Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-04-02
FATHER AND son MEET DEATH.
Aliens observation-disclosures Continued
Sensational to End.

Richmond, Va, March 28.-Mum-
bling a prayer and crying, half audi
bly,, hat he was ready to go, Floyd
! Allen, whose refusal to accept a short
prison term for a minor offense led
to the wholesale court murder in
Hillsyille one year ago, limped to
the death chair in the State peniten-
tiary to-day II minutes ahead Of
Claude Swanson Allen, his son.
The sentence of the court, held up
for six hours while desperate and
dramatic efforts we're being made to
save the condemned men by eleventh
hour appeals to the Lieutenant Gov
crnOr, was speedily ordered to pro-
coed when Governor Mann FASTENED
back to Virginia soil to take charge Of
a situation which was sensational and
exciting to a degree. The prison
superintendent, acting entirely with
in the law, agreed at 2 O'Clock this
morning to defer the execution, Civ
ing Attorney General Williams an
opportunity meanwhile t. Ass upon
the constitutional right of Lieutenant
Governor Ellyson to interfere.
Governor Hurried Back.
But the young son of Governor
Mann reached his father in Philadel-
phia by phone less than an hour af-
ter the delay had been ordered. and
by s o'clock to-day the Governor was
again on Virginia soil. IncenSed, as
it afterwards appeared, by the uneX-
pected effort to take advantage of
his temporary absence, when he had
repeatedly refused clemency, the
Governor boarded an early morning
train, arriving in Richmond at l1.3O
O'Clock. On the way he telegraphed
the Secretary of the Commonwealth
that he would be in Virginia by 8
O'Clock, this Information suddenly
checking the plan of Allen SymDa-
thizers in further urging the Lieuten-
ant Governor to intercede.
While every proceeding had halted,
pending the Governors arrival, word
reached police headquarters that a
crowd had assembled at the station.
PatrOlmen, detectives and plain
clothes men were hurried there to
prevent any demonstration. When
the Governor stepped on the platform
he was quickly surrounded by Off
GERS, who escorted him to a taxicab,
which took him quickly to the CAPT.
toll.
In his office at the State prison,
Superintendent Wood was pacing the
floor, n~ervously awaiting develop
m1nts. The situation there had be
come more tense. Precisely at noon
the superintendent was called to the
telephone.
THE Governor Of Virginia is at
his DESK was the message he re-
ceived from the capitol and instantly
preparations were made to obey the
mandate of the court. The witnesses
who had n~SSpmh1pi or Y n'plnnly al, n
hour announced for the execution,
had left the prison with instructions
to return at / o'clock.
Just after sunrise the Aliens prac-
tically collapsed when informed that
a halliday respite had been granted
by a combination Of legal technicali-
ties as strange as ever presented to
a court of justice. Claude Allen, who
Ihad retained his nerve throughout the
trying ordeal in his behalf, gasped
and trembled, but he regained his
composure as he noted the hopeless
and detected appearance Of his aged
father in the cell across the corridor.
AS the morning hours passed they
sat with their spiritual advisers, but
they nerved themselves again for the
end when they Leard that Governor
Mann had returned to Virginia. Men
prominent in official circles Of the
State who waited in the capitol for
a final plea to the Governor were
turned away, as his secretary handed
out this statement from the EXecu-
tive:
Would Not Interfere.
"Hearing at five minutes to 3
o'clock his morning of the action
taken in the Allen case litter [ left
tho citv pnnCi6nrnI il nav data, 10
hurry back. simply desire to re-
peat that after the most careful eX-
animation Of the evidence in this
case. | have not tne slightest doubt
of the guilt OF Floyd and Claude AL
len, and ! will not interfere. The law
must take its course"
What brought forth the greatest
indignation from the Governor was
the reported fact that the plan to ap-
peal to the Lieutenant Governor was
agreed upon a week ago. While there
was no intimatiOn from Lieutenant
Governor Ellyson that he would in
terfere, his willingness last night to
awai; a written opinion from the at
torney general. who had already
ruled verbally that he was without
authority, was accepted outside to
mean that the life Of Claude Allen
might be spared.
h jury. which under the law is
required TO witness ali executions,
assembled outside the p~enitentiary
gates shortly before ! o'clock, ming
ling there with the crowd. The pro-
gram as originally announced was
carried out without change.
While two ministers who have been
unfaltering in their loyalty to the
condemned men wore telling tham