Floyd Allens case had been continued a couple of times before he finally appeared in court for a two-day trial that started on March 12, 1912. S. E. Gardner, a Hillsville undertaker who prepared the body of Sheriff Webb for burial, testified that the Sheriff was shot no less than five times. Sadler took the file drawer to a vault in the courthouse and dove into the trove. Located in the Fancy Gap community near I-77 Exit 14. The U.S. Revenue Service had sent Deputy Agent Faddis to investigate reports of illegal liquor trafficking by the Allens. - Thomas Franklin Pink Samuel, the deputy from whom Floyd Allen released his nephews, moved to Amelia County and never testified at the trial. A nation-wide manhunt was called for by the Governor of Virginia which lasted six months. Nonetheless, the grand jury indicted Floyd Allen, Sidna Allen and Barnett Allen for interfering with the deputies, and Floyd Allen was also indicted for assault and battery upon Samuels. "The Courthouse Massacre? Mr. Alderman said Friel and Dexter met privately for about half an hour and shook hands at the end of their meeting. 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. COOPERSTOWN NEW YORK POSTCARD~Orphanage Building/House~Cart 1911 (#185750574261) l***n (1544) - Feedback left by buyer l***n (1544). There it was, the script of a doomed man, written in the final minutes of his life. The jury set his sentence at one year. Sidna Allen and Claud Allen stood on benches in the courtroom's northeast corner to see over the crowd. An Appalachian Feud Blows Up in 1912 Step into True Colors -- a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime In Carroll . 11217 Sidna Edwards, No. I was distraught over the recent rush to execute in our country. 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. Ive already read four books and have another four lined up to read!. (When Floyd fell, wounded, he landed on top of his lawyer David Bolen, who had ducked to the ground as soon as the shooting started, and who is reported to have said, "Floyd, they are going to kill me shooting at you! When the jury returned a guilty verdict against with a sentence of one year in the penitentiary, Floyd Allen is reported to have said to Judge Massie: "If you sentence me on that verdict, I will kill you. Even the accused, Floyd Allen, carried a pistol. A recent documentary film "Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court" won an independent film award last year and will be shown this week in Hillsville. [2], Floyd Allen met the buggy south of Sidna Allen's home as he was on the way to his own home. [4][2] Sidna promptly appealed and won a new trial on the perjury charge. The execution of father and soon occurred in 1913. "[26], County Treasurer J. '"[11][17] At this point, shots broke out in the courtroom. [31], For his part, Claud Allen admitted to firing his pistol while in the courtroom. Jack Allen denied all responsibility for the allegations of intimidation, which he stated were untrue and insisted neither he nor his brother was guilty of wrongdoing. Airy. Wesley Edwards drew nine years for each count of murder for the slaying of Foster, Massie, and Webb for a total of 27 years' imprisonment. I just can't bear to see anyone drug around."[13]. A Journey to and Beyond the Blackboard - Kim Johnson 2021-07-25 Kim Johnson, or 'Sir', has spent his life striving to achieve outstanding The girl he chose to kiss led to a later fight at a church and resulted in a warrant for his arrest. An Allen or a member of the court? "You have no idea how much it means to me for you to be here today. View Map and Driving Directions Phone: (276) 728-2594 Such an interesting, but tragic, history, Jeff! A stolen kiss. Most likely, someone had intentionally hidden the drawer to keep people from pawing through and perhaps removing the papers. 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. 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.. [20], Sidna Allen denied that he shot Judge Massie, or that he fired at Commonwealth's Attorney Foster, Sheriff Webb, or at Juror Fowler. Recognizing the need for immediate action, assistant clerk S. Floyd Landreth sent a telegram to Democratic Governor William Hodges Mann which read: Send troops to the County of Carroll at once. Is Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court (2011) streaming on Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Peacock, or 50+ other streaming services? The sheriff in Hillsville had the boys arrested there and handed over to his deputies at the state line. 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 police of 1912 were not exactly professional. He was tried in federal court, found guilty, and sentenced to a year in federal prison at Moundsville, West 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. The home is owned by Bert and Marlene Widener, who offer tours by appointment. [1], Governor Mann immediately called on the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency to find those responsible for the shootings and arrest them. Massie refused, saying he was there to prosecute, not persecute.. It would take another tragedy, the sinking of the Titanic, to remove the focus from Carroll County. 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. Supposedly, Andy Griffins father would take him up there when he was a boy (it was about 25 miles from Mt. Hall himself had asked Horney, who died in 2020, about the whereabouts of the trial exhibits while doing his own research. But the documents do bring humanity to a story often told through tintype pictures, brittle newspaper clippings, hazy memories and fables passed down through generations. - Commonwealths Attorney, William McDonald Foster, was a brother-in-law to one of Floyd Allens defense attorneys; Walter Scott Tipton. SIDNA ALLEN'S TERM FIXED AT 35 YEARS; Head of Hillsville Clan Sentenced for Killing of Three Court Officials. At one time, there was another store and a tannery and a number of dairies and some local micro-distilleries (before they became popular or legal). Menu. 