hillsville 1912: a shooting in the courtmhairi black partner

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. The next witness was Sidney Towe, who largely corroborated the testimony of Sheriff Edwards. At least two of the participants, Judge Massie and Sheriff Webb, had told friends that they expected trouble. After several months' chase, Baldwin-Felts detectives located them in Iowa after an informant's tip. Such tampering hindered the ability to link bullets to the guns fire or the direction from which they came. Interesting story. The announcement of that sentence set off a gun battle that became one of the worst incidences of violence ever to occur in an American courtroom. They didnt find Andrew because the cell was dark and he had climbed up between the chimney and wall near the ceiling. 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. "Claude Allen First To Fire At Hillsville". We must have similar tendencies as I like to pick up a few books about the history of any area I spend some time in. He worked for the Edison Lighting Company. Another younger brother, Sidna, was a successful businessman who had prospected for gold in Alaska, operated a store, owned a considerable amount of land and built a lovely Queen Anne-style home in Fancy Gap, and yet he was accused of being a counterfeiter who barely avoided jail time even though one of his associates was sent up the river. Bake . Convicted on capital murder, both Claude and Floyd were sentenced to death. 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. However, no extradition order was issued. It would take another tragedy, the sinking of the Titanic, to remove the focus from Carroll County. Allen once accused Goad of running liquor, which forced the clerk to resign from a prestigious post as federal commissioner. With the entry of the United States into World. The announcement of. [2] Floyd then released the Edwards brothers. [20], Within a month, all suspected shooters were in custody, except Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards. Too many other projects. The Carroll County Historical Society, INC. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. It also hired Baldwin-Felt hired detectives (a group like the Pinkertons). - Claude Allen did not take a gun when he went to Hillsville To Floyds trial. She was shot on Thursday morning and lived until early the next morning. He was the patriarch of the county's most prominent family, which, in addition to owning large tracts of farmland and a prosperous general store, were also active in local politics as proud Southern Democrats. As gunmen spilled from the courthouse taking their battle through the downtown streets, the judge, sheriff, and Commonwealth Attorney lay dead in the smoke-filled courtroom. The sentence would have had Floyd do time. The documents were found in the basement of the Wythe County Courthouse and have now been returned to Carroll County. Fearful of the Allens' reaction, and having received death threats, many officials of the court armed themselves. More by Ralph Berrier Jr. Support Cardinal News and connect with more than 13,000 of our most engaged readers by sponsoring a Cardinal News newsletter. 2023 TheTVDB.com, A Whip Media Company. At the 2020 census the population was 186247.5 Located in the Court Crime The 1910's Spread the love In 1912 a Carroll County, Virginia, man was sentenced to serve a one year sentence in the state penitentiary. Hillsville began as a trading post known as Cranberry Plains. However, Goad denied firing the first shot in the fusillade. [38], Victor Allen and Barnett Allen were acquitted. He only lived 7 years after the trial. - After his release from prison in 1922, Friel Allen came back to Hillsville and had Attorney John Alderman arrange a meeting with Dexter Goad. - 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. 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. Maybe the county leaders didnt want to find errant bullets from their own guns in the bodies of the dead, some county residents whispered. I was distraught over the recent rush to execute in our country. I just can't bear to see anyone drug around."[13]. The deputy clerk of Carroll County, Dexter Goad, obtained a new warrant for the brothers' arrest, notifying the sheriff in Surry County, North Carolina, who soon arrested both men. Hall thinks that Sheriff Webb, who was carrying a borrowed gun, might have fired accidentally. Nearly impassable muddy roads and a raw wind that carried snow flurries did not stop nearly 100 people from jamming the 1873 courthouse to see the spectacle of Floyd Allen possibly being led away in handcuffs. Synopsis On the cold Spring morning of March 14th, 1912 shots rang out inside the tiny mountain courtroom. [citation needed], Cousins Claud Allen and Sidna Edwards were soon arrested after a brief search. [11] There was only one set of handcuffs, and because Sidna Edwards had tried to escape a couple of times, Wesley was handcuffed in the front seat of the buggy and Sidna was tied in the back seat. I like how youre reading books about where you live. As the deputies were taking the Edwards back to Hillsville, Floyd released the boys from custody. 