The Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, W. Va.
Sunday Morning, August 18, 1912

EDWARDS PLEADS GUILTY TO SECOND DEGREE MURDER

Sidna Accepts Fifteen Years in Penitentiary on Advice of His Mother.

COMPROMISE AGREEMENT CAUSES MUCH SURPRISE

Motion for a Change of Venue in the Case of Victor Allen Dealed by the Court and His Trial Will Begin at Wytheville on Fourth Day of Sep- tember.

Wytheville, Va., August 17. —Sidna Edwards, one of the Hillsville assassins, today pleaded guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to fifteen years in the penitentiary. Two of his kinsmen have been found guilty of murder in the first degree. Sidna accepted a compromise on his mother’s advice.

Victor Allen’s trial is set for September 4. Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards, ring leaders of the courthouse raid, when six people were killed, are still at large.

There was a general surprise this morning when the attorneys for the defense in the case of Sidna Edwards indicted for complicity in the Hillsville tragedy announced that they would accept the compromise of fifteen years in the penitentiary. It is understood that the commonwealth agreed to no “strings” being tied to the agreement; that it was fifteen years straight or nothing.

Yesterday afternoon it was thought that no agreement would be reached and Sheriff Davidson was dispatched to Grayson county to summon a venire of fifty men for the trial to begin on the 20th instant.

He was telephoned this morning to return as the matter had been settled and no trial would be necessary. Edwards’ mother arrived in Wytheville last night and after a consultation with her son it was decided that a compromise would probably be better than to stand the expense of a trial. The compromise also eliminates the possibility of a first-degree murder verdict.

The motion for a change of venue to Carroll county in the case of Victor Allen was denied by the court. His trial has been set for September 4. The jury will be gotten from Montgomery county. A venire of fifty men will be summoned. It is understood that a compromise of ten years was offered in his case by the commonwealth, but the defense would accept nothing short of absolute acquittal. The defense hopes to show that Victor had noting to do with the shooting up of the court hose and the murdering of the court officers.

The case will be tried in Wytheville.