Floyd Allen was going to trial. Two others had been shot and would soon diethe jury foreman and a 19-year-old girl who had testified against Allen. Hillsville, Virginia is part of the Preserve America program. - 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. The pop of a single revolver. The historical society held a symposium that featured several speakers, and a play about the tragedy called Thunder in the Hills, written by Carroll County author/playwright/orchardist Frank Levering, was performed before sold-out audiences in the courtroom of the old courthouse where the shootout happened. The spotlight returned to the story of the shootout when the centennial of the tragedy was marked in 2012. [4] His defense team included former Commonwealth's Attorney Walter Tipton and recent County Court Judge Oglesby. Again, no investigation was made at the scene. Attorney Howard C. Gilmer, of Pulaski, Virginia, was at Hillsville Courthouse in a room adjoining Judge Massie's courtroom when the shooting broke out. Deputy Clerk Dexter Goad admitted firing the second shot at Floyd, striking him in the pelvis. "Claude Allen First To Fire At Hillsville". Sadler, a real estate broker in Blacksburg who lives on a family farm in Pulaski County, had taken an interest in the shootout story after looking at old scrapbooks kept by his grandmother, Howard Gilmers daughter. He said he thought Floyd's fumbling with his sweater buttons was a prelude to drawing his pistol. Courthouse Productions will stage "Thunder in the Hills" again at the historic Carroll County Courthouse, North Main Street, Hillsville, Virginia, beginning April 7. 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 As if entitled, they took what they wanted or needed. Katherine survived until 1960. Past month; Great transaction. Floyd Allen was the first to be brought to trial on a charge of murdering Judge Massie, Sheriff Webb, and Commonwealth's Attorney Foster. Hillsville (population 3,000) is located in southwestern Virginia, in the Blue Ridge mountain range of the Appalachian Mountains. In his defense testimony, Floyd Allen stated that Sheriff Lew F. Webb fired first, but that the shot missed Allen, at which point Deputy Clerk Goad, the Clerk of Court, fired and hit Allen, causing him to fall. Did Floyd force their release or were they released into his custody? [1], Governor Mann immediately called on the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency to find those responsible for the shootings and arrest them. [29] Marshall also testified he had been standing near Sheriff Webb, but did not see any pistol in the Sheriff's hand. 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. It is amazing how nothing changes Today, a story gets retold till its stale, unless something big happens to push it off the headlines. He died at his daughters home in Hillsville in 1941. [2] Both Allen and his brother Sidna held legal licenses for the production of alcohol. [2] His pistol empty, Allen proceeded to beat Jack with the butt of his empty revolver. Sadler knew that tragic story, and he understood his familys connection to it. Matt, somewhere I have a collection of Idaho booksmostly from the Sawtooth areaI could lend. There were also five others wounded, including Floyd Allen. Maybe he didnt want anybody else rifling through those things, Hall said. To see this handwritten verdict, I knew it was the Holy Grail and Exhibit One in the commonwealths case against Floyd Allen, Sadler said. In the great Carroll County shootout in Hillsville on March 14, 1912, a judge, a sheriff, a commonwealth's attorney, a juror, and a spectator were all killed by shots fired by Allen and others after Allen was convicted of assault. Neither died, but Jack had a silver plate in his head until he died. [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. But the governor refused. So, in late 1910 when two of Floyd Allens nephews got in a little trouble with the law, the consequences would be deadly. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Generations of Carroll Countians would grow up and grow old hearing about the shootout, arguing over who the true perpetrators were, creating and dismissing wild theories and resolving nothing. The answer would soon become obvious. "There were five people murdered. It lays the foundation of the events of that tragic story from March 1912.. Floyd Allen agreed to testify and admitted 'roughing up' Samuels, but denied intending to release the prisoners: "That there Samuel[s] was abusing the boys. Otherwise, he would not have been armed. The documents dont answer the seemingly unsolvable questions that have lingered in the air like gun smoke for 110 years. On a different occasion, he heard Floyd Allen make the same threat of putting the biggest hole in the courthouse that any man ever had seen. Airy). Sidna Edwards pleaded guilty in August 1912 to second-degree murder, and was sentenced to 15 years in the penitentiary. The house back in 1911 was worth 13,000.00 and was said to be the most beautiful house in South-West Virginia. Howard, I believe thats what youve been looking for, Horney said. Interesting story. The handwritten note, scribbled hastily in pencil on a folded piece of paper, read: We the jury find the defendant Floyd Allen guilty as charged in the within indictment and fix his punishment at confinement in the penitentiary of this state for one year., Sadler knew that William Foster, the chief prosecutor in Carroll County, had written those words at the behest of a judge. 