Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-03-29
Floyd and Claude Allen are
Electrocuted Shortly Aft
er. Noon Today for Their
Wholesale Shooting.
OFFICIALS SHOT
BY THE CLANSMEN
.---lsville Court House Was
Scene of Tragedy Where
Judge, Sheriff and Coun-
ty Attorney Died.

Richmond, Va, March 2S.-Floyd
Allen, leader of the outlaw band In
Carroll county, was executed in the
state penitentiary this afternoon. The
aged prisoner, terribly unnerved by
the extreme incident to the delay of
six hours in carrying out the sentence,
went to the chair at 1:20 o'clock. He
was pronounced dead at l :26 p. m.
The prison guards next brought
Claude Swanson Allen, son of Floyd
Allen into the death chamber at 1870
o'clock. He was executed at 1885
p. m.
The execution Of Floyd Allen and his
son, Claude Sanwson Allen today,
marks the first blow of justice upon
the notorious Allen clansmen whose
lawlessness for years held the natives
Of the Virginia mountains in terror and
eliminated early last year in the shoot
Ing up Of the Carroll county court
when five persons lost their lives. The
news of the crime sent thrill of
horror throughout the nation and the
shocked Virginia authorities moved
expeditiously to bring the criminals to
justice.
Story Of Their Crime.
The morning Of March IA, 1912, Floyd
Allen stood before the bar of the Car
roll county court house at Hillsvi1le, to
receive sentence for his part in aiding
the escape of another mountaineer
from the custody Of the sheriff A
crowd packed the little court room for
the character of the prisoner was
I, her Nf ho
family were known to be in court and
trouble was thought imminent.
The jury having announced a verdict
of guilty, Judge Thornton l.. Massie
sentenced the prisoners to one year at
hard labor. With the last word of the
sentence, crash Of firearms broke
from the spectators benches. Floyd
Allen, the prisoner, with smoking
revolver in his hand leaped from the
prisoners dock and joined the rush of
the gang toward the door.
When the court room was cleared
the body of Judge Massie, riddled with
bullets, was found lying over his
desk; Commonwealth Attorney Will
liam M. Foster and Sheriff l.. F. Webb
lay dead on the floor; Augustus Fow-
ler, juror, and Elizabeth Ayres, a
spectator, were bleeding from wounds
which proved fatal the next day; and
Dexter Goad, clerk of the court, lay
shot through the neck. Goad was one
Of the principal witnesses for the state
at the conviction Of the prisoners.
When the court room was examined
later it was found that more than 200
shots had been fired. Twenty-seven
shots took effect upon those killed or
wounded.
Take Leader Same Day.
An army of detectives and news
paper correspondents soon was scour-
ing the muddy roads Of the mountains
in search for the prisoners. Floyd
Allen, the cause of the shooting, who
had been wounded by Sheriff Webb
in the court room, was taken the day
of the crime, together with his son
Victor Allen and his nephew Bird
Marion.
Sidna Edwards, nephew of the
Allen brothers. was captured in hut
in the mountains March %. Edwards,
who is lame, had eaten nothing for
several days and was very weak when
found. Claude Swanson Allen, another
son Of Floyd Allen, walked up to a I
OOSE3 Ill Iut IlUuuIdluS duu
cred himself on March 2S. The next
day Friel Allen, youngest member Of
the gang, was taken at his fathers
home.
Go to Penitentiary.
Floyd Allen, charged specifically |
with the killing Of Commonwealth At |
torney Foster, was found guilty Of
first degree murder on May II, and
sentenced to death. Claude Allen,
his son, was tried on charge of kill
ing Judge Massie, and convicted Of !
murder in the second degree. The !
Jury recommended sentence of fifteen
years in the penitentiary. The state |
demanded new trial and a verdict
of guilty in the first degree was re-
turned on July 81 and he was SEN
fenced to death.
Friel Allen pleaded guilty of muir
der in the second degree and on |
August IA was sentenced to eighteen
years in prison. Three days later
Sidna Edwards pleaded guilty to like
charge and was given sentence OF
fifteen years. Victor Allen was
acquitted Of charge Of having par
ticipated in the murders.
Sidna Allen, brother Of Floyd Allen |
and recognized leader of the clan, and
his nephew, Wesley Edwards, eluded
pursuit for many weeks and event
ualIy escaped kout of the Virginia
~ >.A -. 49, THAR way waat |