The play was still occasionally performed before the pandemic. Sidna Allen received a 35-year prison sentence, his nephews Wesley and Sidna Edwards and Friel Allen got lesser sentences. Even the accused, Floyd Allen, carried a pistol. [34] Sidna Allen claimed that when he left the courthouse, Goad followed behind him, shooting him through the left arm, the bullet lodging in his left side. 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. All men were pardoned by Gov. The jury could not agree on a verdict immediately as the trial ended, and were sequestered in a local hotel overnight. Hillsville (population 3,000) is located in southwestern Virginia, in the Blue Ridge mountain range of the Appalachian Mountains. Convicted on capital murder, both Claude and Floyd were sentenced to death. Allen and several members of his family immediately fled the courtroom but were later captured and convicted of murder. [21] - William Fosters daughter, Aline, married George Ellison Bud Edwards in 1917. The play, which is. 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 police of 1912 were not exactly professional. - William McDonald Foster, Commonwealths Attorney in 1912, had been a Democrat but turned Republican when he ran for the post. [23], Another prosecution witness was Floyd Allen's other attorney, Walter S. Tipton. 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. That verdict, those words uttered by a jury foreman and re-written by Foster, were what prompted the freshly convicted the defiant Allen to stand up and pronounce, Gentlemen, I just aint a-goin, or words to that effect, right before the courtroom filled with smoke and lead. Otherwise, neither Sidna Edwards nor Victor Allen would have been present. The Holstein Dilemma Trailer; The Holstein Dilemma Preview; The Holstein Dilemma Director's Cut DVD; Screening Dates and Locations; Electronic Press Kit; agriCulture Podcast; About Us. A jury foremans handwritten verdict in blotchy ink condemns Claude Allen to death. Interesting, the real Mayberry is along the Blue Ridge, in Patrick County, but just east of Carroll County. The Hillsville Courthouse Massacre of 1912. 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. Movies. - Thomas Franklin Pink Samuel, the deputy from whom Floyd Allen released his nephews, moved to Amelia County and never testified at the trial. When it was over the judge and the sheriff laid dead. Alex Murdaugh listens to Dr. Paul McManigal's testimony during Murdaugh's trial for murder at the Colleton County Courthouse on Tuesday, February 28, 2023. As the smoke cleared the sheriff, judge, and the common wealth attorney all lay dead. Maybe he didnt want anybody else rifling through those things, Hall said. [2] Deputy Samuels pulled a gun (later determined to be inoperative) and ordered Floyd to move away, and Floyd rode back past the buggy to Sidna's store where he then blocked the narrow road with his mare. 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. Follow Us. This film is currently in development. Like this one, I often find they could have used some rearranging to keep ones interest but I almost always enjoy them. [29] He testified that one of the girls pointed out some of the Allens leaving the courthouse, when Sidna Allen came toward him, pointed his pistol at him, and fired. The Carroll County prosecutor placed liens on all property owned by Floyd Allen and Sidna Allen for the heirs of the victims. Sidna Allen and Claud Allen stood on benches in the courtroom's northeast corner to see over the crowd. 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.. [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. Contact him at ralph.berrier@gmail.com. [20], Sidna Allen denied that he shot Judge Massie, or that he fired at Commonwealth's Attorney Foster, Sheriff Webb, or at Juror Fowler. Upon conviction of interfering with an officer of the law, Judge Thornton Massie oversaw the jurys imposed sentence of one year imprisonment. To see this handwritten verdict, I knew it was the Holy Grail and Exhibit One in the commonwealths case against Floyd Allen, Sadler said. He asked her if she was hurt or mashed and her sister-in-law responded that she was just scared. [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. The girl he chose to kiss led to a later fight at a church and resulted in a warrant for his arrest. shot up the Carroll county court at Hillsville last March, resulting in the death of five persons, was found guilty of murder in the Second degree for the killing of Judge Thornton L. Mas sie. Was Clerk of Carroll County Circuit Court During the Famous Allen Trial. But a year later the Hillsvile courthouse tragedy occurred and Sidna and his wife had only lived there a year. As historian Ron Hall wrote in his book: And for a moment, the world stopped.. 