preachers
of the faith of the condemned men, rel
.atives if they desire to attend and
prison authorities.
No extra preparations will be made
for the execution, which will be the
first double execution Of white persons
in the history fine State. The young
err probably will go to the chair first.
WASHINGTON, March pa last, des-
perate but almost hopeless effort to
save Floyd Allen and his son, Claude,
the Hillsville outlaws from the cleo
trio chair was made today by their
attorneys.
Not disheartened by the refusal Of
Chief Justice White and Justice
Hughes of the Supreme Court to
grant an appeal to their clientcs, SEN
tsnced to die Friday at Richmond,
the lawyers today proposed to per-
sonaly plead with every other justice
Of the Supreme bench. That the two
mountaineers have thrice been put in
jeopardy for single crime in being
tried successfully for the murder Of
Judge Massie and other victims of the
Hillsville court house shooting is the
ground upon which the Aliens law
yers are asking a review by the Su-
preme Court upon writ Of error
and supersedeas bond to stay the
execution scheduled Friday.
Supreme Court attaches declared to-
day that it was possible, but i'm
probable, that some justice of the
high court would grant the Aliens
appeal after its rejection by Chief
Justice White and Justice Hughes.
The Aliens attorneys were present
before the Supreme Court, but did not
present any further appeal in open
court. They said they hoped to pre-
sent their plea for the mountaineers
before the other justices this after
noon.
King George Lying in State.