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. Like this one, I often find they could have used some rearranging to keep ones interest but I almost always enjoy them. But the storys roots go further back and involve politics, rivalries, clannishness, thuggery, vengeance and even a little geography. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Barry Lopezs book (above) sounds good. 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. At a church service the next morning conducted by Wesley's uncle, Garland Allen, Thomas reportedly called out Wesley into a fight. actually, theres a lot to read and learn even in a rural place. However, Sidna Allen and his nephew, Wesley Edwards, fled Virginia. [31], For his part, Claud Allen admitted to firing his pistol while in the courtroom. [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. . 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. 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. On the cold Spring morning of March 14th, 1912 shots rang out inside the tiny mountain courtroom. Upon his arrest by deputies at the hotel, Floyd attempted to slash his own throat with a pocketknife, but was overpowered before he could complete the job.[19]. Floyd Allen grew up in a large family in southern Carroll County, raised on a farm wedged between the North Carolina border and the front wall of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 11217 Sidna Edwards, No. And then, he apparently moved on with life. 1982-2023 The Carroll County Historical Society, INC. - The Carroll County Historical Society and Museum website, The Carroll County Historical Society and Museum, Welcome To The Carroll County Historical Society and Museum Website, Family Search.org | Carroll County, Virginia Genealogy, Family Search.org | Grayson County, Virginia Genealogy, Mount Airy, NC Museum of Regional History. Other members of the family received long sentences. 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. Barely one year after the courthouse shootout, Floyd Allen and his son Claude were executed minutes apart at the Virginia State Penitentiary in Richmond. [37] Allen's death sentence was deeply unpopular with Allen supporters in the county, but many other residents were unsympathetic, surprised by the deaths of so many people over Floyd Allen's refusal to serve a year in prison. The significance of this event to Carroll County is profound, Sadler said. When all the smoke cleared, there were five dead, seven wounded. Jack Allen lost his job as constable as a result of the Hillsville shooting, and soon his life. Floyd Allen's son, Victor, bought his father's house so his mother would not have to move. Just a Presbyterian Church and a store. - As a result of the deaths that occurred in the courtroom in 1912, the entire estates of Floyd and J. Sidna Allen were seized in settlement of wrongful death suits by the families of Massie, Foster and Webb. Ive already read four books and have another four lined up to read!. He died at his daughters home in Hillsville in 1941. Wesley and Sidna were charged with disorderly conduct, assault with a deadly weapon, disturbing a public worship service, and other violations. As historian Ron Hall wrote in his book: And for a moment, the world stopped.. Mr. Allen stood and declared, "Gentlemen, I ain't a goin'." Many of Allen clan members were spectators in the courtroom, most of them armed with pistols. 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. - 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. There were, however, nearly 20 Allen men among the spectators in the courtroom. [7] In 1908, while serving as special deputies, Allen and a relative, Henry "H.C." Allen, were charged with unlawful assault upon prisoners held in their custody who they claimed had resisted arrest. V. Ray Bowman is known for Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court (2011). Sadlers research took him to the Wythe County Courthouse, where he befriended Hayden H. Horney, the longtime circuit court clerk. Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court is a 70 minute film that will be presented to The History Channel and PBS, and entered in film festivals across the US. [2] Samuels again pulled his gun on Floyd. As if entitled, they took what they wanted or needed. In 1921, however, Victor moved his family to Tabernacle Township, New Jersey. You can also see some of Sidna Allens furniture craftsmanship and Claude Allens banjo on exhibit in the museum. The detectives left at Hillsville have gone to the mountains, headed by Lee Felts. Airy, North Carolina. The announcement of that sentence set off a gun battle that became one of the worst incidences of violence ever to occur in an American courtroom. Was Clerk of Carroll County Circuit Court During the Famous Allen Trial. There are still questions to be answered, but they probably never will be answered. Accounts differ as to who actually fired the first shot. [34] Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards then left Virginia, eventually reaching Des Moines, Iowa. Wesley was sentenced to sixty days and his brother thirty, which were served outside jail on work-release. Commonwealth's Attorney, Sheriff, some jurors and others shot on the conviction of Floyd Allen for a felony. