The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-04-02
assesses sssss sssss
STATE PRESS C0MMKST
5 ssssss s 5 8 8 SIS ssssi
The Nfghty Arm Of Law
The Mighty Arm Of Law.

TIE pride Of The Allen family. OF
the Virginia mountains. =as not that
they we're good citizens. lz~-loying
and laE-respecting; it vas that they
had physical courage, we're intolerant
Of restraint and that 70 menber
thereof lad suffered degrading pun
ishment
( In their attitude there ~as nothing
eievating. nothing approaching the
higher form Of brzyery; they were
I simply without sense OF moral re-
sponsibility, determined 20 have their
selfish way and willing 10 "shoot it
out With those attempting 10 thwart
them, regardless Of consequences. If
( the lsE intertered with them they
we're ready 10 kill the agents OF the
Law, risking the chance Of getting
killed
I Such vas The attitude OF the elder
Aliens and it was inevitable that the
younger generation should come TO
manhod with the same contempt
for the lav. and for the mandates
Of civilized society. And so it was
+ that two nephevs Of Floyd Allen.
sIdna and WESLEY Edwards. went 10
I = mountain church. and dislikiAg the
manner OF the Baptist preacher. pro
/ ceeded to hull him on. Of the pulpit
4 They we're arrested for disturbing
religious worship Those Young
uen had been bred il that atmosphere
where Law and the forms Of society
that infringed upon their individual
I desires we're held in contempt They
had no regard for God. for preacher.
. Of for the religious sentiments OF their
ne!ghbors, and there are hundreds,
( thousands having that identical atti-
tude toward decency ali about US.
i The beginning Of the end OF the
+ proud Allen family vas al that little
church in the mountains. deputy
I sheriff took the young men in charge
and was on his way to the county
T seaS. when met by the uncle, Floyd
Allen. He dragged the deputy from
( the wagon. beat him into insensibility
\ and struck the handouts from the
+ prisoners. Stupid. ignorant brute
7 passion ruled, otherwise the elder
man would have known and profted
By the knowledge, that he was not
greater than the Law Of Virginia and
that This rescue could be only tam
porary; that the Law openly defed
would gather strength and return 10
the attack until it prevailed
The Edwards boys were sentenced
fortheir unlawful acts, and Judge
Mass!e insisted on the prosecution
Of Floyd Allen for attacking an off,
Ger and rescuing prisoners. Allen
was convicted. and as the sentence
TO Imprisonment for year fell from
the lips Of the judge, the Allen clan.
gathered from the mountain and still
! placing their faith in force and hold
ing the Law in contempt. began q
fusillade, the prisoner in the dock
being one Of those 10 empty a pistol.
The bullets Of the desperate men
made clean sweep OF the court; "
/ judge, State prosecutor, Sheriff fell
dead. with four other victims, and
the Aliens and Edwards rode to
! libertv.
They knew they were committing
murder, were cleaning out" court
room. and putting their unbridled
passions against the law, but they
had no conception OF the stupendous
force OF the law, the force OF civil
lzed society when once it's spirit is
summoned into action. Back in their
mountain homes, they were feared by
puny, cowardly county officials; their
Influence" played big part in
politics, just as fear Of their violence
gave them right of way. Their early
I aggressions had been unchecked by
faithless oficials-an old story in
every community where the law is
held in contempt-until they had
come to believe they could actually
successfully defy the law.
But when the spirit of the Law was
aroused, the lawless were as leaves
| in a tempect The men who had
taken pride in their courage and who
swore they would never go to prison,
fed like wild animals and were
hunted as such In dread of the
awakened Law their friends dared not
( aid them Thev ryare huntad 40 ar