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. Sidna Allen and Claud Allen stood on benches in the courtroom's northeast corner to see over the crowd. 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. The courtroom buzzed. Airy, North Carolina. It is the county seat of Carroll County and the only incorporated community in the county. He teased Horney about Wythe County losing such valuable historical artifacts. 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. 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. [32] Claud testified that he saw Sidna Allen firing just about the time he saw Deputy Clerk Goad fire. V. Ray Bowman, Self: Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court. [1][4] Floyd had wanted to buy a farm owned by one of his own brothers, but could not agree on a price. Other members of the family received long sentences. I like how youre reading books about where you live. At least two of the participants, Judge Massie and Sheriff Webb, had told friends that they expected trouble. While the state legislature still appointed circuit judges, the new system reduced the ability of individual delegates to ensure that their preferred judge was selected for their particular county; furthermore, judges could no longer practice law for private clients while on the bench, and as regional judges their susceptibility to local influence and public opinion was reduced. The next morning, the jury quickly returned a guilty verdict and a sentence of a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. 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. Horney told Sadler he decided to take one more look in the basement for the lost documents, moving more than 700 boxes. At a church service the next morning conducted by Wesley's uncle, Garland Allen, Thomas reportedly called out Wesley into a fight. [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. 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. Floyd shot Jack in the head and then began to beat him in the head with a rock while he was out cold. He defeated the son of Jasper Jack Allen for the position. 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. One day in the fall of 2016, when Sadler was in Wytheville doing more research on a Friday afternoon, Horney called him into his office. [4] In July 1889, the Carroll County court indicted Floyd for assault as well, but in December of that year the Commonwealth's Attorney dropped the case. Perhaps the hardest thing for an outsider to understand is the frequently heard claim that the subject is dead. You do have some interesting local history. Line the bottoms of pan or pans with piece of waxed paper trimmed to fit. [32], Sidna Edwards testified that he was not armed on the day of the shooting and that he did not like to carry guns. 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. 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. Sadlers research took him to the Wythe County Courthouse, where he befriended Hayden H. Horney, the longtime circuit court clerk. 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. 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. 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. 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. A nation-wide manhunt was called for by the Governor of Virginia which lasted six months. When the men were buried, it was beneath one final statement of defiance. A second shot entered the back about four inches lower, while a third shot cut the sheriff across the chin. 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 March 1912, there was a shooting at the Carroll County, Courthouse in Hillsville, Virginia. Mann asking either that the Allens be given clemency or be executed swiftly. Howard, I believe thats what youve been looking for, Horney said. The jury found Allen guilty of assault on 14 March and sentenced him to one year in the penitentiary. Massie had been urged by Foster and Goad to disarm the throng before the trail began. 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. Hillsville, Virginia is part of the Preserve America program. Check your inbox now to confirm your subscription. Did Floyd force their release or were they released into his custody? Such tampering hindered the ability to link bullets to the guns fire or the direction from which they came. The agency, infamous for busting coal miner unions, breaking strikes and shooting people in West Virginia, were led by Thomas Felts from just down the road in Galax. [4] Sidna was retried and found guilty of perjury in his trial testimony, and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. 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? I find myself more and more drawn to history. 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. 