The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-09-10
mrs. EDWARDS HERE
TO PLEAD FOR SON
Mother of Youngest of Allen Out
laws Says He Was Vic
tim of Circumstances.
GAVE HIS PISTOL TO FLOYD
Gray-Haircd Woman Will Ask
Governor to Pardon
Her Boy.
GAVE HIS PISTOL TO FLOYD

Leading ny tho hand n brcvn-haircd
sniiiin,, hoy OF about ton years n gray
/ haired. iIatronly woman. neatly attired
! IN black. entered tho Office of Governor
\ stuart in the Capitol Building yestcr-
/ day. shortly after tho noon hour.
In striking contrast with tho care
free look on the face of the rompinS,
! Srirninr lad was the troubled nxious
/ expression of the woman in black Her
I step was hcsitant ana slow She clung
II 10 the arm Of tho little fellow. who
/ tuEgcd to free himself. and the very
quiet OF the room OF which Secretary
i Alexander Forward seated AT his desk
! n the Tar end cngrosscd IN the persuaI
Of official papers. was the only occu-
p;ut, seemed to inspire her with dread.
Snt until the Governors secretary
/ looked up. ana recognizing her. gave
| her cordial greeting. did the woman
] IN black venture further than a foot
! from tho doorway.
The Sray-haired. sadfaced woman
was Mrs. Alberta Allen Edwards, moth
| CT of Sidn:, Edwards and sister of
| Floyd. Stdna, Jack and Garland Allen.
/ \ mothers devotion to her boy had
/ brought her from the hills of Carroll
! County. Sho had come to mako an ap-
| peal Ia tho Govcruor--not in behalf OF
| her outlaw brothers. but TO crave on
ccutire clemcncy for her son. She
/ spoke briefly and 10 the point after
! the manner Of the woman of the noun
tatns, explaining 10 Mr.. Forward her
/ mission
! COMES TO ASK GOVERNOR
TO RELEASE HER HOY
II come TO see il the Governor won't
/ do something for my hoy. Sidna. He's
\ mighty bad off In health" she said
| simply. sho seated herself in tho
I chair proncrcd by MIR. Forward
Tho Governors secretary had seen
the woinun's face, moro than two years
i ago when sorrow and travail had not
rested heavily upon IL: when the hair
now almost snow white was hut light
| ~ tinged with gray. lie had seen Mrs
/ Edwards almost daily during the pc
I riod Of the trial OF tho hand of out
/ laws In liillsvillc. for at that time he
] was a newspaper man and reporting
1 the famous case. He spoke kindly.
1 Informing Mrs. Edwards that the Gov
crnor was not i'll the city.
+, She told him she had left the car
! roll Hills forever. She couldn't bear
to be so FAR separated from her boy
after she heard that he had Developed
symptoms OF tuberculosis. and had been
sent To the State farm. She was sure
tho Governor would have compassion
unou Sidna, now that tho white plague
seemed likely to cheat the law of III,
penalty Imposed by the court, nfteen
years In the penitentiary. She grew
more and more earnest as she proceed
! cd but without exhibiting the emotion
that stirred her. The women OF the
mountains are anything hut emotionul
WANTS TO. MAKE
HER HOME HERE
She said she was confident thas>the
Governor would not turn q deaf car
TO her She would ask him to grant
Sidna q pardon. She intended to settle
down with her family here in Rich
mond and show the folks IL the Gov
crnor would only release Sidna to her.
that he is really good boy. lie had
no part in the shooting up Of the court
house when Judge Massie and ether
officers OF the court were killed. she
insisted. She said she had herself
taken Sidna by the arm. when she saw
him in the courtroom that evil day,
and had led him out because she feared
nc might bc drawn into Some trouble
by his loyalty TO his relatives and
friends-Sidna was always 50 loyal and
brave ana true to his friends.
She related that Sidnn had allowed
her to draw him from tho courtroom:
that they were standing together be
side the front steps when Floyd Allen
came rushing out and asked Sidna for
his gun. she WAS unaware that her
hoy had a revolver in his pocket until
he handed to Floyd Allen Then
came the report of pistol shots and the
stampede Of the Aliens and the race
for the hills
Sidnn Was the victim OF circum-
stances, she insisted, and she hoped 10
convince the Governor of It, Then she
concluded by inquiring of MIR. Forward
tho shortest way TO the penitentiary.
She wished 10 call on her boy and cheer
him UP bit. She was evidently under
the Impression that the State farm adj
Joined tho prison.
HAS SOLD HER HOME
IN CARROLL. COZ NTN
AZ Ia hn lpt
house and the small farm that belonged
10 her The place is thirteen miles
from Hillsvillc She disposed OF all
her posse ssions, in fact, when she de
terinined 10 come to Richmond. She is
stron: in the hopo that her appeal Ia
tho Governor will not he futile. She
IS even talking OF importuninE tho
Governor to release Wesley Edwards
aftcr Ssdna is pardoncd; and. later.
making light. In her womRn's way.
TO: the release OF the rest OF the out
laws
Sidna Edwards was given the highest
penalty imposed upon any Of the Allen
gang, Ills term in prison was Fixed at
fifteen years, and he has served two
years. Mrs Edwards viii live In FUR
cortemplntes purchasing a small homo
for herself and her little boy in or
around Richmond with the money Sho
received for her farm and household
, effects.