The Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, W. Va.
Sunday Morning, June 2, 1912

SECOND DEGREE MURDER WAS JURY’S VERDICT

Claude Allen Will Get Fifteen Years in Prison For Shooting Massey.

WILL BE TRIED FOR SHOOTING THE SHERIFF

Sentence Suspended So He Can Tes- tify in Other Cases--Prisoners Taken to Roanoke After Court Ad- journed For a Month.

Wytheville, Va., June 1. —The jury today found Claude Swanson Allen guilty of murder in the second degree for the killing of Judge Thornton L. Massie, at Hillsville, in March, and recommended that his punishment be fixed at fifteen years in the penitentiary. The sentence was suspended in order that he may testify in other cases growing out of the shooting-up of the Carroll county court.

The commonwealth sprang a surprise when it was announced that it would try Claude Allen next for the murder of Sheriff Webb. Objection was made by Allen’s counsel and argument will be heard on this when court reconvenes on July 1. Remarking that he did not believe “another jury could be secured in this county,” Judge Staples instructed that there be an issue of summonses for a venire of one hundred from the adjoining county of Washington, to report on July 2. The five Allen clansmen held for their connection with the Hillsville shooting were tonight taken to Roanoke, pending the reconvening of the court here in July.