The men were gunned down during one of the most notorious events in Southwest Virginia history. - Arresting officer Oscar Monday was the step-brother of the Edwards brothers. During a second glance Tipton again saw Floyd with his pistol raised and held in both hands; he then saw Floyd Allen fire his pistol. - Andrew Howlett, one of the spectators who was wounded during the Courthouse Tragedy, was a brother to Mack Howlett, who shot and killed Carr Allen in 1898. 10995 Wesley Edwards, No. - After the shootout ended, people in Hillsville were afraid the Allen family would come back into town and kill everyone in sight. Allen was noted for his generosity, but also his quick temper and easily injured pride. Court testimony says she was outside throwing up on the lawn when Doctor Nuckolls came by. Did Floyd force their release or were they released into his custody? Entdecke 1960er Jahre ORLANDO FLORIDA MCCOY FLUGHAFEN ~ Delta Air Lines Flugzeug Start- und Landebahn ~ Postkarte ~ A5 in groer Auswahl Vergleichen Angebote und Preise Online kaufen bei eBay Kostenlose Lieferung fr viele Artikel! Carroll County Clerk of Circuit Court Gerald Goad opened the formal transfer of the papers from Wythe County in the very room where the shootout occurred - a circle completed some 100 years, nine months and six days since traveling to Wythe County. Wesley and Sidna would be charged with assault, but before they could be arrested, they dashed across the state line, where Carroll County lawmen could not apprehend them. The tale of the courthouse massacre is lengthy and complicated, covering more than two years beginning with a fight in 1910, followed by Floyd Allens trial and the shootout and culminating in Floyd and Claude Allens executions in 1913. He died there in 1953. [21] After three wrongful death lawsuits by the victims' estates and survivors, that property was confiscated and sold at auction, forcing Sidna Allen's wife and two small daughters to live in rented quarters and work at menial jobs until Sidna's eventual pardon. [33] He denied firing a gun during the courthouse shootings, and stated that he did not see who fired the first shot, but thought that it came from the vicinity of Deputy Clerk Goad's desk. There were also five others wounded, including Floyd Allen. Who shot whom? This is the sort of history that gets lost a lot the sensational, headlining tale thats at the front of everyones mind until something even more sensational comes along. [4] His defense team included former Commonwealth's Attorney Walter Tipton and recent County Court Judge Oglesby. Attorney Howard C. Gilmer, of Pulaski, Virginia, was at Hillsville Courthouse in a room adjoining Judge Massie's courtroom when the shooting broke out. Then he found the original Floyd Allen indictment that bore William Fosters final written words. I have been reading Barry Lopezs About this Life. If you havent read it, you should. [32], Sidna Edwards testified that he was not armed on the day of the shooting and that he did not like to carry guns. Steep Canyon Rangers, Amythyst Kiah, Sam Bush highlight Blue Ridge Music Center season; more Former Fieldale High School in Henry County is being turned into housing. [15] Judge Thornton L. Massie, who had deputized Floyd six months earlier, presided. ")[1] Floyd Allen stated that only then did he draw his own revolver and begin shooting. At a church service the next morning conducted by Wesley's uncle, Garland Allen, Thomas reportedly called out Wesley into a fight. Who fired their pistol first? - Claude Allen did not take a gun when he went to Hillsville To Floyds trial. Accounts differ as to whether this was for a lack of evidence, or because Marion became a state's witness and admitted his role in aiding the Allens. Interesting story. Ronald W. Hall,The Carroll County Courthouse Tragedy(2013 printing, Hillsville VA: Carroll County Historical Society,1998). Because of his vision to preserve and protect these exhibits, theyll never be lost again.. Again, no investigation was made at the scene. The law provided that everything could be seized with the exception of a few bare essentials necessary for existence, for example, 1 cow, 1 pig, etc. Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court, is a documentary feature concerning the Carroll County Courthouse shootings that occurred in Hillsville, Virginia. Check your inbox now to confirm your subscription. However, Sidna Allen and his nephew, Wesley Edwards, fled Virginia. V. Ray Bowman is known for Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court (2011). On March 14, 1912, the Floyd Allen Clan carried out one of the most brutal attacks in Appalachian history. [1], Governor Mann immediately called on the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency to find those responsible for the shootings and arrest them. I like how youre reading books about where you live. Again, no thorough investigation of the courtroom happened, and the scene was almost immediately compromised by people who dug bullets out of the walls with pocketknives to keep as souvenirs. He teased Horney about Wythe County losing such valuable historical artifacts. [1] Others consider the alleged affidavit to be hearsay, made years after the event transpired, and worthless. Judge Thornton L. Massie called Constable Jack Allen (and Floyd Allen, who had been deputized by Massie about six months earlier) to the bar and proceeded to question them about the alleged intimidation. I find myself more and more drawn to history. Floyd, wounded too badly in the hip, thigh and knee to leave town, instead spent the night in the Elliott Hotel accompanied by his eldest son, Victor, who was later acquitted of involvement in the shootout. Commonwealth's Attorney, Sheriff, some jurors and others shot on the conviction of Floyd Allen for a felony. [1] Sentenced by the jury to an hour in jail and a $100 fine, plus costs, Allen immediately posted bail pending an appeal. More leniency was given to the other Allens and their family members. Charges eventually were dropped against Sidna and Barnett before the trial.). He was tried in federal court, found guilty, and sentenced to a year in federal prison at Moundsville, West Virginia. To be honest, nothing in the more than 180 pages of court papers adds any new information to the well-researched story of the shootout and its equally tragic aftermath. Most of the documents from the subsequent murder trials that followed the shootout had been lost or were thought to have been lost or stolen. [8], In 1910, Sidna Allen was tried in the United States court at Greensboro, North Carolina for making twenty-dollar counterfeit coins. The book begins with character sketches of the various parties involved. Allen later denied this, but the reported threat caused Samuels to leave the state the same night it was delivered. Sheriff and Commonwealth's Attorney dead, court serious. On 13 March 1912, in the Carroll County Circuit Court, Floyd Allen was tried for attacking two deputies who had arrested two of his nephews for fighting and disturbing a religious meeting. Neither died, but Jack had a silver plate in his head until he died. Interesting, the real Mayberry is along the Blue Ridge, in Patrick County, but just east of Carroll County. So was the judge. Join in supporting in-depth journalism for Southwest and Southside Virginia. [29] Marshall then related that Sidna Allen's bullet buried itself in the window about six inches above his head. The Allens were unreconstructed Democrats, the county fathers were mildly progressive, albeit still conservative, Republicans. Officers often had a violent past. He wrote urging that the state should pay a stipend to Judge Massies widow, who had become destitute in the years since her husbands death. The Allens were a notorious family from Carroll County, Virginia, who . Site of the Bloody Massacre Photo by Author, Thelma Raker Coffone. Edwards was one of those involved in the fight at the church with the Edwards brothers and went on to be County Sheriff for numerous terms. At least two of the participants, Judge Massie and Sheriff Webb, had told friends that they expected trouble. In March 1912, there was a shooting at the Carroll County, Courthouse in Hillsville, Virginia. It sounded like Mayberry, but only for a moment! Jack came to and shot Floyd which ended the affair. [35] In July 1912, after three separate trials, Claud Allen was convicted of first-degree murder for the killing of Commonwealth's Attorney Foster, and for second-degree murder for the killing of Judge Massie. This is the actual foundation of all of the story, said Goad, whose own great-great-uncle, Dexter Goad, was a Carroll clerk of court who traded bullets with the Allens on that tragic day. A ghoulish spectacle occurred when the bodies of the two men were placed in public view at a Richmond funeral home, where as many as 5,000 people lined up to gawk at the mountain outlaws they had read about. Sadlers research took him to the Wythe County Courthouse, where he befriended Hayden H. Horney, the longtime circuit court clerk. Burden "Byrd" Marion, a cousin and neighbor, had all charges against him dropped. Floyd said that Commonwealth's Attorney Foster would not give him a show;[clarification needed] but that if he did not there would be a "big hole put in the court house." The exciting story of the Allen family and the officials who tried to bring them to justice. The defense attempted to show that Deputy Clerk Goad shot Elizabeth Ayers in his exchange of fire with the Allens, a charge Goad denied. On March 14, 1912, Floyd stood in the