The Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, W. Va.
Friday Morning, September 20, 1912

JUDGE STAPLES TO PRESIDE AT ALLEN EDWARDS TRIALS

Prisoners Will be Taken From Roanoke Jail to Hillsville Monday.

OTHERS MEMBERS OF GANG CANNOT BE WITNESSES

Hairston & Willis, Leading Counsel in Cases Already Disposed of, Decline to Defend Two Remaining Outlaws. Much Doubt Exists Now as to Where the Trials Will be Held.

(Roanoke Evening World).

Judge Waller R. Staples, of the corporation court, was notified by long distance telephone this morning that he had been designated by Governor Mann to try Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards on the indictments charging them with being implicated in the Hillsville courthouse tragedy of March 14.

Judge Staples is familiar with the case, having conducted the trial of the members of the outlaw clan, and being acquainted with the various points of law involved it is considered that the governor has made a wise choice.

Judge Staples will leave Roanoke Sunday afternoon for Hillsville, according to his present plans. The prisoners will probably be taken away from the Roanoke jail on Monday morning and go direct to Galax and thence across the country by private conveyance to Hillsville, and in the very courtroom where they wiped out the machinery of the court with their deadly weapons, they will be arraigned and permitted to plead.

Much doubt exists as to the place of the trial. Sidna Allen is said to have expressed a preference to be tried at Hillsville and by a jury from Carroll county. The general belief exists that after arraignment on Monday the court will order that the trials shall be held at an early date at Wytheville. It seems to be the intention of the authorities to settle the matter speedily, and get through with it. They will probably be tried together, although the commonwealth may elect to try them separately.

Now that the sentence has been passed on the other members of the Allen clan and Friel Allen and Sidna Edwards have been taken to Richmond to begin their terms of eighteen and fifteen years respectively in the penitentiary, it precludes the possibility of their being used as witnesses in the trials of Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards. It is stated that all through the trials of the men already convicted the defense made the fugitives the scapegoats, and now it is expected that this will militate against them.

Judge N. H. Hariston and R. H. Willis, leading counsel in the cases of Floyd, Claude, Friel and Victor Allen and Sidna Edwards, have decided to defend Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards, who will be arraigned in the Carroll county court at Hillsville on next Monday.

This announcement was given out today. Although they had been requested to take the cases, they felt that they could not represent the last two of the Carroll outlaws and do their clients justice.

The long tedious cases in which they have been involved in the former trials have gotten them behind in their legal work and in justice to older and more numerous clients who are depending on the firm for legal advice are claiming their attention.

Besides, the records in the Floyd and Claude Allen cases must be prepared for submission to the supreme court. It is said that there will be from two to three thousand pages in each case. All of this must be attended to and gotten before the supreme court in order that it may be reviewed prior to November 22, the day set apart for the execution of the father and son.