Thousands of people wrote letters to Gov. The police of 1912 were not exactly professional. [1], Governor Mann immediately called on the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency to find those responsible for the shootings and arrest them. [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. 11217 Sidna Edwards, No. He worked for the Edison Lighting Company. 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. Barely one year after the courthouse shootout, Floyd Allen and his son Claude were executed minutes apart at the Virginia State Penitentiary in Richmond. - In 1912, the Carroll County courtroom was some 20 feet shorter than it is today. View Map and Driving Directions Phone: (276) 728-2594 I find myself more and more drawn to history. Floyd admitted that he mightve gotten rough with Samuels. Floyd Allen's son, Victor, bought his father's house so his mother would not have to move. In the case of J. Sidna Allen, one of Massies relatives complained that the raw bacon that was seized needed to be sold before it spoiled. Hall himself had asked Horney, who died in 2020, about the whereabouts of the trial exhibits while doing his own research. The courtroom buzzed. Watch popular content from the following creators: RealAppalachia(@realappalachia), KK(@hillsvillehillbilly), Simon(@simonogrinc), Deitrich Cribbs(@big_tipper), VIVI SHARMA(@srvsharma81) . The museum has extensive archive and reference materials in its resource section, as well as exhibits and artifacts that reflect the heritage of Carroll County. [1] Sentenced by the jury to an hour in jail and a $100 fine, plus costs, Allen immediately posted bail pending an appeal. Find out where you can buy, rent, or subscribe to a streaming service to watch it live or on-demand. You can also see some of Sidna Allens furniture craftsmanship and Claude Allens banjo on exhibit in the museum. Floyd said he did it peacefully and lawfully, claiming that the deputies did not have proper warrants for arrest. Carroll County Clerk of the Circuit Court Gerald Goad sits behind the drawer that holds long-lost documents from the murder trials that followed the infamous "Courthouse Massacre" in 1912. He also wrote that as the judge lay dying, he told his young protg, Tell my brother Robert to take care of my family.. Atop a shelf, he saw what looked like a drawer among the boxes. No autopsies were ever performed and rumors flew of friendly fire casualties. 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. Harry F. Byrd Sr. in the 1920s. But the governor refused. At least two of the participants, Judge Massie and Sheriff Webb, had told friends that they expected trouble. As the smoke cleared the sheriff, judge, and the common wealth attorney all lay dead. Hall has done an outstanding job researching this subjectt. Although some stories say she didnt know she was shot and some say she said I am killed, no documentation exists to confirm either. The Allens were a notorious family from Carroll County, Virginia, who . Petty also witnessed a pistol duel between Sidna Allen and Deputy Clerk Dexter Goad. After all, he agreed hed have the boys in court? Sidna Allen and Claud Allen stood on benches in the courtroom's northeast corner to see over the crowd. [6], Despite their history of violence, the Allens held considerable political power, and Allen had a reputation for courage. Wow. He apparently also hopes that the early hour will serve to dampen the spirits of the Allens. There were, however, nearly 20 Allen men among the spectators in the courtroom. Samuels' departure forced Commonwealth's Attorney William M. Foster to rely on testimony from Deputy Easter. Sadler knew that tragic story, and he understood his familys connection to it. On May 18, 1912, the jury found Floyd Allen guilty. Sadler looked at Fosters cursive handwriting of Floyd Allens conviction and understood the documents gravity. Burden "Byrd" Marion, a cousin and neighbor, had all charges against him dropped. Not only the sheriff and deputies, but Goad and Foster. [11][10][40][41] A dispute arose between McGraw and Jack Allen about the Hillsville tragedy; during the confrontation McGraw drew a gun and shot Allen twice, killing him on the spot. [2] In May 1889, Floyd's brothers, Garland and Sidna Allen, were tried for carrying concealed pistols and assaulting a group of thirteen men. In March 1912, there was a shooting at the Carroll County, Courthouse in Hillsville, Virginia. It was a huge goal to get this back in Carroll. 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. [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. Interest in the story never wanes, even though, as the historian Hall said, weve about beaten the thing to death.. Who shot whom? 1 minute, 47 seconds Read. A handsome man who sported a whisk-broom of a mustache and carried a comb and toothbrush in his jacket pocket, Floyd frequently found himself in political squabbles with the county establishment, which he saw personified in clerk of court Dexter Goad, commonwealths attorney William Foster and leaders of the sheriffs department. Eventually, Carroll County deputies Thomas Pink Samuels and Peter Easter nabbed the brothers in North Carolina, shackled them and loaded them on a wagon for the long ride up the mountain, passing by Sidna Allens home and store in Fancy Gap where they were met by none other than a hot-tempered Floyd Allen, who was angered that his kinfolk were hog-tied in a wagon like livestock being carted to market. 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." Perhaps the hardest thing for an outsider to understand is the frequently heard claim that the subject is dead. Accounts differ as to who actually fired the first shot. [26] Gilmer testified he heard two shots in quick succession, after which there was a slight interval and then a great volley of firing. 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. 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. Much of the information was gleaned from Halls book, The Carroll County Courthouse Tragedy, and other sources. Sidna Edwards pleaded guilty in August 1912 to second-degree murder, and was sentenced to 15 years in the penitentiary. 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]. If done right, this sounds as though it could make for a captivating film. A fight ensued and Floyd beat Samuels with his own pistol. 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. The jury set his sentence at one year. PARROW'S TRIAL POSTPONED Chicago Lawyer Will Not Appear Be fore Jan. 6. The Hillsville Courthouse Massacre of 1912. 