The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-29
Floyd and Claude Pay
Death Penalty After
Six-Hour Respite.
OUTLAW LEADER
LIMPS TO CHAIR
Son Retains His Remarkable
Nerve to End, Despite Agoniz-
ing Delay in Executing Sen
tence - Governor Rushes
Home When Advised of
Appeal to Ellyson.

When Floyd Allen and Claude Swan
son Allen gave up their lives at the
stern demands OF the law yesterday
afternoon. the curtain fell on one OF
the most remarkable dramas of mod
crn times. The brain OF the writer
OF fiction and the skill of the dramatist
never conceived OF such a plot. The
nation--yes. the world--has been the
audience TN series OF startling scenes.
OF climaXcs that have taken tnc
breath of the State and the country.
of tragedy. OF comedy. OF vivid action
and heartfelt emotion. Kaleidoscope
changes from murder and blood
drenched carnage, to prayers and ap-
pcHls that moved scores and hundreds
Of thousands OF men and women and
children. from courtroom sccncH that
wrcnched the spirits OF the onlookers
to the fantastic acts OF the more emo
tional and less judicial section OF the
population that sympathized with the
central characters.
Nnuy Tense situations.
The scenes In this drama were
worthy The genius OF master hand.
The hrst was laid in the courthouse
Of the County or Carroll The mex;
was among the laurel and ivy. and in
the wales and hills OF the Blue Ridge
Mountains. Next came background
in IA court of Justice at Wytheville.
rhc fourth scene Was shifted 10 the
appellate court OF the Commonwealth
in Richmond
When the curtain next rose. IT was
upon the historic Capitol of Virginia,
tile scene of government during the
Copfcderacy. where count1ess appeals
were made to tine Governor Of she
state for mercy. The setting WAS at
the Capitol OF the nation. In Washing
ton.
Fipni Act Caps. G7iEaa1.
AZ though the play had not fur
nishcd action enough the iast act
WAS the most thrilling. II saw Gov
crnor leaving the State TO keep an
engagement, perhaps Fastening his de-
parturc TO be rid OF opportunities that
IL, had determined to ignore. Enter
tho Lieutenant Governor, VINO Is ask
rd To- act in the absence OF his chief
and commute the death sentences. In
stead or refusing To act in such haste
on matter to which the Governor
had given months OF time. the Lieu
tenant Governor consents TO consider
he point az TO his powers under such
circumstances. The legal adviser Of
tic State Is called IN. and q written
opinion being desired, the execution
is delayed for six hours. The Gov
ernor. In another state. is notified OF
tho situation. and returns 10 Virginia,
serving official notice upon the Secre-
tary OF the Commonwealth OF his re-
turn TO the State and OF his authority
Never was such "A drama played in
Virginia. Never in the country's his
tors has such array OF events
passed before the public gaze. present
ing = series of climaXes that Will
make history in the years and Scner-
;tions TO come.
Last Penalty Paid.
Fsu- rpnmpnfS of tlple n
close the final scene.
Governor Mann was notified at 5
o'clock yesterday morning, while in
bed in Philadelphia. that efforts were
making In Richmond to interfere with
his authority as chief executive. He
arose dressed hurricdly and caught
tho first train for Washington. From
that city he tclcgraphed to Colonel B.
o James. Secretary OF the Common
wealth. "The Governor OF Virginia
will be In the State at s o'clock. and
will be in Richmond by 1870"
Arriving at the Capitol. he notified
the Superintendent OF the Penitentiary
hat he was a. his Office
His return to the State made un
necessary the writing OF the opinion
already given orally by Attorney
General Williams, that lieutenant
Governor lIllyson had no power TO act
during the temporary absence OF the
chief executive. 1t laft nothing for
anybody TO do, save that the .;upcrin-
tcndcnt of tho Penitentiary was re-
uuired to proceed with the execution
before sunset.
Delayed TIL Afternoon.
When the juries arrived at the prison
at o'clock yesterday morning Super
intendent Wood notified them that the
execution had been postponed to
o'clock and asked them to return at
that hour.
a couple of hundred people were
gathered about the gates of the prison
when the time for the electrocution had
arrived Most OF them were women
neighborhood. large force of city
police kept the people moving, and
allowed no one TO stand about the
doors.
The two jurles were seated in the
meeting room OF the board OF direc-
tors. Major Wood called for them at
1:1S o'clock, and the twelve men filed
through the corridor and went beyond
the iron gates on the way to tho death
chamber beneath. Seventeen minutes
later they returned. led by Superin-
tendent Wood without a moments
delay the superintendent led the six
men who were to witness the other
execution to tho place Of death. and
they came back at 1:45.
Floyd Dies First.
Floyd Allen went to his death first
as was indicated in The Times Dis
patch yesterday. This was because
lie was less composed than his son and
more likely to break down. He was
pronounced dead at 1871. official time
while Claude was officially declared
dead by Surgeon Herbert Mann at 1:42
o'clock.
few moments later the solemn pro-
cession fled out OF the great front
doors OF the prison. Following them