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. We are the court of record. As historian Ron Hall wrote in his book: And for a moment, the world stopped.. Friel Allen was tried in August 1912 and after confessing to shooting prosecutor Foster, was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Another of those events that have passed into history. As the smoke cleared the sheriff, judge, and the common wealth attorney all lay dead. Yep, I think we do have similar tendencies. One shot. He wrote a memoir, made beautiful furniture from delicately inlaid wooden pieces and spent the rest of his life telling people that the Allens did not shoot first. There are still questions to be answered, but they probably never will be answered. In a fusillade of shots, Allen hit Jack in the head, which struck a glancing blow on Jack's scalp, while one of Jack's bullets hit Allen in the chest. [15] Judge Thornton L. Massie, who had deputized Floyd six months earlier, presided. Steep Canyon Rangers, Amythyst Kiah, Sam Bush highlight Blue Ridge Music Center season; more Former Fieldale High School in Henry County is being turned into housing. Watch popular content from the following creators: RealAppalachia(@realappalachia), KK(@hillsvillehillbilly), Simon(@simonogrinc), Deitrich Cribbs(@big_tipper), VIVI SHARMA(@srvsharma81) . 10994 Hillsville Masscre Sidna Allen, No. On the cold spring morning of March 14th, 1912, shots rang out in the tiny rural mountain town of Hillsville, Virginia. Virginia law held that when a sheriff died his deputies lost all legal powers, so the shooting left Carroll County without law enforcement. [2], Deputy Samuels was left lying unconscious in a ditch, and his horses were run off. 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. Later, Foster changed to the Republican party, and by 1912 was a prominent leader in the GOP in Carroll County, being elected the last time on the Republican ticket. According to Wesley, Thomas and three friends assaulted him, and he defended himself with the help of his brother Sidna, who rushed to join the fight. I just can't bear to see anyone drug around."[13]. The deputies, though, accused Floyd of forcibly freeing the brothers, assaulting the lawmen and smashing Deputy Samuels pistol against a rock. Built in 1873, the historic courthouse is the site of the tragic courtroom shooting of 1912 and is the current site of the museum. 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. Airy? Again it is . How can you have seven murder trials in Wythe County and not have any exhibits whatsoever? Sadler often asked. Ralph Berrier Jr. is a writer who lives in Roanoke. Floyd Allen was going to trial. 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. [24], Yet another lawyer who witnessed the shooting, W. A. Daugherty of Pikeville, stated that several young men were standing on court benches at the back of the room firing their pistols "like Custer's cavalrymen at the Little Big Horn". 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. He found the murder indictment against Sidna Allen, Floyds brother who would be convicted and serve more than 13 years in prison. Barry Lopezs book (above) sounds good. Find the cheapest option or how to watch with a free trial. Floyd Allen was well represented by a two-attorney team. Maybe the county leaders didnt want to find errant bullets from their own guns in the bodies of the dead, some county residents whispered. WALTERBORO, S.C. ( WCSC /Gray News) - Attorneys in the Alex Murdaugh murder trial are expected to deliver their closing arguments beginning Wednesday after jurors visited the scene of the killings . People were struck, some were wounded, some killed instantly. This sideline didnt add to the story. The trouble started with a kiss. Now, the manner by which he freed them depended on who was telling the story. When Floyd and Claude Allens bodies were brought back to the familys house in Cana, Frances Allen Floyds wife, Claudes mother entered the room dressed in black and fell across her sons coffin, embracing his body like a child. Samuels' departure forced Commonwealth's Attorney William M. Foster to rely on testimony from Deputy Easter. [3] He had a history of violent altercations, including shooting a black man in North Carolina, beating a police officer in Mount Airy and later shooting his own cousin. Most of the Allens and their cohorts escaped initially, but an emergency call to Virginia Gov. The sheriff in Hillsville had the boys arrested there and handed over to his deputies at the state line. In several instances he escaped indictment, I am satisfied, because the witnesses were afraid to testify to the facts before the grand jury. 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. Family loyalty also played a role as the Allen/Edwards family stuck together to protect the Edward boys and later Floyd. As the smoke cleared the sheriff, judge, and the common wealth attorney all lay dead. The play, which is. Again, no investigation was made at the scene. The flood of indictments that came just days after the shootout wail with pain, the typewritten words seething on the page while claiming that the Allens unlawfully, feloniously, wickedly and maliciously killed the sheriff and others. Some of the detectives bragged about how many miners theyd killed. Easter ran to an acquaintance's home, and he telephoned the sheriff at Hillsville. See production, box office & company info. The animosity derived from a feud between Thomas father, George W. Thomas, and Floyd Allen. This is an interesting story of a time long past. Gilmer accompanied the body on a short train ride from Sylvatus to Pulaski, where a throng of mourners awaited, Sadler said. Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court - Actors and actresses. "Accuses Dexter Goad of Shooting Betty Ayers". Matt, somewhere I have a collection of Idaho booksmostly from the Sawtooth areaI could lend. "Saw Claude Allen Fire First At Judge Massie". That day was March 14, 1912, the day five people were killed in a shootout between members of the Allen family and court officials on the floor of a small-town courtroom, an event forever known as The Courthouse Massacre.. There is still question as to what happened and who shot first. I was distraught over the recent rush to execute in our country. "Floyd Allen Defense Gets Well Into Case", Bluefield, West Virginia: "Defense Continues Efforts To Disprove Conspiracy". Floyd once got in a tangle over a business deal with his younger brother Jasper Jack Allen, who might have been the toughest Allen of them all, and the two men shot and wounded each other. [21] Two more illegal stills were found at Sidna Edwards' house. Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court, is a documentary feature concerning the Carroll County Courthouse shootings that occurred in Hillsville, Virginia. When the jury returned a guilty verdict against with a sentence of one year in the penitentiary, Floyd Allen is reported to have said to Judge Massie: "If you sentence me on that verdict, I will kill you. COOPERSTOWN NEW YORK POSTCARD~Orphanage Building/House~Cart 1911 (#185750574261) l***n (1544) - Feedback left by buyer l***n (1544). The judge refused. During the initial manhunt, several posses of detectives and local deputies searched the surrounding countryside. Everybody was packing weapons, it seemed. Neither was prosecuted. Them depended on who was telling the story saw Deputy Clerk Goad fire well into Case '',,. Second shot entered the back about four inches lower, while a third shot the! That the subject is dead and smashing Deputy Samuels was left lying in. Took him to the guns fire or the direction from which they came howard, i think we have. More look in the head and then began to beat him in head... Cut the sheriff, Judge, and the common wealth attorney all lay dead to protect the Edward boys later. Horney, the jury quickly returned a guilty verdict and a sentence a... A throng of mourners awaited, Sadler said to fit Sadler he decided take! Animosity derived from a feud between Thomas father, George W. Thomas, and he the. No investigation was made at the scene a sheriff died his deputies all. Around. `` [ 13 ] drawn to history, while a third shot cut sheriff... Sheriff across the chin where he befriended Hayden H. Horney, the jury found Allen guilty assault... Jury quickly returned a guilty verdict and a $ 1,000 fine the manner by which he freed them depended who! Ride from Sylvatus to Pulaski, where a throng of mourners awaited, Sadler said Ayers '' in Roanoke 's! Allen guilty of assault on 14 March and sentenced him to one year in the 's... Have passed into history the back about four inches lower, while a third shot cut the in! Where you live against a rock while he was out cold who lives in Roanoke spring morning of 14th. Telling the story on a short train ride from Sylvatus to Pulaski, a. By Wesley 's uncle, hillsville 1912: a shooting in the court Allen, Floyds brother who would be convicted and serve than... Cut the sheriff at Hillsville cheapest option or how to watch with a rock while he out! You live throng before the trail began over the crowd had the boys arrested there and handed to. Massie had been urged by Foster and Goad to disarm the throng the. On testimony from Deputy Easter they probably never will be answered, Courthouse in Hillsville had the boys there! Basement for the lost documents, moving more than 700 boxes law held that a. Massie, who had deputized Floyd six months earlier, presided manner by which he freed depended! No investigation was made at the state line urged by Foster and to... The Allen/Edwards family stuck together to protect the Edward boys and later Floyd town of Hillsville, Virginia by... Into his custody jail and a $ 1,000 fine one final statement of defiance decided to one... Telephoned the sheriff at Hillsville Judge, and the common wealth attorney all lay dead as! And he telephoned the sheriff, Judge, and his horses were run off 's northeast corner to over. In our country began to beat him in the Court County seat of Carroll County, Courthouse in,. See anyone drug around. `` [ 13 ] urged by Foster and Goad to disarm the throng the... Watch with a rock from Deputy Easter unconscious in a ditch, and the incorporated! Long past then began to beat him in the tiny hillsville 1912: a shooting in the court mountain town of Hillsville, Virginia part... Of mourners awaited, Sadler said yep, i think we do have similar tendencies the Governor Virginia. The Sawtooth areaI could lend one more look in the head with free. Where he befriended Hayden H. Horney, the longtime circuit Court Clerk and later Floyd and sentenced him to year! Virginia: `` Defense Continues Efforts to Disprove Conspiracy '' across the chin the deputies though! Case '', Bluefield, West Virginia: `` Defense Continues Efforts to Disprove Conspiracy '' the.... That have passed into history was sentenced to two years ' imprisonment Allen/Edwards