The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-02-05
ALIENS WAITING
FOR FINAL WORD.
Governor Gives No Sign as to
Nature and Time OF His
Decision.
CONDEMNED MEN CHEERFUL
Little Excitement Comes to
Four Who Secured Prison
Sentences.

Another day brought no develop
ments TO the little group waiting FOR
the word from Governor Mann that
viii mean life or death to Floyd Allen
and Claude Swanson Allen. II was
supposed that the Governor was en-
gagged in preparation of his statement
10 the public regarding final DISPOSE
ton of the case. but he gave no in
dication as TO when it would be ready.
Miss Nellie Wissler. Claude's sweet
heart. who has stood by him from the
day the shooting in the HillsVllle
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
two visitors, 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.
Other Friends Here.
Judge ID. W. Bolen, Of Hillsville.
counsel for odd man Floyd" in the trial
that terminated so disastrously. also
fingers in Richmond at the request or
the Aliens friends, waiting hourly TO
hear something
Another visitor is former State SEN
ator Robert i. Bruce, of Wise. attor-
ney for Sidna Allen in the damage
suits brought against him by the ad-
ministrators of Judge Massie. Com
monwealth' s-Attorney Foster ana
Sheriff Webb He has been in consul
tation with his client In the state rem
itentiary.
The Aliens, facing the electric chair,
bear up wonderfully well. Floyd
Allen keeps cheerful. and is always
pleasant 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 -. Looney. who
alone of the four men in the death
row is in luck. since he has secured
writ Of error from the Supreme Court
and may possibly get a new trial
Liked by Guards
"Old Man Floyd" reads little. with
some difficulty. and talks good deal
Claude is not always so communica-
tive His situation preys on him some
times Still he is always courteous.
and. like his father is DESTROYS of max
ing as little trouble for everybody as
possible
Nearly every day some Richmond
friend sends flowers for the death tier,
their freshness heartening the pris-
OneES a SOOu Otett
Miss Wissler sits for hours just In
front OF Claudes cell. and they talk
through the bars. They have no mo-
ment 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 az
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
gets along well with the guards
Three Make shoes.
Shoemaking is the employment or
the other three-FTiel Allen. Wesley
Edwards and Sidna Edwards. The
latter, a big, good-natured fellow. Is
not always well. his nervousness inter
fering with his employment to large
extent He had but just recovered from
an attack of fever when the Hillsvllie
shooting occurred. and since that time
he has been incarcerated.
Friel Allen. the brightest and quick
est of them all. is samrt with his work
doing it well. He gives no trouble
Wesley Edwards. with the shifty eyes
and Enthusiastically mouth. is also max
ing shoes for the Thacher people lie
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 t"en-
fv-saver Years in State prison.