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 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. 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. [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. Floyd Allen was the first to be brought to trial on a charge of murdering Judge Massie, Sheriff Webb, and Commonwealth's Attorney Foster. The announcement of. [11] On the way to the courthouse, the buggy passed by several properties owned by the Allens. The ex On the cold Spring morning of March 14th, 1912 shots rang out inside the tiny mountain courtroom. Maybe so, but people just keep coming back to this story. [citation needed]. . One local historian interviewed by Williamson for The Roanoker magazine in 1982 stated unequivocally that Claude Allen, Floyds son, fired first. Perhaps to get even, Goad charged Allen with falsifying expense reports when he worked as a county deputy. 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. Hillsville Diner. He also pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the shooting of Sheriff Webb, and was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. He only picked up Victors gun when he left it in the hotel room on the morning of March 14th. V. Ray Bowman, Self: Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court. Hillsville Courthouse. In some ways, the county never recovered from that day. Floyd stood up, his hands fidgeting with the bottom of his sweater, and he spoke his defiant words. Howard Gilmer had traveled to Hillsville with Massie because he had a case pending in court. Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court 7,494 views Jan 8, 2011 42 Dislike Share Save Bill Perrine 320 subscribers A brief trailer for the upcoming documentary about the 1912 Hillsville. You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, IHeart Radio or on your favorite podcast app. Friel Allen sat in the back of the room, and the Edwards boys stood on benches next to the north wall. They were arrested by Caleb Haynes and Oscar Monday of the Mount Airy police department and brought to the state line. - Lewis Franklin Webb, the County Sheriff killed in the Courthouse Tragedy, had just taken office in January of 1912, but had been a deputy numerous times. 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. Supposedly, Andy Griffins father would take him up there when he was a boy (it was about 25 miles from Mt. [4][2] Sidna promptly appealed and won a new trial on the perjury charge. Its small enough for that to be possible I suspect. Howard Gilmer testified during the subsequent murder trials about the judges fatal bullet wound. Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court; Videos; The Holstein Dilemma. Sadlers research took him to the Wythe County Courthouse, where he befriended Hayden H. Horney, the longtime circuit court clerk. The Carroll County Historical Society, INC. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Floyd had been seriously wounded. Allen also had political run-ins with Foster, who switched parties from Democrat to Republican in order to defeat an Allen relative for the prosecutors post. Now, the manner by which he freed them depended on who was telling the story. 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 Hillsville Massacre By Seth Williamson Nobody knows who fired the first shot that cold, gray day, but before it was over, four lay dead, one was dying, and Carroll County would never be the same again. 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! Allen and several members of his family immediately fled the courtroom but were later captured and convicted of murder. Or the Clerk of Court Dexter Goad, who seems to have first pulled a gun? [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. 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. [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. Otherwise, neither Sidna Edwards nor Victor Allen would have been present. [6] Governor Mann refused a request to commute the death sentences to life imprisonment, and Floyd Allen was electrocuted on March 28, 1913, at 1:20PM. A stolen kiss. View over 100 different photos - art pieces about the 1912 courthouse tragedy and Allen family from Cana, VA in this. Sidna Allen received a 35-year prison sentence, his nephews Wesley and Sidna Edwards and Friel Allen got lesser sentences. [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. - Arresting officer Oscar Monday was the step-brother of the Edwards brothers. Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court, is a documentary feature concerning the Carroll County Courthouse shootings that occurred in Hillsville, Virginia. 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. Ive already read four books and have another four lined up to read!. A witness later testified that Floyd Allen had remarked that he "would not let any man talk to me that way."[14]. But a year later the Hillsvile courthouse tragedy occurred and Sidna and his wife had only lived there a year. When it was over the judge and the sheriff laid dead. On March 14, 1912, the Floyd Allen Clan carried out one of the most brutal attacks in Appalachian history. The house back in 1911 was worth 13,000.00 and was said to be the most beautiful house in South-West Virginia. [4] At the next term of court, Allen produced an order of clemency from Governor Andrew J. Montague suspending the jail sentence. The next witness was Sidney Towe, who largely corroborated the testimony of Sheriff Edwards. I enjoy learning about local history. He was shot dead in the courtroom.. This sort of isolation probably meant that Floyd and his siblings grew up independent, resourceful and perhaps overly prideful and defiant. Sheriff and Commonwealth's Attorney dead, court serious. After getting down the steps he leaned against the window of his office when two girls, Dora and Elizabeth Ayers, passed him. "There were five people murdered. Doing so, the opening details could easily be incorporated into the larger narrative. There was a massive effort for the governor to commute the sentences of Claude and Floyd, including a petition with over 100,000 signatures. Elizabeth Ayers, a 19-year-old subpoenaed witness who had testified against Floyd Allen, was shot in the back while trying to leave the courtroom, and died at home the next day. Upon conviction of interfering with an officer of the law, Judge Thornton Massie oversaw the jury's imposed sentence of one year imprisonment. [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. Rough with Samuels Sidna and his wife had only lived there a.... 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