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. Brothers Wesley and Sidna Edwards (not to be confused with their uncle, Sidna Allen, Floyds brother), attended a corn-shucking party, a country frolic where folks played music, drank liquor on the side and, yes, shucked corn. Bowman grew up in Hillsville, VA where the county seat is located, and has nurtured a life-long fascination with this story. Floyd Allen jury member, John W. Farris, remarked that they wouldnt be back until they were brought back. Seems like everybody from Carroll County has some connection to this story. The following two tabs change content below. B. 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. He apparently also hopes that the early hour will serve to dampen the spirits of the Allens. "You have no idea how much it means to me for you to be here today. View over 100 different photos - art pieces about the 1912 courthouse tragedy and Allen family from Cana, VA in this. Mob violence, the court. The Carroll County Historical Society, INC. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. And then, he apparently moved on with life. The detectives left at Hillsville have gone to the mountains, headed by Lee Felts. SHREDDED WHEAT RECIPIES - CIRCA 1933 Booklet~Advertising | Collectibles, Advertising, Food & Beverage | eBay! The house back in 1911 was worth 13,000.00 and was said to be the most beautiful house in South-West Virginia. 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. Just a Presbyterian Church and a store. In 1912 a Carroll County, Virginia, man was sentenced to serve a one year sentence in the state penitentiary. On March 14, 1912, Floyd stood in the Hillsville, Va. courthouse, convicted of interfering with police business and assaulting a deputy sheriff. I like how youre reading books about where you live. 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. . Sadler pored over available documents from the murder trials, but he lamented that many original 1912 exhibits were lost. Much of the information was gleaned from Halls book, The Carroll County Courthouse Tragedy, and other sources. The presentation will be held Sunday, March 12 at 2 p.m. at the Historic Carroll County Courthouse and will be led by Blacksburg . Most significantly, Sadler knew that he was reading a document that had been missing for more than 100 years. After those five shots, he dropped to his knees and reloaded his revolver. But the storys roots go further back and involve politics, rivalries, clannishness, thuggery, vengeance and even a little geography. 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. 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. Foster married Katherine Tipton in 1894 and had 5 children by 1912. 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. 10995 Wesley Edwards, No. Many of Allen clan members were spectators in the courtroom, most of them armed with pistols. Bake . With the entry of the United States into World. The answer would soon become obvious. Preserve America is a federal initiative that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve and enjoy our priceless cultural and natural heritage. Floyd? Howard, I believe thats what youve been looking for, Horney said. [8] On February 1, 1908, the Allens were convicted of the charge and sentenced to ten days in jail and a fine of $10. As the smoke cleared the sheriff, judge, and the common wealth attorney all lay dead. M arch 14, 1912, arrives just as badly as the day before. We depend entirely on donations. I like that youre reading up on your new home. Allen was noted for his generosity, but also his quick temper and easily injured pride. In the second, a husband, Spread the loveOne hundred five years ago this month opposition against the draft was coming to a boil, including in Appalachia. [13], The rumor that the Allens were intimidating witnesses was called to the attention of the court. Then he found the original Floyd Allen indictment that bore William Fosters final written words. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court at Amazon.com. - Arresting officer Oscar Monday was the step-brother of the Edwards brothers. [34] Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards then left Virginia, eventually reaching Des Moines, Iowa. Floyd Allen was born in 1856 and spent much of his life living in Cana, Virginia, located below Fancy Gap Mountain in Carroll County. [33] He denied firing a gun during the courthouse shootings, and stated that he did not see who fired the first shot, but thought that it came from the vicinity of Deputy Clerk Goad's desk. Floyd even paid their bail. Thousands of people wrote letters to Gov. