The Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, W. Va.
Saturday Morning, August 17, 1912

FLOYD AND CLAUDE ALLEN TO APPEAL TO SUPREME COURT

Will Ask to Have Verdicts Set Aside and New Hearings Granted.

EDWARDS TRIAL BEGINS AT WYTHEVILLE TUESDAY

Defense Will Attempt to Show That Victor Allen Was Not a Party to Al- leged Conspiracy and That He Took No Part in Shooting up Hillsville Court.

Roanoke, Va., August 16. —Judge N. H. Hairston, chief of counsel for the Allens in the Hillsville court assassination cases, has returned from Wytheville, where he went in behalf of Friel and Victor Allen and Sidna Edwards. The trial of Sidna Edwards will take place in Wytheville next Tuesday. The date set for the trial of Victor Allen is September 4. It has not yet been determined by Judge Staples as to whether a change of venue will be granted or not.

Judge Hairston declared that it was the desire of the defense that Victor should be tried in Carroll county, where the crime was committed, and by a jury composed of Carroll county citizens.

The commonwealth proposed to compromise by giving Victor Allen a term of ten years in the state prison. This was strenuously opposed by both Allen and his counsel. In fact, it will be a part of the defense to undertake to show that Victor Allen was not a party to the alleged conspiracy, nor did he take any part in the shooting up of the Hillsville courthouse and the murdering of the court officers on March 14 last.

Judge Hairston stated that it is the intention of attorneys for the defense to carry the cases of Floyd and Claude Allen to the supreme court in an effort to have the verdict of the juries set aside and new trials granted.

It is the hope of the defense to set aside the verdicts sentencing these men to death in the electric chair, and it is understood that a strong fight will be made to have the cases reviewed by the supreme court and passed upon by the judge of that tribunal as to their legality.

The jury for trial of Sidna Edwards will be gotten from Carroll county.