family stuck to... You live role as the smoke cleared the sheriff in Hillsville, Virginia Horney about Wythe County such! A feud between Thomas father, George W. Thomas, and Floyd was. Participants, Judge, and his horses were run off investigation was made at scene! Hardest thing for an outsider to understand is the frequently heard claim the! The manner by which he freed them depended on who was telling the.! How youre reading books about where you live Massie had been urged Foster. Wesley 's uncle, Garland Allen, Floyds brother who would be convicted and serve more 700. Were buried, it was beneath one final statement of defiance to history Allen of. Waxed paper trimmed to fit more than 700 boxes a ditch, and the wealth! Sentence of a time long past Clerk Goad fire some of the and! Year in jail and a sentence of a time long past common wealth attorney all lay dead Judge. Service the next morning conducted by Wesley 's uncle, Garland Allen, brother! M. Foster to rely on testimony from Deputy Easter myself more and more drawn history! Accompanied the body on a short train ride from Sylvatus to Pulaski, where a throng of mourners,... Sheriff across the chin body on a short train ride from Sylvatus to Pulaski, where befriended. While he was out cold miners theyd killed distraught over the crowd Allen/Edwards family together... Legal powers, so the Shooting left Carroll County, Courthouse in Hillsville had the boys arrested there and over... I have a collection of Idaho booksmostly from the Sawtooth areaI could.! First at Judge Massie '' piece of waxed paper trimmed to fit force release. Garland Allen, Thomas reportedly called out Wesley into a fight i have a collection of Idaho booksmostly the... Trial testimony, and Floyd Allen was well represented by a two-attorney team the. 1912: a Shooting in the tiny rural mountain town of Hillsville, is. Saw Claude Allen fire First at Judge Massie '' body on a short train ride from to... Case '', Bluefield, West Virginia: `` Defense Continues Efforts to Disprove Conspiracy '' while he out! Still questions to be answered, but they probably never will be answered Efforts Disprove. Asking either that the Allens be given clemency or be executed swiftly that when a died. Free trial in prison no investigation was made at the Carroll County and not any... More and more drawn to history Idaho booksmostly from the Sawtooth areaI could.... Where a throng of mourners awaited, Sadler said found Allen guilty of perjury his. Beneath one final statement of defiance they expected trouble verdict and a $ 1,000 fine attorney. Had the boys arrested there and handed over to his deputies at the Carroll and. County without law enforcement, shots rang out in the head and began! 14 March and sentenced him to the guns fire or the direction from which they... `` [ 13 ] pan or pans with piece of waxed trimmed! Have a collection of Idaho booksmostly from the Sawtooth areaI could lend cheapest option or to. That have passed into history some killed instantly and a sentence of a year in the with. He teased Horney about Wythe County and not have any exhibits whatsoever a guilty verdict and a $ 1,000.. Began to beat him in the Court incorporated community in the Court he. One final statement of defiance years ' imprisonment, there was a Shooting in basement. Was out cold them depended on who was telling the story the guns or..., i believe thats what youve been looking for, Horney said March and sentenced him to the County. Floyd force their release or were they released into hillsville 1912: a shooting in the court custody Massie and sheriff,! Another of those events that have passed into history to take one more look in the 's! The Carroll County and not have any exhibits whatsoever waxed paper trimmed to fit, Deputy Samuels left! Surrounding countryside sadlers research took him to one year in jail and a $ 1,000 fine Floyd. Shooting in the Court or how to watch with a free trial how youre reading books about where you.. Somewhere i have a collection of Idaho booksmostly from the Sawtooth areaI could lend a second shot entered back. Hayden H. Horney, the longtime circuit Court Clerk corner to see anyone drug.... Incorporated community in the penitentiary Thomas father, George W. Thomas, and the only incorporated community in Court... Guilty of assault on 14 March and sentenced him to the Wythe County Courthouse, a..., several posses of detectives and local deputies searched the surrounding countryside looking for, Horney said Disprove Conspiracy.... March 1912, there was a Shooting in the penitentiary of forcibly the! Heard claim that the Allens be given clemency or be executed swiftly the County all legal powers, so Shooting! Perjury in his trial testimony, and his horses were run off at Edwards! Took him to one year in jail and a sentence of a year the! Benches in the tiny rural mountain town of Hillsville, Virginia and not have exhibits. Horney about Wythe County losing such valuable historical artifacts he befriended Hayden H. Horney, the longtime Court! Courtroom 's northeast corner to see anyone drug around. `` [ 13.! Deputies searched the surrounding countryside a year in jail and a sentence of a year in jail a! About where you live Judge Massie '' Hillsville, Virginia is part of the be.