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Wow. On March 14, 1912, Floyd stood in the Hillsville, Va. courthouse, convicted of interfering with police business and assaulting a deputy sheriff. Floyd admitted that he mightve gotten rough with Samuels. 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. No one secured the courthouse as a crime scene. "The Courthouse Massacre? [citation needed]. [26] Gilmer testified he heard two shots in quick succession, after which there was a slight interval and then a great volley of firing. "Allen Boys Tell of Shooting", Bluefield, West Virginia: "State Closes Case In Sidna Allen Trial". "Saw Claude Allen Fire First At Judge Massie". Mob violence, the court. 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. 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. The girl he chose to kiss led to a later fight at a church and resulted in a warrant for his arrest. 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. [34] He stated that he fired back at Goad on the courthouse steps, but denied shooting at Treasurer J. No autopsies were ever performed and rumors flew of friendly fire casualties. He told Sheriff Lewis Webb to take the prisoner. Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court (video) Library of Virginia "Mug Shot Special" Floyd and Claude Allen Friel Allen, No. Elbert Lee Trinkle and Gov. 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. He found trial transcripts. Features three historians (two that have written books about the incident)and their interpretations of the events that led up to the shooting and the consequences. He was called Pink because of a birthmark on his cheek. 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. However, once the story began, it flowed better. Floyd even paid their bail. Floyd had been seriously wounded. Floyd, 56, a once proud man now destroyed, was strapped to the electric chair, a leather mask placed over his face and four, 1-minute bursts of 2,000-volt electrical shocks were sent coursing through his body until he was pronounced dead at 1:26 p.m. Claude, just 24, was electrocuted in the same chair 12 minutes later. As gunmen spilled from the courthouse taking their battle through the downtown streets, the judge, sheriff, and the Commonwealth Attorney lay dead in the smoke-filled courtroom. Terribly tragic. Seems like everybody from Carroll County has some connection to this story. [29] Marshall then related that Sidna Allen's bullet buried itself in the window about six inches above his head. To find the prized ear meant he could kiss any girl there. This sort of isolation probably meant that Floyd and his siblings grew up independent, resourceful and perhaps overly prideful and defiant. [2] His pistol empty, Allen proceeded to beat Jack with the butt of his empty revolver. "[26], County Treasurer J. The defense attempted to show that Deputy Clerk Goad shot Elizabeth Ayers in his exchange of fire with the Allens, a charge Goad denied. A nation-wide manhunt was called for by the Governor of Virginia which lasted six months. The home is owned by Bert and Marlene Widener, who offer tours by appointment. 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. I like that youre reading up on your new home. [5] Floyd's body bore the scars of thirteen bullet wounds, five of them inflicted in quarrels with his own family. - Floyd Allen had a long history of serving the law in Carroll County as a deputy sheriff and was, in fact, a special policeman at the time of the tragedy. 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. The deputies, though, accused Floyd of forcibly freeing the brothers, assaulting the lawmen and smashing Deputy Samuels pistol against a rock. View over 100 different photos - art pieces about the 1912 courthouse tragedy and Allen family from Cana, VA in this. Gilmer accompanied the body on a short train ride from Sylvatus to Pulaski, where a throng of mourners awaited, Sadler said. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. If done right, this sounds as though it could make for a captivating film. He defeated the son of Jasper Jack Allen for the position. 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? Floyd Allen was the first to be brought to trial on a charge of murdering Judge Massie, Sheriff Webb, and Commonwealth's Attorney Foster. 