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. He pointed toward what appeared to Sadler to be a metal file. Virginia law held that when a sheriff died his deputies lost all legal powers, so the shooting left Carroll County without law enforcement. The author is honest and at many times in the book admits we wont know for sure what happened. [21] Agent Faddis and four men raided Floyd Allen's property, seizing illegal stills and fifty gallons of moonshine. The play was still occasionally performed before the pandemic. Easter ran to an acquaintance's home, and he telephoned the sheriff at Hillsville. [34] They returned to their homes by traveling cross-country through the farm fields rather than public roads. Follow Us. How can you have seven murder trials in Wythe County and not have any exhibits whatsoever? Sadler often asked. The Allen clan believed that Goad shot first. - Almost everyone in Carroll County is related to everyone else. In the space of 90 seconds, 57 bullets were fired into the Hillsville courthouse, killing five men and wounding three more. In March 1912, there was a shooting at the Carroll County, Courthouse in Hillsville, Virginia. To this day, 110 years later, nobody who has studied this notorious event can say with any assurance who fired that catastrophic first shot. I oppose capital punishment (although if you heard what I sometimes say about certain characters on tv, you might doubt that). [4], One night in December 1910 (some sources[1] say 1911), two of Floyd Allen's nephews, Wesley and Sidna Edwards, attended a corn shucking bee in Hillsville. 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. However, Goad denied firing the first shot in the fusillade. )[12], Foster called upon a grand jury to investigate the escape/pistol-whipping incident. After those five shots, he dropped to his knees and reloaded his revolver. [18], Seven others were wounded, including Deputy Clerk Goad and Floyd Allen. There were also five others wounded, including Floyd Allen. "Floyd Allen Defense Gets Well Into Case", Bluefield, W. Va.: "Accuses Dexter Goad Of Shooting Betty Ayers". The remaining prisoners received pardons (from a different governor) in the 1920s. [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. [29], Another witness, Walter Petty, also testified that the first shots were fired from the courtroom's northeast corner, where Claud Allen was standing. Sidna Allen was never tried for his part in the altercation, while Barnett Allen was acquitted at trial. Then a cacophony of gunfire. (Interesting Southwest Virginia side note: Initially, Floyds nephew Barnett Allen, the grandfather of legendary Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer, was charged along with his uncles Floyd and Sidna for taking the Edwards boys from the deputies. Burden "Byrd" Marion, a cousin and neighbor, had all charges against him dropped. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, IHeart Radio or on your favorite podcast app. Mr. Alderman said he was not privy to what they discussed. Not knowing all the details, I wasnt sure what to do with this information. [2] The federal court in Greensboro found him not guilty, while Sidna's alleged accomplice, Preston Dickens, was found guilty and sentenced to serve five years in federal prison. Newport News nuprt - -prt -6 is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. [10][41] Jack Allen was buried near his home in Carroll County, in the presence of a thousand mourners.[41]. Now, the manner by which he freed them depended on who was telling the story. Just a Presbyterian Church and a store. Its cool you found such an interesting tale based in your area. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. The new system appointed a full-time judge to hold court at scheduled intervals in a circuit of several counties. The exciting story of the Allen family and the officials who tried to bring them to justice. Floyd, with a concealed pistol, began to shoot, but only after the mayhem began. Was it Floyds son Claude? The goals of the program include a greater shared knowledge about the nation's past, strengthened regional identities and local pride, increased local participation in preserving the country's cultural and natural heritage assets, and support for the economic vitality of our communities. To find the prized ear meant he could kiss any girl there. Carroll County Historical Society and Museum. He borrowed a .38 automatic from another cousin, Church Alderman. March 14, 1912 - Hillsville Massacre Hillsville's history has a bit of a dark spot within it; the dark spot is known as the 1912 Courthouse Tragedy which was rivaled in the news only by the devastation known as the Titanic. [20], Within a month, all suspected shooters were in custody, except Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards. [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 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 agency, infamous for busting coal miner unions, breaking strikes and shooting people in West Virginia, were led by Thomas Felts from just down the road in Galax. [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. Now, thanks to Gerald Goads interest in this, the return of these documents can be part of a healing process. I should do better and learn more about the area I call home. 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. Otherwise, he would not have been armed. [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. Take care, my friend! 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. Bowman grew up in Hillsville, VA where the county seat is located, and has nurtured a life-long fascination with this story. He found the murder indictment against Sidna Allen, Floyds brother who would be convicted and serve more than 13 years in prison. 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. Three trials were needed to finally convict Claude. [22], The prosecution attempted to show that Floyd and Claud Allen prompted the gun battle by standing and pulling their pistols and opening fire. After several months' chase, Baldwin-Felts detectives located them in Iowa after an informant's tip. [34] He also said he went to Blankenship's Livery Stable after the incident, where he met other family members and left Hillsville with Claud Allen, Wesley Edwards, and Sidna Edwards. No autopsies were performed. [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. 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. A second shot entered the back about four inches lower, while a third shot cut the sheriff across the chin. Past month; Great transaction. 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. 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