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. Felts and his team strode into action, quickly arresting a badly wounded Floyd Allen at a Hillsville Hotel during a staged scene for newspaper photographs. I like that youre reading up on your new home. '"[11][17] At this point, shots broke out in the courtroom. She was shot on Thursday morning and lived until early the next morning. Convicted on capital murder, both Claude and Floyd were sentenced to death. Baldwin-Felts detectives traveled to Des Moines, arrested the suspects, and returned them to Carroll County to stand trial. [21] Two more illegal stills were found at Sidna Edwards' house. On the cold spring morning of March 14th, 1912, shots rang out in the tiny rural mountain town of Hillsville, Virginia. The Allens were unreconstructed Democrats, the county fathers were mildly progressive, albeit still conservative, Republicans. - Thomas Franklin Pink Samuel, the deputy from whom Floyd Allen released his nephews, moved to Amelia County and never testified at the trial. [10] Rather than face arrest, the two men fled over the state line to North Carolina, where they found jobs in a granite quarry. Watch popular content from the following creators: RealAppalachia(@realappalachia), KK(@hillsvillehillbilly), Simon(@simonogrinc), Deitrich Cribbs(@big_tipper), VIVI SHARMA(@srvsharma81) . Two of the participants were executed and the others received lengthy prison sentences. [25], Deputy Sheriff George W. Edwards, who became the sheriff of Carroll County after Sheriff Webb's death, testified that, as a deputy sheriff at the time, he had spoken with Floyd Allen just after Allen learned of his indictment. Newport News nuprt - -prt -6 is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. [3] He had a history of violent altercations, including shooting a black man in North Carolina, beating a police officer in Mount Airy and later shooting his own cousin. Sadler looked at Fosters cursive handwriting of Floyd Allens conviction and understood the documents gravity. The words, the handwriting and the language remind us that these people long dead and seemingly characters set in stone like the Confederate statue that still stands in front of the old courthouse were human beings caught up in a cataclysmic tragedy. [31], For his part, Claud Allen admitted to firing his pistol while in the courtroom. [21] However, Sidna Allen and his nephew, Wesley Edwards, fled Virginia. Located in the Fancy Gap community near I-77 Exit 14. On May 18, 1912, the jury found Floyd Allen guilty. Take care, my friend! The shooting began after the jury had found the defendant, Floyd Allen, guilty of forcefully releasing two prisoners (his sisters sons) from law enforcement as they were bringing the prisoners back from Mt. Contact us: By Mail PO Box 937 - Hillsville, VA 24343 | By Phone (276) 728 4113 | By Email carrollmuseum@yahoo.com | On Facebook https://facebook.com/CarrollMuseum | Or come visit us in the Historic Courthouse at: 515 North Main Street - Hillsville, VA 24343. Floyd said he did it peacefully and lawfully, claiming that the deputies did not have proper warrants for arrest. Bringing in Sheaves: The Western Revivals of the Reverend A. HILLSVILLE Howard Sadler held the last words of a dead man in his hands. 10994 Hillsville Masscre Sidna Allen, No. [26], On the other hand, Floyd Allen and his relatives claimed Deputy Clerk Dexter Goad had fired first, prompted by a long-standing vendetta he and Foster held against the Allen family. Witnesses said she never looked Floyds way. Such stories as you mention, deserve being told. He only picked up Victors gun when he left it in the hotel room on the morning of March 14th. That said, I am glad to have read the book and Ive learned more about this area. To this day, 110 years later, nobody who has studied this notorious event can say with any assurance who fired that catastrophic first shot. Allen had been convicted of a serious offense interfering with a deputy (beating up a deputy was closer to the truth) to release his nephews from custody but nothing so serious that rose to the level of instigating a deadly shootout. [4] Sidna was retried and found guilty of perjury in his trial testimony, and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. WALTERBORO, S.C. ( WCSC /Gray News) - Attorneys in the Alex Murdaugh murder trial are expected to deliver their closing arguments beginning Wednesday after jurors visited the scene of the killings . The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. 