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Not knowing all the details, I wasnt sure what to do with this information. Who fired their pistol first? The judge refused. Who shot whom? To be honest, nothing in the more than 180 pages of court papers adds any new information to the well-researched story of the shootout and its equally tragic aftermath. . 10994 Hillsville Masscre Sidna Allen, No. PARROW'S TRIAL POSTPONED Chicago Lawyer Will Not Appear Be fore Jan. 6. No one secured the courthouse as a crime scene. Friel settled in Inglewood, CA where he married twice, but never had any children. "There were five people murdered. [2] Wesley Edwards tried to grapple with Easter, but Easter got away and fired a shot at Floyd as he did so, wounding Floyd in the finger. The next witness was Sidney Towe, who largely corroborated the testimony of Sheriff Edwards. Two months after the shootout, Floyd Allen was convicted in Wytheville of killing Foster, the commonwealths attorney. His brother, Sidna? Otherwise, he would not have been armed. "Accuses Dexter Goad of Shooting Betty Ayers". Howard Gilmer had traveled to Hillsville with Massie because he had a case pending in court. On the cold Spring morning of March 14th, 1912 shots rang out inside the tiny mountain courtroom. A second shot entered the back about four inches lower, while a third shot cut the sheriff across the chin. I bet there are lots of tales about Rochester, NY and the surrounding area that would make good reads as well. 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. 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. The prosecutor's case was based on the formation of a conspiracy by the Allens to kill the trial judge, local law enforcement, and others who had wronged them in the event of a guilty verdict. 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. The discovered papers do little to shed new light in the darkended corners of the tragedy. Its cool you found such an interesting tale based in your area. It also hired Baldwin-Felt hired detectives (a group like the Pinkertons). - After the shootout ended, people in Hillsville were afraid the Allen family would come back into town and kill everyone in sight. Was it Floyds son Claude? 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. - 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. Maybe the county leaders didnt want to find errant bullets from their own guns in the bodies of the dead, some county residents whispered. In 2015 or so, Sadler also found a .38 caliber bullet among the keepsakes. Floyd Allen was the first to be brought to trial on a charge of murdering Judge Massie, Sheriff Webb, and Commonwealth's Attorney Foster. Late in the day March 13, the jury had not reached a verdict, so Judge Massie sent them to the nearby Thornton Hotel for the night. One can wonder if that was a sign that she blamed her husband for the tragic calamity that befell the family. Hall himself had asked Horney, who died in 2020, about the whereabouts of the trial exhibits while doing his own research. COOPERSTOWN NEW YORK POSTCARD~Orphanage Building/House~Cart 1911 (#185750574261) l***n (1544) - Feedback left by buyer l***n (1544). Massie had been urged by Foster and Goad to disarm the throng before the trail began. On 13 March 1912, in the Carroll County Circuit Court, . At the 2020 census the population was 186247.5 Located in the 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. Democratic Governor Elbert Lee Trinkle pardoned Friel Allen and Sidna Edwards in 1922. The home is owned by Bert and Marlene Widener, who offer tours by appointment. - Claude Allen did not take a gun when he went to Hillsville To Floyds trial. 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? After all, he agreed hed have the boys in court? Such stories as you mention, deserve being told. The Allen clan believed that Goad shot first. He was shot dead in the courtroom.. [4] Sidna was retried and found guilty of perjury in his trial testimony, and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. After close to a year of delays, Floyd was finally brought to trial on March 13, 1912. Join in supporting in-depth journalism for Southwest and Southside Virginia. Take care, my friend! Floyd stood up, his hands fidgeting with the bottom of his sweater, and he spoke his defiant words. However, once the story began, it flowed better. Floyd freed his nephews and took them himself to the Hillsville jail two days later. [38], Victor Allen and Barnett Allen were acquitted. Newport News nuprt - -prt -6 is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. 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. Sidna Allen was never tried for his part in the altercation, while Barnett Allen was acquitted at trial. 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. 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. 1 minute, 47 seconds Read. 