Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-03-31
THE HILLSVILLE TRAGEDY.
Story of Tragedy Tat Caused Execu-
ton of Aliens.

BY request the Gazette publishes
the following correct story of the
IIillsville tragedy.
!! Floyd Allen and his son, Claude
Swanson Allen, belonged to the no
torious Alien clan whose reputed
! iawlessness for years held the natives
Of The Virginia mountains in terror,
and eliminated on March IA, 1912, in
the shooting up of the Carroll county
court, when five persons los- their
lives. The news Of the crir:e sent
thrill of horror throughout the ma
| tion,and the shocked Virginia author
ties moved expeditiously to bring
the criminals to justice.
| On the morning Of March IA, Floyd
/ Allen stood before the bar Of the
{ Carroll county court house, at Hills,
vile. 10 receive sentence for his par.
in aiding the escape of anothe'
mountaino2r from the custody of tbs
! sheriff. A crowd packed the littl'
court room for the character of the
/ prisoner was we'll known. Member:
eff the Allen family were known tt
be in court and trouble was though
imminent.
J The jury having announced a yer
dict Of guilty, Judge Thornton L
{ ffassic sentenced the prisoner to on
! vcar al hard labor. With the las
I; words CT the sentence crash OF tlr
arms broke from the spectators
benches. Floyd Allen, with a smok
ing revolver in his hand, ieaped fror
| the prisoners dock and joined tn
rush of the gang toward the dooI
When the court room was cleare
the body of Judge Massie, riddle
with bullets was found lying over h'
desk; Commonwealth Attorney VII
liam NJ. Foster and Sheriff l.. :
Webb lzy dead Oh the floor. Angus
tus Fowler, Juror, and itllzabe"
Ayres, a spectator, were bleeding
from wounds which proved fatal TIL
next day, ard Dexter Goad, clerk o.
the court, lay shot through the neck
Goad was one of the principal wit.
ness for the state at the conviction
of the prisoners.
When the court room was exanln.
ed it was found that more than ~
shots had been fired. Twenty-s@vci
shots took effect upon those E:!ie'
and wounded.
An army of detectives ard rcws
rapcr correspondents soon were
securing the muddy roads oil th'
mountains in search Of the prisoners
Floyd Allen, the cause Of the snoot'
inc, who had ljecn wounded by
Sheriff Webb in the court room
was taken the day of the crime, TO-
gethsr with his son, Victor Allen
and his nephew, Byrd Marion.
Sidna Edwards, a nephew Of the
Allen brothers, was captured IN
hut in the mountains March %. Ed,
wards, who is lame, had eaten nothing
fer several days, and was very weak
when found. Claude Swanson, Al
len, another son of Floyd Allen, walk
ed up to a posse in the mountain:
and surrendered himself on Mlrcs
2Sth. The next day Friel Alien
Youngest member of the gang, wa:
taken at his fathers home.
Floyd Allen, charged specifical!!
! with the killing Of Commonwealth
Attorney Foster, was found guilty o.
first degree murder on May II, arc
sentenced to death. Claude Allen
his son, was tried charge D
killing Judge Massie,, and convict
ed of murder in the second degree
The jury recommended a sent ;ncc
Of IS years in the penitentiary. Ihi
state demanded a new trial, ara
verdict of guilty in the first degree
was rendered on July q, and he was
sentenced to death.
Fr;el Allen pleaded guilty Of lnur-
+! der in the second degree, and Oh
August ii was sentenced to Il
! wears in prison. Three days ate
! sidna Edwards pleaded guilty 20 c
like charge and was given z SEN
tencc of fifteen years. Victor @.iiei
was acquitted on the charge OF nav
ing participated in the murders.
| sidna Allen, brother of Floyd Al
!en,and recognized ls;2der OF the clan
+; and MS nephew, Wesley hdwIfdS.
! eludcd pursuit for many weeks, and
eventually escaped ous OF the VIZ
GINA mountains and made their way