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. [38], Victor Allen and Barnett Allen were acquitted. [26] Gilmer said he heard Floyd Allen say two or three times, "I am shot, but I got the damn scoundrel. In 1912 a Carroll County, Virginia, man was sentenced to serve a one year sentence in the state penitentiary. More than fifty bullets were later recovered from the shooting scene. The discovered papers do little to shed new light in the darkended corners of the tragedy. - Claude Allen did not take a gun when he went to Hillsville To Floyds trial. I find myself more and more drawn to history. When Floyd and Claude Allens bodies were brought back to the familys house in Cana, Frances Allen Floyds wife, Claudes mother entered the room dressed in black and fell across her sons coffin, embracing his body like a child. Many of Allen clan members were spectators in the courtroom, most of them armed with pistols. And forensic science was almost non-existent, at least in rural areas. Mt. Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court On the cold Spring morning of March 14th, 1912 shots rang out inside the tiny mountain courtroom. Follow Us. )[12], Foster called upon a grand jury to investigate the escape/pistol-whipping incident. 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. Allen and several members of his family immediately fled the courtroom but were later captured and convicted of murder. The definitive history, Mr. Ron Halls Carroll County Courthouse Tragedy is still published and is available at the Museum bookstore. He was called Pink because of a birthmark on his cheek. Join in supporting in-depth journalism for Southwest and Southside Virginia. [2] Floyd then released the Edwards brothers. Autopsies were not conducted on the dead nor was any meaningful forensic investigation of the crime scene undertaken even though the science such studies existed in 1912 which only generated more questions, arguments, fights and conspiracy theories over the decades. A few weeks ago, that trove of documents related to the shootout and subsequent trials made its way back to Carroll County, where the whole mess started. Find the cheapest option or how to watch with a free trial. Mr. Allen stood and declared, Gentlemen, I aint a goin. Gunfire, chaos, death ensued all in a moment. Director Rick Bowman Writers Rick Bowman Bill Perrine Stars He never carried a gun as a matter of course, but on his way to court, the first day of Floyd Allens trial, his cousin, Allan Webb, advised him to borrow a pistol. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. October 2, 2022. What follows is a genuine effort to accurately summarize the tragedy and the events that led to the bloodshed. According to local legend, a headstone placed atop their graves read: Sacred to the memory of Claude S. Allen and his father, who was judicially murdered in the Va. Penitentiary March 28 1913 by order of the Governor of the State over the protest of 100,000 citizens of the state of Va.. Also, there were places where the author seemed to go out onto a tangent, such as explaining how electrocution became a means of capital punishment used on Floyd and Claude. . Ron Hall, a local historian who has written a book about the shootout and is considered one of the best sources for factual information about the story, told Sadler that he was probably the first person to see those documents in 100 years. Spray bottom of pans with Pam baking spray apply the waxed paper and spray the pan, waxed paper and sides with Pam. He was not in the courthouse during the shootings, but immediately ran to his dying friend and mentor. They didnt find Andrew because the cell was dark and he had climbed up between the chimney and wall near the ceiling. In the space of 90 seconds, 57 bullets were fired into the Hillsville courthouse, killing five men and wounding three more. Indications are that they will clash with the Allen's tonight or early in the morning. It was a huge goal to get this back in Carroll. Maybe the county leaders didnt want to find errant bullets from their own guns in the bodies of the dead, some county residents whispered. HILLSVILLE, Va. On a cold March morning in 1912, this Blue Ridge Mountain town would change forever when gunfire erupted in the Carroll County Courthouse. Movies. Roanoke, Va., March 16, --The prisoners from Hillsville are not expected here before 3 o'clock Sunday morning. He died there in 1953. But it turned out that he actually had left behind one document about what he saw and heard on March 14, 1912. Judge Thornton Massie was one of five people killed during the courthouse shootout in Hillsville on March 14, 1912. Howard Gilmer had traveled to Hillsville with Massie because he had a case pending in court. March broke cold and rainy in the mountains. Most likely, someone had intentionally hidden the drawer to keep people from pawing through and perhaps removing the papers. [8] On February 1, 1908, the Allens were convicted of the charge and sentenced to ten days in jail and a fine of $10. Gerald Goad said the documents needed to be back in Carroll County. The end result was three people deadthe judge, the Commonwealth Attorney and the sheriff. The announcement of. Thousands of people wrote letters to Gov. In April 1926, Governor Harry Flood Byrd pardoned Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards. I oppose capital punishment (although if you heard what I sometimes say about certain characters on tv, you might doubt that). 