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. The ex On the cold Spring morning of March 14th, 1912 shots rang out inside the tiny mountain courtroom. Eleven minutes later, his son, Claud, followed his father to death in the electric chair. 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. One bullet entered the back and ranged upward, lodging directly under the collarbone. [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. [citation needed], Cousins Claud Allen and Sidna Edwards were soon arrested after a brief search. Perhaps the hardest thing for an outsider to understand is the frequently heard claim that the subject is dead. The Allens were a notorious family from Carroll County, Virginia, who . On the cold spring morning of March 14th, 1912, shots rang out in the tiny rural mountain town of Hillsville, Virginia. - In 1912, the Carroll County courtroom was some 20 feet shorter than it is today. Attorney Howard C. Gilmer, of Pulaski, Virginia, was at Hillsville Courthouse in a room adjoining Judge Massie's courtroom when the shooting broke out. This is the actual foundation of all of the story, said Goad, whose own great-great-uncle, Dexter Goad, was a Carroll clerk of court who traded bullets with the Allens on that tragic day. 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 the smoke cleared the sheriff, judge, and the common wealth attorney all lay dead. Allen and Goad had butted heads before. As Sadler studied his grandmothers old scrapbooks, he found a copy of a letter that he had written to state legislators nearly 20 years after the shootout. The remaining prisoners received pardons (from a different governor) in the 1920s. 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. - Old timers said that when Wesley kissed the McCraw girl at the cornshucking, it wasnt out of affection for her, it was to irritate her boyfriend, John William Thomas. And forensic science was almost non-existent, at least in rural areas. Elbert Lee Trinkle and Gov. -- Sidna Allen, leader of the Allen clan, which shot up the Carroll County Court at Hillsville last March, causing the death of five person, was to-day found guilty of . There were, however, nearly 20 Allen men among the spectators in the courtroom. Charges eventually were dropped against Sidna and Barnett before the trial.). Published in the SW VA Enterprise, Wytheville, Virginia Tuesday, July 4, 1939. They were arrested by Caleb Haynes and Oscar Monday of the Mount Airy police department and brought to the state line. Horney told Sadler he decided to take one more look in the basement for the lost documents, moving more than 700 boxes. [4], Judge Robert C. Jackson, an attorney in Roanoke and Judge Thornton Massie's predecessor in the Carroll County courtroom, stated that, "Floyd Allen was perhaps the worst man of the clan overbearing, vindictive, high tempered, brutal, with no respect for law and little or no regard for human life. Upon conviction of interfering with an officer of the law, Judge Thornton Massie oversaw the jury's imposed sentence of one year imprisonment. Soon afterwards, folks dug bullets buried in the walls as souvenirs. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. 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. [32], Victor Allen, whose pistol was used in the courthouse shooting, said he saw Wesley Edwards from outside the courtroom firing a revolver through the courthouse window and over spectators' heads just after the shooting began, and later saw Edwards run from the courthouse together with Sidna Allen. [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. Wesley, the story goes, shucked a red ear of corn and proceeded to kiss the girlfriend of a Thomas boy who he did not like. 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. So, in late 1910 when two of Floyd Allens nephews got in a little trouble with the law, the consequences would be deadly. Past month; Great transaction. An Allen or a member of the court? See details- ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK - HILLSVILLE 1912: A SHOOTING IN THE COURT: A FAMILY BECAME Buy It Now Add to cart Watch Sold bymoviemars (2843836)97.1% Positive feedbackContact seller About this product Product Identifiers Record Label CD Baby UPC 0884501678674 eBay Product ID (ePID) 28046038825 Product Key Features Artist Conner & Miller Format Sadler also knew that, minutes after Foster laid down his pencil, he was dead. [18], Seven others were wounded, including Deputy Clerk Goad and Floyd Allen. . The animosity derived from a feud between Thomas father, George W. Thomas, and Floyd Allen. On the morning of March 14, 1912, Mr. Floyd Allen stood in the Carroll County courtroom to hear the verdict of his peers. No autopsies were ever performed and rumors flew of friendly fire casualties. 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