Hillsville, Va. courthouse, convicted of interfering with police business and assaulting a deputy sheriff. Photo courtesy Carroll County Historical Society and Museum Howard Gilmer was a young attorney and protege of Judge Thornton Massie, who cradled the dying judge during his last moments in the courtroom. One bullet entered the back and ranged upward, lodging directly under the collarbone. Bringing in Sheaves: The Western Revivals of the Reverend A. As the smoke cleared the sheriff, judge, and the common wealth attorney all lay dead. The judge hopes that since the normal court opening time is 9 a.m. the Allen case can be dispensed with rapidly and the normal caseload handled in due time. The jury set his sentence at one year. [24], Yet another lawyer who witnessed the shooting, W. A. Daugherty of Pikeville, stated that several young men were standing on court benches at the back of the room firing their pistols "like Custer's cavalrymen at the Little Big Horn". And then, he apparently moved on with life. Explore the latest videos from hashtags: #truckspottinginthe717 . In 1912 a Carroll County, Virginia, man was sentenced to serve a one year sentence in the state penitentiary. On the morning of March 14, 1912, Mr. Floyd Allen stood in the Carroll County courtroom to hear the verdict of his peers. The trouble started with a kiss. March broke cold and rainy in the mountains. Many accounts claim that Allen initiated the confrontation by pulling a gun in court. Now, thanks to Gerald Goads interest in this, the return of these documents can be part of a healing process. A large collection of portrait photos, newspaper accounts, and a marvelous diorama of the 1912 courtroom scene are on display in the historic courthouse, as is the collection of folk marquetry furniture made by J. Sidna Allen. However, Goad denied firing the first shot in the fusillade. 272 pages including sources and a few b&w photos. [2] Wesley Edwards tried to grapple with Easter, but Easter got away and fired a shot at Floyd as he did so, wounding Floyd in the finger. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court at Amazon.com. He pointed toward what appeared to Sadler to be a metal file. "[26], County Treasurer J. Hillsville Courthouse. He was with his brother when the shooting occurred and was in jail with him when a vigilante mob took his brother into the jail yard and killed him. 23 school districts remove challenged books from library shelves; more . Judge Bolen confirmed his prior testimony that he saw Claud Allen fire the first shot at Judge Massie from the courtroom's northeast corner, whereupon Claud advanced toward the court officers to where Commonwealth's Attorney Foster was standing. Massie refused, saying he was there to prosecute, not persecute.. Sidna Allen was never tried for his part in the altercation, while Barnett Allen was acquitted at trial. Barry Lopezs book (above) sounds good. As if entitled, they took what they wanted or needed. His mother was afraid theyd find him guilty of 1st degree murder, which carried the death penalty, so she convinced him to plead guilty to 2nd degree murder, which did not. [20] Sidna Edwards had scalded his foot some years before and was partially lame, and limped out of the courthouse, riding his mother's horse back to his home. [4] In September 1889, after pleading no contest to the assault, Garland and Sidna were fined $5 each plus court costs, and the prosecutor dropped the weapons charges. Contents 1 Early life and activities 2 Arrest of the Edwards brothers 3 Indictment 4 Trial and shooting 5 Manhunt When Floyd Allen's case was set for trial, rumors arose that he had sent word to Deputy Samuels that he would kill Samuels if the deputy testified against him. "You have no idea how much it means to me for you to be here today. B. Marshall testified that when the shooting started he turned to escape the courthouse. After the Edwards were charged with assault, they fled across the North Carolina border to Mt. The Historical Society has gathered significant materials, published over the years, that attempt to interpret this event in our local history. Those documents can be found at www.ccva.digital/1912-historical-courthouse-tragedy.html. An Allen or a member of the court? The announcement of. Menu. Neither was prosecuted. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. [30], At Claud Allen's trial for the murder of Commonwealth's Attorney Foster, Judge David W. Bolen was again the prosecution's star witness. That verdict, those words uttered by a jury foreman and re-written by Foster, were what prompted the freshly convicted the defiant Allen to stand up and pronounce, Gentlemen, I just aint a-goin, or words to that effect, right before the courtroom filled with smoke and lead. [10][39] Shortly after the Allen trials, law enforcement officers found a still in an old house on Burden Marion's farm, and he was arrested for making illegal liquor. The discovered papers do little to shed new light in the darkended corners of the tragedy. It is amazing how nothing changes Today, a story gets retold till its stale, unless something big happens to push it off the headlines. "[4], Judge Jackson recalled a trial in 1904 in which Allen was convicted of assaulting a neighbor, Noah Combs. Marshall. Maybe so, but people just keep coming back to this story. [29] Marshall also testified he had been standing near Sheriff Webb, but did not see any pistol in the Sheriff's hand. He defeated the son of Jasper Jack Allen for the position. He apparently also hopes that the early hour will serve to dampen the spirits of the Allens. In March 1912, there was a shooting at the Carroll County, Courthouse in Hillsville, Virginia. "The Courthouse Massacre? He found the murder indictment against Sidna Allen, Floyds brother who would be convicted and serve more than 13 years in prison. - William McDonald Foster, Commonwealths Attorney in 1912, had been a Democrat but turned Republican when he ran for the post. In the 1960s, a boisterous flea market and liquor store owner in Cana named Rufus Gardner took up the Allens cause and found two men who claimed one of Goads assistants admitted to firing first at Floyd Allen. shot up the Carroll county court at Hillsville last March, resulting in the death of five persons, was found guilty of murder in the Second degree for the killing of Judge Thornton L. Mas sie. William Hodges Mann from Hillsvilles one outside line brought the famed Baldwin-Felts detectives to town the next day. "Claude Allen First To Fire At Hillsville". Those old papers were lost or stolen, Horney replied. Hall has done an outstanding job researching this subjectt. [32] Claud testified that he saw Sidna Allen firing just about the time he saw Deputy Clerk Goad fire. Sidna Allen and Claud Allen stood on benches in the courtroom's northeast corner to see over the crowd. Other members of the family received long sentences. He worked for the Edison Lighting Company. Much of the information was gleaned from Halls book, The Carroll County Courthouse Tragedy, and other sources. [8] On February 1, 1908, the Allens were convicted of the charge and sentenced to ten days in jail and a fine of $10. There are still questions to be answered, but they probably never will be answered. [20], Sidna Allen denied that he shot Judge Massie, or that he fired at Commonwealth's Attorney Foster, Sheriff Webb, or at Juror Fowler. Sadler said that his grandfathers reputation was that of an attorney who possessed a great gift of gab and was a prolific letter writer, but he never left behind any record of what he saw or heard that day in the Hillsville courtroom. Sadler said that reading Fosters handwriting gave him chills. While there, Wesley kissed a girl who was romantically linked to a local youth, Will Thomas, which led to an altercation between the two young men. There are many questions as to what led up to this event, but it seems to have begun with Wesley Edwards getting a red ear of corn at a corn shucking. The author also hints there were issues between the Democratic Allens and the Republicans who made up much of the courthouse crowd. If thats the case, those against the Allens saw a way to get back at them. Eventually, most of the clan was captured, although Sidna Allen and his nephew Wesley Edwards, whose fight in a churchyard had lit the fuse on this powder keg in 1910, made it to Des Moines, Iowa, where they worked and lived under aliases. This story could have been written in a Creative Non-Fiction genre. He told Sheriff Lewis Webb to take the prisoner. -- Sidna Allen, leader of the Allen clan, which shot up the Carroll County Court at Hillsville last March, causing the death of five person, was to-day found guilty of . Supposedly, Andy Griffins father would take him up there when he was a boy (it was about 25 miles from Mt. For a while, Hillsville was at the top of the nations newspaper. Mr. Alderman said he was not privy to what they discussed. He also pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the shooting of Sheriff Webb, and was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment. [2] Sentenced to a $100 fine and one hour in jail for wounding Jack, Floyd refused to go, saying that he "would never spend a minute in jail as long as the blood flowed through his veins". [1], In his testimony at his murder trial, Floyd Allen admitted he had fired at Deputy Clerk Quesinberry and again twice more at other unknown persons once he had left the courthouse.