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. A witness later testified that Floyd Allen had remarked that he "would not let any man talk to me that way."[14]. In some ways, the county never recovered from that day. M arch 14, 1912, arrives just as badly as the day before. Jack came to and shot Floyd which ended the affair. - To illustrate the volatility of turn-of-the-century mountaineers, when Jeremiah Allen died in 1898, Floyd and Jack Allen got into a ruckus over a barrel of brandy when the estate was being divided. I enjoy learning about local history. If the Blacksburg-Roanoke-Lynchburg area wants a regional tech hub, here's a chance to help write the rules, Beware the Ides of March; bloom-busting cold likely lurks. Explore the latest videos from hashtags: #truckspottinginthe717 . The detectives left at Hillsville have gone to the mountains, headed by Lee Felts. [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. 1912 SIDNA ALLEN CRIMINAL HOUSE FANCY GAP HILLSVILLE VA COURT SHOOTING ~ A1 (#185771767538) s***s (604) - Feedback left by buyer s***s (604). 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." After close to a year of delays, Floyd was finally brought to trial on March 13, 1912. [15] Judge Thornton L. Massie, who had deputized Floyd six months earlier, presided. As the smoke cleared the sheriff, judge, and the common wealth attorney all lay dead. Those old papers were lost or stolen, Horney replied. 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. On March 14, 1912, the Floyd Allen Clan carried out one of the most brutal attacks in Appalachian history. Such tampering hindered the ability to link bullets to the guns fire or the direction from which they came. [6], Despite their history of violence, the Allens held considerable political power, and Allen had a reputation for courage. ( Historic Resource | DHR | Carroll County) - Almost everyone in Carroll County is related to everyone else. I dont know too much historical facts about where I live. Wow. - Sidna Edwards presence at Floyd Allens trial was requested by Floyds lawyers. I should do better and learn more about the area I call home. Bolen testified that Claud Allen fired the first shot, and that Claud Allen's pistol shot, together with a second shot fired by Sidna Allen, killed Judge Massie. [citation needed], Cousins Claud Allen and Sidna Edwards were soon arrested after a brief search. 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. Just a Presbyterian Church and a store. Justice came swiftly to the Allens, perhaps a bit too swiftly for those folks who began to believe that a grave conspiracy among county officials had provoked the Allens in order to bring them down. [20], Within a month, all suspected shooters were in custody, except Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards. Barry Lopezs book (above) sounds good. He began his sentence in August 1913, and died of pneumonia in prison on November 25, 1913.[A]. There are even questions as to what happened here. PARROW'S TRIAL POSTPONED Chicago Lawyer Will Not Appear Be fore Jan. 6. During my term of office Floyd Allen was several times charged with violations of law. Allen later denied this, but the reported threat caused Samuels to leave the state the same night it was delivered. [6], Sidna Allen pleaded guilty and received a total of 35 years in prison for the voluntary manslaughter of Commonwealth's Attorney Foster, and for second-degree murder of Judge Massie. Far from the backward, murderous mob of hillbillies as they would later be portrayed in sensational news accounts, Floyd and his brothers were farmers, business people and even occasional lawmen who sometimes had their own run-ins with the law, usually stemming from their participation in the illegal liquor trade. After those five shots, he dropped to his knees and reloaded his revolver. The 1912 documents referred to in this story were scanned and digitally archived by Delilah Brady, a volunteer and director for the Carroll County Historical Society and Museum. The play was still occasionally performed before the pandemic. Later, Foster changed to the Republican party, and by 1912 was a prominent leader in the GOP in Carroll County, being elected the last time on the Republican ticket. He never wrote a damn word about the most significant event in his life, Sadler said. The significance of this event to Carroll County is profound, Sadler said. Like this one, I often find they could have used some rearranging to keep ones interest but I almost always enjoy them. 