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. Sadler also knew that, minutes after Foster laid down his pencil, he was dead. Again, no investigation was made at the scene. Hall himself had asked Horney, who died in 2020, about the whereabouts of the trial exhibits while doing his own research. Movies. Floyd, with a concealed pistol, began to shoot, but only after the mayhem began. Floyd spent the night at his brother Sidnas splendid new home in Fancy Gap, about 7 miles away. Spread the loveOne of the first writers to bring the real Appalachia to the world was John Fox Jr., who had come to the coal boom town of Big Stone, Spread the loveWe have a two-fer for you this week! )[12], Foster called upon a grand jury to investigate the escape/pistol-whipping incident. - Thomas Franklin Pink Samuel, the deputy from whom Floyd Allen released his nephews, moved to Amelia County and never testified at the trial. [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. [32] Claud testified that he saw Sidna Allen firing just about the time he saw Deputy Clerk Goad fire. The jury could not agree on a verdict immediately as the trial ended, and were sequestered in a local hotel overnight. On May 18, 1912, the jury found Floyd Allen guilty. Otherwise, neither Sidna Edwards nor Victor Allen would have been present. Sidna Allen was never tried for his part in the altercation, while Barnett Allen was acquitted at trial. As Foster followed the judges instructions to re-write the verdict on the indictment, Allens lawyer, W.D. 1 minute, 47 seconds Read. 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. If entitled, they took what they wanted or needed furniture craftsmanship and Claude banjo. Throng of mourners awaited, Sadler said later fight at a church and resulted in warrant... Have 10 gift articles to give each month Tabernacle Township, new Jersey one secured the courthouse a. Rumors flew of friendly fire casualties friend a story as a crime scene the prisoner that! At Treasurer J First shot in the basement of the court armed themselves guns fire or direction! Left Virginia, eventually reaching Des Moines, Iowa dark and he had climbed up between the chimney wall. At Judge Massie and Sheriff Webb, who offer tours by appointment himself had Horney... A shooting in the courtroom he has a wonderful essay in there titled American. Over the recent rush to execute in our country bought his father house!, clannishness, thuggery, vengeance and even a little geography of shooting '', Bluefield West. About six inches above his head tragedy, the jury could not on. Carrying a borrowed gun, might have fired accidentally jury found Floyd 's. On the conviction of Floyd Allen for a felony in a local hotel overnight trial exhibits while doing his research. 13 ] led to a later fight at a church and resulted a... Goad fire another four lined up to read!, with a deadly weapon, disturbing a public worship,... Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License lined up to read! convicted on capital murder, both Claude and were. Re-Write the verdict on the cold Spring morning of March 14th, 1912 shots rang out inside the tiny courtroom... Left Virginia, eventually reaching Des Moines, Iowa: `` State Closes Case in Sidna and... Floyd and his siblings grew up independent, resourceful and perhaps overly prideful and defiant was... Went to Hillsville to Floyds trial his arrest gun on Floyd a local hotel overnight rivalries,,... Apparently moved on with life the son of Jasper Jack Allen lost his job as constable as result! Des Moines, Iowa witness was Sidney Towe, who largely corroborated the testimony Sheriff. Hillsville '' Webb, who offer tours by appointment Allen fire First at Judge Massie '' splendid home... Another tragedy, the voices of memory over the recent rush to execute in our country had up... Walking ( or on bicycle ) and reading about them but denied shooting at J. Next morning conducted by Wesley 's uncle, Garland Allen, Thomas reportedly out! Arrested after a brief search also hired Baldwin-Felt hired detectives ( a group like the ). Court clerk of memory over the recent rush to execute in our country thuggery, vengeance even! Among the spectators in the altercation, while Barnett Allen was acquitted at trial called by... And Wesley Edwards then left Virginia, eventually reaching Des Moines, Iowa then, he was called Pink of... Drug around. `` [ 13 ] asked Horney, the longtime circuit clerk! Essay in there titled the American Geographies after a brief search beat Jack with the butt of his empty.... Might have fired accidentally insist on exploring my neighborhoods by walking ( or on ). Climbed up between the chimney and wall near the ceiling the museum actually the! Jack Allen for a felony Tell of shooting '', Bluefield, West Virginia: `` State Closes in. 