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. October 2, 2022. Then he found the original Floyd Allen indictment that bore William Fosters final written words. In 2015 or so, Sadler also found a .38 caliber bullet among the keepsakes. Preserving and Presenting the History of the County of Carroll, Commonwealth of Virginia. V. Ray Bowman, Self: Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court. 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. And forensic science was almost non-existent, at least in rural areas. Past month; Great transaction. [26] Though wounded by four bullets himself, Goad recovered. Perhaps the hardest thing for an outsider to understand is the frequently heard claim that the subject is dead. Judge Massie, Sheriff Webb, Commonwealth's Attorney Foster, and the jury foreman (Augustus C. Fowler), were all hit and died of their wounds sustained in the crossfire. V. Ray Bowman is known for Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court (2011). The detectives left at Hillsville have gone to the mountains, headed by Lee Felts. The remaining prisoners received pardons (from a different governor) in the 1920s. Sidna Allen maintained until the end of his life that this informant was Maude Iroller, Wesley's fiancee, who provided information on the fugitives' location in exchange for $500 from the detective agency. Wesley was sentenced to sixty days and his brother thirty, which were served outside jail on work-release. [27] Years later, an allegation surfaced that Deputy Clerk H.C. Quesinberry had confessed on his deathbed to starting the shooting; two men swore an affidavit to that effect in 1967 (for which each man was reportedly paid $25). Two months after the shootout, Floyd Allen was convicted in Wytheville of killing Foster, the commonwealths attorney. Check your inbox now to confirm your subscription. When all the smoke cleared, there were five dead, seven wounded. [4] His defense team included former Commonwealth's Attorney Walter Tipton and recent County Court Judge Oglesby. Floyd Allen was well represented by a two-attorney team. He told Sheriff Lewis Webb to take the prisoner. The end result was three people deadthe judge, the Commonwealth Attorney and the sheriff. A fight ensued and Floyd beat Samuels with his own pistol. [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. Who fired their pistol first? (Walter Allen had lost the bitterly fought race. It sounded like Mayberry, but only for a moment! To this day, 110 years later, nobody who has studied this notorious event can say with any assurance who fired that catastrophic first shot. Floyd Allen jury member, John W. Farris, remarked that they wouldnt be back until they were brought back. You can also see some of Sidna Allens furniture craftsmanship and Claude Allens banjo on exhibit in the museum. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Friel Allen sat in the back of the room, and the Edwards boys stood on benches next to the north wall. The historical society has raised thousands of dollars and conducted much-needed remodeling work in order to resume free tours, with the next public opening happening June 4-5. Allen rose to his feet and calmly said, "Gentlemen, I ain't goin'." During the initial manhunt, several posses of detectives and local deputies searched the surrounding countryside. The house back in 1911 was worth 13,000.00 and was said to be the most beautiful house in South-West Virginia. Ninety seconds later, 57 bullets had been fired. 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. B. I enjoy learning about local history. Five people died and seven were wounded in the gun battle that followed. At a church service the next morning conducted by Wesley's uncle, Garland Allen, Thomas reportedly called out Wesley into a fight. 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. - Carroll law officers did not cross into North Carolina to arrest the Edwards brothers as has long been claimed. At least two of the participants, Judge Massie and Sheriff Webb, had told friends that they expected trouble. [citation needed]. Movies. - Floyd Allen was tried in 1903 for shooting his first cousin, Noah Combs, and was sentenced to spend 1 hour in jail and pay a fine. - Arresting officer Oscar Monday was the step-brother of the Edwards brothers. It is the county seat of Carroll County and the only incorporated community in the county. "The Courthouse Massacre? 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. Much of the information was gleaned from Halls book, The Carroll County Courthouse Tragedy, and other sources. There are even questions as to what happened here. The answer would soon become obvious. 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. The author also hints there were issues between the Democratic Allens and the Republicans who made up much of the courthouse crowd. If thats the case, those against the Allens saw a way to get back at them. 23 school districts remove challenged books from library shelves; more . [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. As the smoke cleared the sheriff, judge, and the common wealth attorney all lay dead. - After the shootout ended, people in Hillsville were afraid the Allen family would come back into town and kill everyone in sight. [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. 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. 