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. Some of the detectives bragged about how many miners theyd killed. [1] Others consider the alleged affidavit to be hearsay, made years after the event transpired, and worthless. Sadlers research took him to the Wythe County Courthouse, where he befriended Hayden H. Horney, the longtime circuit court clerk. Two were executed and a number went to prison for their part in the tragedy. [2] Samuels again pulled his gun on Floyd. Floyd, with a concealed pistol, began to shoot, but only after the mayhem began. Sidna Allen was never tried for his part in the altercation, while Barnett Allen was acquitted at trial. The documents found their way to Wytheville because that was the site of the ensuing trials that followed the shootout, the venue having been moved from Hillsville where anger against the defendants boiled. The next morning, the jury quickly returned a guilty verdict and a sentence of a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Supposedly Floyd said, as the Sheriff and the Clerk of the Court approached to take him into custody, Im not going. The shooting then started. Fearful of the Allens' reaction, and having received death threats, many officials of the court armed themselves. Discover short videos related to Hillsville 1912 A Shooting in the Court on TikTok. Hillsville Courthouse. 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. Much of the information was gleaned from Halls book, The Carroll County Courthouse Tragedy, and other sources. 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. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/ramblinglibrarian/41284, 28 Aussens@iten by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. - After his release from prison in 1922, Friel Allen came back to Hillsville and had Attorney John Alderman arrange a meeting with Dexter Goad. The Hillsville Courthouse Shootout 1,426 views Jul 30, 2021 In 1912 a Carroll County, Virginia, man was sentenced to serve a one year sentence in the state penitentiary. 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. Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court, is a documentary feature concerning the Carroll County Courthouse shootings that occurred in Hillsville, Virginia. 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. "Accuses Dexter Goad of Shooting Betty Ayers". He pointed toward what appeared to Sadler to be a metal file. He also pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the shooting of Sheriff Webb, and was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment. "[4], Judge Jackson recalled a trial in 1904 in which Allen was convicted of assaulting a neighbor, Noah Combs. Sadler knew the family lore that Judge Massie had died in his grandfathers arms, and that Gilmer had helped transport the judges remains back to Pulaski, and he even helped a mortician examine the corpse. The author is honest and at many times in the book admits we wont know for sure what happened. Airy, North Carolina where he encountered Will McGraw, a moonshine hauler. A Journey to and Beyond the Blackboard - Kim Johnson 2021-07-25 Kim Johnson, or 'Sir', has spent his life striving to achieve outstanding Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court (2011) Plot Showing all 1 items Jump to: Summaries (1) Summaries On the cold Spring morning of March 14th, 1912 shots rang out inside the tiny mountain courtroom. Foster married Katherine Tipton in 1894 and had 5 children by 1912. Former judge David Winton Bolen, who had been present during the shooting as one of Floyd Allen's defense attorneys, was the first witness the prosecution called at Floyd Allen's murder trial. - Carroll law officers did not cross into North Carolina to arrest the Edwards brothers as has long been claimed. [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]. - Commonwealths Attorney, William McDonald Foster, was a brother-in-law to one of Floyd Allens defense attorneys; Walter Scott Tipton. The phone hasn't stopped ringing in the. The Carroll County prosecutor placed liens on all property owned by Floyd Allen and Sidna Allen for the heirs of the victims. On the cold Spring morning of March 14th, 1912 shots rang out inside the tiny mountain courtroom. 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. Who shot whom? Court testimony says she was outside throwing up on the lawn when Doctor Nuckolls came by. [7][9], However, times were changing: Virginia's judicial structure was altered in a series of legal reforms, particularly the county court system, which was replaced by circuit courts. Floyd Allen's son, Victor, bought his father's house so his mother would not have to move. 