The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-15
BUTTON, BUTTON,
WHO HAS bUTT0N?"
TRANSCRIPT IN ONE OF ALLEN
CASES HAS MYsTERIoUsLY
DISAPPEARED.
MERE LEGAL FORMULA
MAKE CAPITAL OF
CIRCUMSTANCES. BUT GOVERNOR
QUIETs TREPIDATIoN BY
PROMPT ACTION.

The attorneys who have interested
themselves assiduously in behalf Of
the Aliens discovered another mares
| nest" yesterday.
In going over the records of the
cases on file in the archives of the
state Supreme court 1t was learned
that the transcript in the case of
Claude Allen was missing. 1t was
there when the Supreme court passed
on the second appeal. but in travelling
around from Governor Mann's Of
fee to the various and sundry attor-
neys interested in some way 1t be-
came misplaced.
Wires for Duplicate.
Governor Mann was notified i'm
m ediateiy OF the discovery, and after
he and the lawyers who have handled
the records had made search and fall
ed to find the missing papers, the gov
ernor promptly telegraphed the clerk
of the court at Wytheville. instruct
ing him to have a duplicate official
Transcript made at once at the gov
ernor's expense. and forward It to
Richmond in order that the records
Of the Supreme court may be COM
plete.
The missing transcript simply en-
bodies the official certification of the
case from the clerk OF the Circuit
court to the higher tribunal, and is n
+ mere legal form. which the procedure
Of the higher court requires. The rec
ord containing the stenographic re-
port OF the evidence in Claude Aliens
case la intact, and in the labor the at
torneys are now prosecuting-endea
oring to find alleged discrepancies
which will enable them to fix perjury
charges on Clerk Dexter Goad-this
Topographic testimony ia all that is
necessary.
Grasping at Straws.
Allen sym pathixers yesterday pro-
fessed TO consider the loss of the pa
per vital and propose to make all the
capital possible Of the circumstances.
On the other hand, disinterested law
yers smiled when told Of IT. The
transcript Is copied from the clerk s
records and embodies the Indictment
and the courts orders, All that 1T
necessary ia for the clerk OF the court
10 make another transcript from his
records. and the new transcript will
probably reach Richmond hy Monday.
n the meanwhile the original will
probably be found where It was mis-
placed by one of the many attorneys
who handled It.
The idea" Of taking the easea-~3o tho
United States Supreme court, as stated
abandoned.
Attorney Wendenhurg has not yet
decided whether he viii undertake
the prosecution Of Clerk Goad on a
charge of perjury--he has not COM
pleted his inspection OF the records
Anniversary of Horror.
Yesterday was the first anniversary
Of the Hillsvilie horror--the crime
which shocked the whole country
and two weeks from yesterday, Fri
day. March 2Sth, Floyd and Claude
Allen are TO die IN the electric chair
for their participation in II.
On the sworn deposition OF Floyd.
taken some weeks ago In State $
prison. Garnett Allen. his nephew, was
: acquitted yesterday in Carroll coun-
~ court on the charge Of assisting his
uncle In releasing the Edwards boys
from the custody Of an officer. Floyd s
trial on this Indictment led to the
.rime at Hilisyiile a year ago yester-
day. Garrett was indicted along with
his uncle, but Floyd, In his deposit
ton, swears that Garnett was simply
n spectator of his assault on Deputy
Sheriff samuels