The Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, W. Va.
Wednesday Morning, November 20, 1912

ACCUSES DEXTER GOAD OF SHOOTING BETTIE AYERS

Cousin of Dead Woman Relates In Court Her Alleged Dying Declaration.

EVIDENCE IN THE SIDNA ALLEN TRIAL IS ALL IN

Argument in the Case Will Close Sometime This afternoon When Fate Of Hillsville Court House Assassin Will be Placed in Hands of Jury, Respite for Floyd and Claude.

Wytheville, Va., Nov. 19. --After the taking of the testimony of three witnesses in the trial of Sidna Allen charged with the murder of Judge Massie at Hillsville on March 14, last, the hearing of further evidence was brought to a close this morning, both the defense and commonwealth in rebuttal announcing that they were through. The question of instructions was then taken up.

It is now believed that argument of the case will close some time tomorrow afternoon when the fate of Sidna Allen will be placed in the hands of the jury.

Some astonishing testimony was admitted this morning, and it seems as if the defense has scored a strong point, although it may not be of sufficient weight to keep the accused out of the electric chair.

Sentiment here is to the effect that the commonwealth has made a strong case against the defendant, equally as strong as in any of the preceding cases, but there is a prevailing sentiment that there will be a hung jury. No one predicts an acquittal, but it seems that there is a division of sentiment between first and second degree murder. Only four witnesses were examined this morning. The first was J. E. Kearn, a travelling salesman from Roanoke, who testified to having sold Sidna Allen a lot of ammunition at the March term of the Hillsville court. He sold the defendant 500 each of .32 and .38 calibre cartridges and 500 shot gun shells.

The next witness was Miss Alice Thompson; the second lady to appear on the witness stand since the prosecution of the Allens began. She is a relative of Miss Bettie Ayers, who was shot in the back in the Hillsville tragedy, and who lived until the following day. Miss Thompson related what purported to be a dying declaration of Miss Ayers given fifteen minutes before she expired on the day of March 15, in which she claimed that Dexter Goad had fired the shot that entered her back and from which she died. She said she knew it to be the man who was wounded in the fact that shot her as she was trying to get out of the court house. The prosecution endeavored to strike out the evidence of Miss Thompson, but the motion was overruled by Judge Staples.

The prosecution put on two witnesses in rebuttal. The first was Dr. C. B. Nickols, who stated that Victor Allen had told him that he had tried to get his father, Floyd, to have no trouble over the trial.

W. G. Harris testified that he saw Sidna Allen shooting in front of the court house, and he heard Sidna say: "Let's go back and get every d__n one of them." With the ending of the evidence of Mr. Harris the prosecution announced that they were through.

Mr. Willis then moved the court to strike out the evidence tending to show that Floyd Allen had made threats against the court, but the motion was overruled.