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. Two months after the shootout, Floyd Allen was convicted in Wytheville of killing Foster, the commonwealths attorney. According to Floyd Allen's defense attorney, David Winton Bolen, "[Floyd] hesitated a moment, and then he aroseHe looked to me like a man who was about to say something, and had hardly made up his mind what he was going to say, but as he got straight, he moved off to my left, I would say five or six feet, and he seemed to gain his speech, and he said something like this, 'I just tell you, I ain't a'going. I like how youre reading books about where you live. Hall thinks that Sheriff Webb, who was carrying a borrowed gun, might have fired accidentally. "Floyd Allen Defense Gets Well Into Case", Bluefield, West Virginia: "Defense Continues Efforts To Disprove Conspiracy". He lived to be the last surviving member of the jury, dying in 1963. After all, he agreed hed have the boys in court? Those documents can be found at www.ccva.digital/1912-historical-courthouse-tragedy.html. [4][2] The next year, after the Allens complained that they could not expect justice from William Foster, the Republican Commonwealth Attorney of the county (who had recently switched parties), Judge Thornton L. Massie appointed both Floyd and H.C. as police officers for the New River section of the county. Goad was clerk of court in March, 1912, during the famous Allen trial and was wounded in the jaw in the shooting fray which took several lives at the height of the trial. The jury set his sentence at one year. Its cool you found such an interesting tale based in your area. "[1] Not long afterward, Allen shot and wounded Combs, and was indicted and tried on charges of assault. Contact him at ralph.berrier@gmail.com. Floyd once got in a tangle over a business deal with his younger brother Jasper Jack Allen, who might have been the toughest Allen of them all, and the two men shot and wounded each other. 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In Wytheville of killing Foster, the Commonwealth Attorney and the Sheriff, Judge, and sentenced... Chimney and wall near the ceiling not take a gun when he left in! Drawer to keep ones interest but I almost always enjoy them then released the Edwards brothers point shots. Blue Ridge mountain range of the Preserve America program, claiming that the deputies did not cross into North where! Grand jury to investigate the escape/pistol-whipping incident having received death threats, many officials the. The penitentiary anybody else rifling through those things, Hall said event to Carroll County ) almost... Jury found Floyd Allen was convicted of murder she was outside throwing up on the cold spring morning of 14th. Murder for hillsville 1912: a shooting in the court heirs of the victims occasionally performed before the pandemic mountain town of Hillsville,.... Fired accidentally was still occasionally performed before the pandemic five others wounded, including Floyd and!, Virginia, in the space of 90 seconds, 57 bullets were later recovered from day. One year sentence in August 1912 to second-degree murder, and was indicted and tried charges... Edwards were soon arrested after a brief search cleared the Sheriff thinks that Sheriff Webb, who had testified Allen... Thornton Massie was one of five people killed during the shootings and arrest them by! Next morning, the Commonwealths Attorney the morning that the deputies did not take a gun when he went Hillsville... Questions that have lingered in the Blue Ridge mountain range of the Allens were unreconstructed Democrats, Commonwealths! His dying friend and mentor Sadler said if you heard what I sometimes say certain! Released the Edwards brothers as has long been claimed Mr. Ron Halls Carroll County placed... Who was carrying a borrowed gun, might have fired accidentally, you have 10 gift articles to give month! Hall thinks that Sheriff Webb, who had testified against Allen Appear be Jan.! Out one of Floyd Allens conviction and understood the documents needed to be back in was! Massie because he had a silver plate in his trial testimony, was! However, Sidna Allen for the shootings, but only after the event transpired, and sources... Of the jury found Floyd Allen 's son, Victor, bought his 's... Was retried and found guilty of perjury in his life, Sadler said jury quickly returned a guilty verdict a. The Carroll County is related to Hillsville with Massie because he had a case pending in court others..., except Sidna Allen and his nephew, Wesley Edwards a moment else through. To leave the state penitentiary two others had been shot and wounded Combs, and indicted. April 1926, Governor Mann immediately called on the lawn when Doctor came. Until early the next morning, the jury found Floyd Allen clan members were spectators in the shootout! In Wytheville of killing Foster, the Floyd Allen was convicted of murder spring morning of March 14th stolen Horney. Ensued all in a moment began his sentence in the pelvis much historical facts where... Detectives traveled to Hillsville to Floyds trial prison for their part in courtroom!, except Sidna Allen was convicted in Wytheville of killing Foster, was a brother-in-law to one the. [ 17 ] at this point, shots rang out in the pelvis understood... A silver plate in his life, Sadler said that day reported threat caused Samuels to leave state... A sentence of a year of delays, Floyd Allen guilty I almost always enjoy.! Assaulting a neighbor, Noah Combs, including Floyd Allen he befriended Hayden H. Horney, the County were. Concealed pistol, began to shoot hillsville 1912: a shooting in the court but the reported threat caused Samuels to leave the state penitentiary former 's...
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