[28]. The Commonwealth of Virginia posted rewards ($1000 for Sidna Allen, $1000 for Sidna Edwards, $800 for Claud Allen, $500 for Friel Allen, and $500 for Wesley Edwards) - dead or alive. The exciting story of the Allen family and the officials who tried to bring them to justice. Howard Sadlers grandfather, Howard Gilmer, who died before Sadler was born, carried the enormity of the tragedy with him throughout his short life. [13], The rumor that the Allens were intimidating witnesses was called to the attention of the court. Educational video on the history of Western medicine presented by the University of South Carolina's College of Library and Information Science as part of a workshop created by th The end result was three people deadthe judge, the Commonwealth Attorney and the sheriff. I just can't bear to see anyone drug around."[13]. But there they were, hidden in a drawer in the basement of the Wythe County Courthouse, where a longtime clerk discovered them in the fall of 2016. He has a wonderful essay in there titled The American Geographies. He speaks of the need to understand the stories, the voices of memory over the land. I think that is why I always insist on exploring my neighborhoods by walking (or on bicycle) and reading about them. The animosity derived from a feud between Thomas father, George W. Thomas, and Floyd Allen. Preserve America is a federal initiative that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve and enjoy our priceless cultural and natural heritage. [4], Judge Robert C. Jackson, an attorney in Roanoke and Judge Thornton Massie's predecessor in the Carroll County courtroom, stated that, "Floyd Allen was perhaps the worst man of the clan overbearing, vindictive, high tempered, brutal, with no respect for law and little or no regard for human life. Now, the manner by which he freed them depended on who was telling the story. There are even questions as to what happened here. - William Fosters daughter, Aline, married George Ellison Bud Edwards in 1917. 12 talking about this. It would take another tragedy, the sinking of the Titanic, to remove the focus from Carroll County. Floyd Allen was going to trial. [1] Allen, who was before the bar for sentencing after being convicted of taking a prisoner from a deputy sheriff, allegedly triggered the shooting at the Carroll County Courthouse in Hillsville on March 14, 1912. Allen rose to his feet and calmly said, "Gentlemen, I ain't goin'." - William Sidna Edwards, the nephew of Floyd Allen, was sentenced to 18 years in prison as a result of the Courthouse Tragedy, although he never fired a shot. Otherwise, neither Sidna Edwards nor Victor Allen would have been present. . Accounts differ as to who actually fired the first shot. During my term of office Floyd Allen was several times charged with violations of law. [26] He also testified that he saw the crowd come out of the court house, and recognized Floyd and Sidna Allen as the last to leave, both of them following and firing as they backed out, apparently in response to fire coming from within the courthouse. The prosecutor's case was based on the formation of a conspiracy by the Allens to kill the trial judge, local law enforcement, and others who had wronged them in the event of a guilty verdict. He never wrote a damn word about the most significant event in his life, Sadler said. The author is honest and at many times in the book admits we wont know for sure what happened. Director Rick Bowman Writers Rick Bowman Bill Perrine Stars [22], The prosecution attempted to show that Floyd and Claud Allen prompted the gun battle by standing and pulling their pistols and opening fire. Fearful of the Allens' reaction, and having received death threats, many officials of the court armed themselves. Claude had become a cause celebre in his final days, perhaps for his handsome looks that were regularly featured in newspaper photos and the fact that he was leaving behind a grieving fianc. All men were pardoned by Gov. Contact him at ralph.berrier@gmail.com. During the initial manhunt, several posses of detectives and local deputies searched the surrounding countryside. Many of Allen clan members were spectators in the courtroom, most of them armed with pistols. [34] Allen claimed that when the shooting began, he drew his own revolver and fired five times at Deputy Clerk Goad and Deputy Sheriff Gillespie, because both men were firing at him. Everybody was packing weapons, it seemed. - Commonwealths Attorney, William McDonald Foster, was a brother-in-law to one of Floyd Allens defense attorneys; Walter Scott Tipton. "Allen Boys Tell of Shooting", Bluefield, West Virginia: "State Closes Case In Sidna Allen Trial". The Allens could be a rough bunch, who fought with and shot at enemies which they had no shortage of, apparently and even each other. Another of those events that have passed into history. 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