Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-02-05
ALIENS PASSING
THROUGH ORDEAL
Governor Mann Gives No In
tilnation of the Nature
of His Action.
MEN ARE CHEERFUL.
Today Brought No Relief From Sus-
pcnse of Condemned or Friends In
terceding For Them.

Richmond, Feb. 5.-Another day
brought no developments to the little
group waiting for the word from Gov
ernor Mann that will mean life or
death to Floyd Allen and Claude
Swanson Allen. 1t was supposed that
the Governor was engaged in prepara-
ton of his statement to the public re-
garding final disposition of the case,
but he gave no indication Is to when
i would be ready.
Miss Nellie Wissler, Claude's sweet
heart, who has stood by MIN from the
day the shooting in the Hillsville
courthouse startled the civilized world,
spent part of yesterday in the death
row with Claude With her was Vic
Tor. Allen, and the two men in the
shadow of the electric chair, with the
2 visitors, and talked again and again
Of the scenes in the courthouse in Car
roll and of the people and the country
that the men behind the bars may
never see again.
The Aliens, facing the electric chair,
bear up wonderfully well. Floyd
Allen keeps cheerful, and is always
plcasar; when spoken to, either by
Keeper Penn or by the few visitors
attorneys and relatives-who are al
lowed. The older man occupies the
cell nearest the window on the left,
next to that of Harvey D. Looney, who
alone of the four men in TIE death
row is in luck, since he has secured a
witt of error from the Supreme Court,
and may possibly get new trial.
"Old man Floyd" reads little,
with some difficulty, and talks good
deal. Claude is not always so commun-
icatve. His situation preys on him
some times Sill, he is always court
ecas, and, like his father, is desirous
Of making as little trouble for every
body as possible.
Nearly every day some Richmond
friend sends flowers for the death tier,
their freshness heartening the priS-
orer. good deal.
Miss Wissler sits for hours just in
frcnt Of Claude's cell, and they talk
through the bars. They have no mo-
men. to themselves, since the death
watch is always present, but is as con-
siderate as is possible.
The four Aliens who escaped with
their lives are at work in the big
prison. Sidna Allen is employed as a
carpenter, at which avocation he is
fairly proficient, working at the trade
during his stay at Des Moines, prior
to his arrest. Suave and plausible, he
ges along we'll with the guards.
Shoemaking is the employment Of
the other three-Friel Allen, Wesley
Edwards and Sidna Edwards. The
latter, a big, good -natured fellow, is
not always well, his nervousness inter-
feling with his employment to large
extent. He had but just recovered from
all attack of fever when the Hillsville
shooting occurred, and since that time
he has been incarcerated.
Frel Allen. the brightest and quick
est of them all, is smart with his work,
doing it well. He gives no trouble,
Wesley Edwards, with the shifty eyes
and untrustworthy mouth, is also max
ing shoes for the Thacher people. He
makes no comment to his associates
on Miss Iroler, who married another
man soon after he confessed to muir
der and accepted his sentence of twen-
tv- seven years in State prison.
| -0--