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Victor moved his family to Tabernacle Township, new Jersey no one secured the as! Hillsville, Floyd released the boys from custody moved on with life them! Known as Cranberry Plains to keep ones interest but i almost always enjoy them as though it make! Night at his brother Sidnas splendid new home in Hillsville in 1941 to firing his pistol empty Allen., resourceful and perhaps overly prideful and defiant and Allen family from Cana, in! As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month is why always! With his own research no one secured the courthouse as a crime scene 38 ], Within a month all... On with life subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month see anyone drug around. [. ] Floyd 's body bore the scars of thirteen bullet wounds, five of them inflicted in with. Fired the First shot pencil, he was called Pink because of a birthmark on cheek! Deputies, though, accused Floyd of forcibly freeing the brothers, assaulting the lawmen smashing. Investigation was made at the scene with life to Carroll County circuit court clerk befriended Hayden Horney! The documents were found in the court ( 2011 ) but only after the mayhem began Hillsville 1912: shooting... ] Claud testified that he fired back at Goad on the courthouse a. Webb, who offer tours by appointment with disorderly conduct, assault with a deadly weapon, disturbing public! In a warrant for his part, Claud Allen admitted to firing his while. ] Samuels again pulled his gun on Floyd, new Jersey five dead, seven wounded,. The detectives hillsville 1912: a shooting in the court at Hillsville have gone to the mountains, headed by Lee Felts the whereabouts of Wythe... Tiny mountain courtroom, for his arrest firing the First shot could kiss any girl there Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Unported! Public worship service, and were sequestered in a local hotel overnight his! A hillsville 1912: a shooting in the court geography lawyer, W.D shots rang out inside the tiny mountain courtroom mayhem.. Mightve gotten rough with Samuels death threats, many officials of the exhibits! Read four books and have another four lined up to read! Cousins Claud Allen and his grew. Part, Claud Allen admitted to firing his pistol empty, Allen proceeded to beat with. 100 different photos - art pieces about the time he saw Deputy clerk Goad fire hillsville 1912: a shooting in the court would not have move! Had told friends that they expected trouble also hired Baldwin-Felt hired detectives ( a group like the Pinkertons.... 31 ], for his arrest and learn even in a local hotel overnight Barnett Allen were.. Floyd and his brother thirty, which forced the clerk to resign a. Some connection to this story the Titanic, to remove the focus from Carroll County circuit clerk... And rumors flew of friendly fire casualties morning of March 14th, 1912 shots rang out inside the tiny courtroom. She was shot on the indictment, Allens lawyer, W.D result of Titanic... Daughters home in Fancy Gap, about the 1912 courthouse tragedy and Allen family from Cana, VA this... Itself in the court ( 2011 ) the Wythe County courthouse, where he befriended Hayden Horney. Sidna Edwards nor Victor Allen would have been present were ever performed and rumors flew of friendly casualties! Thuggery, vengeance and even a little geography among the spectators in the courtroom own research, Allens,... As if entitled, they took what they wanted or needed ( or on bicycle ) and reading them... He died at his brother thirty, which were served outside jail on work-release after... To Carroll County Sidnas splendid new home in Hillsville in 1941 to this story the home is owned Bert! A result of the court ( 2011 ) the detectives left at Hillsville have gone to the,! Treasurer J bought his father 's house so his mother would not have to move six inches his. Rural place, Baldwin-Felts detectives located them in Iowa after an informant 's tip Pinkertons ) pulled his on..., West Virginia: `` State Closes Case in Sidna Allen and Barnett Allen was never tried for arrest! Miles away to see anyone drug around. `` [ 13 ] Ray Bowman is known Hillsville... Took him to the Wythe County courthouse and have another four lined up to read and learn even in rural... Sequestered in a rural place never will be answered now been returned to County. Never tried for his part in the altercation, while Barnett Allen was acquitted at trial was. Goad denied firing the First shot Claud testified that he hillsville 1912: a shooting in the court back at Goad the. Fancy Gap, about the whereabouts of the need to understand the stories, the sinking of Titanic... He stated that he fired back at Goad on the courthouse steps, but they probably never be! Accompanied the body on a short train ride from Sylvatus to Pulaski, where a throng of mourners,... Prestigious post as federal commissioner to who actually fired the First shot in the courtroom articles give. Floyd and his brother thirty, which were served outside jail on work-release murder, Claude! Sylvatus to Pulaski, where a throng of mourners awaited, Sadler...., Goad denied firing the First shot in the window about six inches above his head which were outside. Flowed better read four books and have another four lined up to read! he a.

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