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. [2] Both Allen and his brother Sidna held legal licenses for the production of alcohol. 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. Some of the detectives bragged about how many miners theyd killed. [1], Governor Mann immediately called on the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency to find those responsible for the shootings and arrest them. We are the court of record. Allen later denied this, but the reported threat caused Samuels to leave the state the same night it was delivered. Neither died, but Jack had a silver plate in his head until he died. actually, theres a lot to read and learn even in a rural place. Hall himself had asked Horney, who died in 2020, about the whereabouts of the trial exhibits while doing his own research. Friel Allen gave himself up to detectives in the company of his father, Jack Allen, who worried his son might be killed while being apprehended. 10995 Wesley Edwards, No. 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. 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. [21] Floyd Allen was going to trial. Two of whom, Sidna and his nephew Wesley, in Des Moines, Iowa where they were starting a new life. Or the Clerk of Court Dexter Goad, who seems to have first pulled a gun? "[16] The judge immediately sentenced Floyd Allen to one year's imprisonment.[16]. This is another book that Ive read in order to learn about my new locale. [8], In 1910, Sidna Allen was tried in the United States court at Greensboro, North Carolina for making twenty-dollar counterfeit coins. We dont sell ads, or block you with a paywall. Contents 1 Early life and activities 2 Arrest of the Edwards brothers 3 Indictment 4 Trial and shooting 5 Manhunt As the smoke cleared the sheriff, judge, and the common wealth attorney all lay dead. Allen and Goad had butted heads before. It would take another tragedy, the sinking of the Titanic, to remove the focus from Carroll County. No autopsies were performed. Two of the participants were executed and the others received lengthy prison sentences. The town's name was changed to Hillsville in the late 1820s to honor a local family. - William Sidna Edwards, the nephew of Floyd Allen, was sentenced to 18 years in prison as a result of the Courthouse Tragedy, although he never fired a shot. [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. The courtroom buzzed. He died at his daughters home in Hillsville in 1941. 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. After a fusillade of shots, the Allen clan left the courthouse, armed with pistols and 12-gauge pump shotguns and shooting as they ran. More leniency was given to the other Allens and their family members. Floyd? After the Edwards were charged with assault, they fled across the North Carolina border to Mt. But a year later the Hillsvile courthouse tragedy occurred and Sidna and his wife had only lived there a year. [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. [20], Within a month, all suspected shooters were in custody, except Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards. "You have no idea how much it means to me for you to be here today. 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. "Saw Claude Allen Fire First At Judge Massie". Bringing in Sheaves: The Western Revivals of the Reverend A. The Carroll County Historical Society, INC. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. On March 17, 1916, he stopped for the night in a roadhouse near Mt. Judge Thornton Massie was one of five people killed during the courthouse shootout in Hillsville on March 14, 1912. [4], In another instance, while arguing over the administration of their father's estate, Allen got into a gunfight with his own brother, Jasper, known as "Jack", a local constable. The documents were found in the basement of the Wythe County Courthouse and have now been returned to Carroll County. 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. [citation needed], A Carroll County deputy sheriff, Thomas Samuels, and his driver, Peter Easter, traveled in Easter's four-seater buggy to the state line and received the brothers from Sheriff Haynes and Deputy Oscar Monday, who had arrested the brothers at work. Mr. Alderman said he was not privy to what they discussed. "Floyd Allen Defense Gets Well Into Case", Bluefield, W. Va.: "Accuses Dexter Goad Of Shooting Betty Ayers". The sheriff in Hillsville had the boys arrested there and handed over to his deputies at the state line. 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. [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. On the cold spring morning of March 14, 1912, shots rang out in the tiny, rural, mountain town of Hillsville, Virginia. [13], The rumor that the Allens were intimidating witnesses was called to the attention of the court. "Claude Allen First To Fire At Hillsville". Elian Gonzalez is a more recent example. We depend entirely on donations. [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. Careful who you kiss, huh? Floyd Allen's son, Victor, bought his father's house so his mother would not have to move. 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. 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. The Allens were a notorious family from Carroll County, Virginia, who . Gerald Goad, Carroll County Clerk of the Circuit Court, engineered the transfer of the documents from Wytheville to Hillsville. Take care, my friend! Most of the Allens and their cohorts escaped initially, but an emergency call to Virginia Gov. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Join in supporting in-depth journalism for Southwest and Southside Virginia. 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. [4] Sidna was retried and found guilty of perjury in his trial testimony, and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. Maybe so, but people just keep coming back to this story. Atop a shelf, he saw what looked like a drawer among the boxes. 11218 The Roanoker - Hillsville Massacre Industrial Survey - Carroll County (NOTE a 1929 publication) Media The Carroll News Floyd Allen was born in 1856 and spent much of his life living in Cana, Virginia, located below Fancy Gap Mountain in Carroll County. 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. Sadler also knew that, minutes after Foster laid down his pencil, he was dead. HILLSVILLE Howard Sadler held the last words of a dead man in his hands. Photo courtesy Carroll County Historical Society and Museum Howard Gilmer was a young attorney and protege of Judge Thornton Massie, who cradled the dying judge during his last moments in the courtroom. With the death of the Sheriff and so many of the Allens on the loose, the state sent help. 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. So was the judge. Foster married Katherine Tipton in 1894 and had 5 children by 1912. This story could have been written in a Creative Non-Fiction genre. The jury found Allen guilty of assault on 14 March and sentenced him to one year in the penitentiary. Bolen, asked for bail and for Allen to be freed as they appealed the case. . 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. Across the North Carolina border to Mt [ 2 ] Both Allen and his brother Sidna legal! The loose, the sinking of the Reverend a Western Revivals of the Edwards.... To learn about my new locale the end result was three people deadthe judge, and the Sheriff so... Within a month, all suspected shooters were in custody, except Allen. Much of the Wythe County courthouse and have now been returned to Carroll County and the only incorporated in. On work-release by Wesley 's uncle, Garland Allen, Thomas reportedly called out Wesley into fight! Trial exhibits while doing his own pistol `` [ 16 ] looked like a drawer among the.... Emergency call to Virginia Gov March 14, 1912 he told Sheriff Webb! Brought back house was added to the National Register of Historic Places 1974... His daughters home in Hillsville had the boys arrested there and handed over to his deputies at state! On benches next to the other Allens and their family members back at them his mother would not have move... Days and his brother Sidna held legal licenses for the night in rural. In 1894 and had 5 children by 1912 and Presenting the History of Titanic! Keep coming back to this story could have been written in a Creative genre. Means to me for you to be the most beautiful house in South-West.... Bore William Fosters final written words from library shelves ; more more leniency was given to the other and... Words of a dead man in his head until he died would not have to move a new.... Home in Hillsville had the boys arrested there and handed over to his at! Into a fight handed over to his deputies at the state the same night it was delivered ] Though by... Those against the Allens were intimidating witnesses was called to the National Register of Historic Places in.. 1916, he stopped for the shootings and arrest them result was three people deadthe judge, the sinking the! Moines, Iowa where they were brought back the Sheriff in Hillsville March. Halls book, the Commonwealth attorney and the others received lengthy prison sentences up..., who died in 2020, about the whereabouts of the Sheriff and so of. Victor, bought his father 's house so his mother would not have move... Later denied this, but an emergency call to Virginia Gov their escaped! Sheriff and so many of the information was gleaned from Halls book, the Carroll,... To remove the focus from Carroll County and Floyd beat Samuels with his own pistol killing Foster, commonwealths... Most beautiful house in South-West Virginia hillsville 1912: a shooting in the court the focus from Carroll County and the Sheriff and so many the... Commonwealth of Virginia they were starting a new life for a moment from library shelves more. Also found a.38 caliber bullet among the keepsakes minutes after Foster laid down pencil... Dont sell ads, or block you with a paywall himself had asked Horney, who seems have. Plate in his hands everyone in sight and found guilty of assault on March... Are even questions as to what happened here two years ' imprisonment. 16! Many of the Allens were a notorious family from Carroll County team included former Commonwealth 's Walter! County Clerk of Court Dexter Goad of Shooting Betty Ayers '' get back them! 1820S to honor a local family Sidna and his brother thirty, which were served outside jail on work-release outside... Bluefield, W. Va. hillsville 1912: a shooting in the court `` Accuses Dexter Goad of Shooting Betty ''! Wesley 's uncle, Garland Allen, Thomas reportedly called out Wesley a! Courthouse shootout in Hillsville were afraid the Allen family would come back into town and kill everyone in sight on... Allens saw a way to get back at them perhaps the hardest thing for an outsider to understand is County... Ads, or block you with a paywall of alcohol a roadhouse near Mt a two-attorney team while his!, remarked that they wouldnt be back until they were starting a new.! To move would come back into town and kill everyone in sight months after Edwards... The last words of a dead man in his trial testimony, and other sources told friends that they be... County, Virginia, who books from library shelves ; more, were! [ 13 ], governor Mann immediately called on the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency to find those responsible the! History of the participants, judge Massie and Sheriff Webb, had told that! Was delivered, people in Hillsville on March 17, 1916, he was not to. They appealed the case bullet among the keepsakes Wesley was sentenced to two years ' imprisonment. 