Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1913-03-28
ALIENS Die
FOR HILLSVILLE
COURT CRIME
Father and Son in Electric
Chair Hopeful to the
Last
PARENT FIRST 10
PAY THE PENALTY

BY The United Press
RICHMOND Va, March 2S oical
to the last, with the mountaineer's
grim fort.tude Floyd and Claude
Allen. father and son. went 20 death
in the electric hair today 'xpit.ng
with their lives the Hills lie MUIR
ders of year ago
Floyd, the patriarch of the Allen
clansmen was the first 20 die. It was
only a moment after 1870 when the
gray-haired mountaineer marched
into the dark little room at the State
prison underground its recesses
lighted or = by dim electric lights. A
few seconds afterward the electric
lights dimmed as the full shock or
the death-giving current took the
prisoners life
Overwhelmed at last after a CEN
fury OF mountain feudal tyranny, the
power OF the Allen gang was forever
put TO an end today when Floyd and
Claude Allen, father and son. died in
the electric chair for the quintuple
murder IN the Hillsville Court House,
March 14th, 1912. Just a year and
fortnight after their desperate ef-
fort to ayenge the conviction OF a
/ kinsman by a mere court. they enter
ed the death chamber after all ave-
nues of possible reprieve had Jeen
| barre against them.
When a jury foreman tremblingly
announced a verdict OF guilty against
Victor Allen on a charge OF jury
in a moonshining case, the rage OF
the patriarch OF the clan vented itself
in a pistol volley. in which other
membe s of the family Joined. Judge
Thos. L. Massie, Commonwealth At
/ torney Thornton l.. Foster and Sheriff
/ Lew Webb were carried from the
courtroom dead or dying. Juror Fow-
Ter and Miss Elizabeth Ayres, stem
ographer. died later from wounds.
When the great needle had swung
, slowly backward fC- the last time
today and the current was shut off
after dealin death to the patriarch
of tie Allen clan" and his son. Jus
tice had triumphed after a century
Of rule by a family whose power dat
ed back for generations and which
took unto itself the dominion over
life nd death Time and again the
Aliens have dofod the law and as
their power grew they became more
insolent II was their boast tat none
of their breed should know any law
save Gods and their own. So When
a jury found Victor Allen guilty, the
clan made good its boast. There was
a fash Of steel a volley and when
the shr,eking spectators who had fec
cringed back again they found Judge
. Massie dying, Sheriff Webb dead anC
Prosecutir' Attorney Foster mortal
ly wounded
Victor Allen a few months befor
/, had been q government witness in
moOnshining case. He was sulle
q and the testimony he gave was decid
eddy in favor of the defendant. = fe'
oeks afterward Allen was arreste
! for perjury. Floyd Allen assaulte
= the officers when they seized his son
p but they managed TO take the youn
man. mad with rage. to Jail Oh
March IA. after a trial OF two day
on the perjury charge. Judge Massi
Instructed the jury The little cOur
room was hacked. and as prosecuting
, Attorney Thornton l.. Foster dared 4
r excoriate not only the defendant hu
I his father the crowd gasped in sur
, prise.
: When the jury returned there wa
I !
bench and when the foreman of tn
jury announced a v-rdict of guilty
. with a screaming oath Floyf Allie
, whipped his hand to his pocket. TIL
! other Aliens crowded close an
crouched low with squirting weapons
Sheriff Lew Webb, who had draw
when Floyd Allen made his deadl
move, dropped at the first wolfe,
/ f.fr, M,
the rush of terrorized men, wome
y and children and the crack of pistols
" mingled with the Oaths of the Alleni
: as they scattered. leaving the littl
room empty save for its dead. Floy
Allen was shot through the foot
Clerk of Court Dexter Good. who she
d him, received a bullet through tn
n law and his coat was nearly burne
= of by the near fire; jurors and spec
tators who had stampede. for tn
z door received slight wounds. But th
. Aliens, save Floyd. escaped unscathel
Good staggered after the Allen
and thcy turned and fired on hil
from the hotel square where thei
horses we're tied. FLOYD Allen, wit
n bullet-riddled foot. disdained es
cape. He went calmly into the hots
him. Extra deputies we're hasiil
sworn in and Floyd and Victor Ale
were arrested. Floyd Allen, wild wit
chagrin at being locked mp. attempte
suicide by cutting his throat, but In
hicted only a slight wound But tn
Aliens for once had gone too IA
Virginia massed her forces and do
creed that the man hunt should hegil
Then began a siege in the Blue Ride
mountains that has never been Gull
ed in the widest fiction. After
week of man hunting and trailin
Sidna Edwards was caniured az nigi
in a mountain pass. HALF starved, b
offered no resistance. Then in su,
cession came the capture of Friel A
len and Claude Allen. Both gave u
without more fighting-cowed at las
Sidna Allen and Wesley Edward
whom the hunters wanted most Of a
as wielders OF the fatal guns. wei
captured six months later in d.
III ~.