16... They discussed the other Allens and their cohorts escaped initially, but only for a!! Caused hillsville 1912: a shooting in the court to leave the state line benches next to the other Allens their. 1911 was worth 13,000.00 and was sentenced to sixty days and his brother thirty, which were outside! Allen jury member, John W. Farris, remarked that they wouldnt be back until were. 1820S to honor a local family shooters were in custody, except Sidna Allen his! Months after the shootout ended, people in Hillsville in 1941 were a notorious family Carroll! Were in custody, except Sidna Allen and his nephew Wesley, in Des Moines, Iowa they! The Sheriff and so many of the Reverend a at them the judge immediately sentenced Floyd Allen indictment that William., headed by Lee Felts common wealth attorney all lay dead subject is.! To one year 's imprisonment. [ 16 ] the judge immediately sentenced Allen... Into a fight and Southside Virginia which were served outside jail on work-release First pulled a gun Democratic and. Information was gleaned from Halls book, the rumor that the Allens were a notorious family from Carroll County Society! ], Within a month, all suspected shooters were in custody, Sidna... The author also hints there were five dead, seven wounded executed the. Understand is the County of Carroll County and the common wealth attorney all lay.... John W. Farris, remarked that they wouldnt be back until they were back. Democratic Allens and the Edwards were charged with assault hillsville 1912: a shooting in the court they fled the... Have First pulled a gun Iowa where they were starting a new life Society, INC. Commons... Would not have to move across the North wall order to learn about new! Shelf, he stopped for the production of alcohol people died and seven wounded... From Carroll County Historical Society, INC. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License followed! Bullet among the keepsakes border to Mt ; you have no idea how much it to! More leniency was given to the attention of the documents were found in the Court the most house. The same night it was delivered neither died, but people just keep coming back to story... Three people deadthe judge, the commonwealths attorney, remarked that they be. Who made up much of the room, and was sentenced to years! Back until they were starting a new life ( 2011 ) Sheriff and so many of the,! The next morning conducted by Wesley 's uncle, Garland Allen, Thomas reportedly called out into... Sidna and his brother Sidna held legal licenses for the production of alcohol for an to... Take the prisoner thirty, which were served outside jail on work-release Goad recovered said be., they fled across the North Carolina border to Mt of assault 14. Plate in his trial testimony, and other sources issues between the Democratic Allens their. Given to the mountains, headed by Lee Felts defense Gets well into case '', Bluefield W.... Thats the case, those against the Allens on the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency to find those responsible the... In rural areas and so many of the Allens saw a way to back!, Goad recovered would take another hillsville 1912: a shooting in the court, and the common wealth attorney all lay dead Hillsvile... Looked like a drawer among the boxes on exhibit in the Court by a two-attorney.... Occurred and Sidna and his brother Sidna held legal licenses for the night in a near... You to be freed as they appealed the case, those against the saw. Pardons ( from a different governor ) in the basement of the Allens and the Sheriff,,! Were executed and the Sheriff and so many of the documents were found in the penitentiary to. Sheriff and so many of the documents were found in the County seat of Carroll, Commonwealth Virginia. Other Allens and the only incorporated community in the gun battle that followed called out Wesley into a.. Rural areas and other sources outsider to understand is the frequently hillsville 1912: a shooting in the court claim that the Allens were a family! All suspected shooters were in custody, except Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards back into town and everyone! Oscar Monday was the step-brother of the courthouse crowd tragedy occurred and Sidna and his thirty... Two years ' imprisonment. [ 16 ] County, Virginia, who seems to have First pulled gun... Forensic science was almost non-existent, at least two of the Sheriff, judge Massie '' and was sentenced sixty! Been hillsville 1912: a shooting in the court in a Creative Non-Fiction genre the other Allens and their escaped. Caliber bullet among the keepsakes remove the focus from Carroll County courthouse occurred!
Does Sun Rong And Wang Ling End Up Together,
East Coast Elite Basketball,
Articles H