Bloodhounds Trailing Allens

The Raleigh Herald, Beckley, W. Va.
Thursday, April 4, 1912

BLOODHOUNDS TRAILING THE ALLENS

Hillsville, Va., April 1--The cordon of the law is tightening about the two court house assassins who remain at large. Empty handed but close of the trail the posses returned to town for a short time Sunday and then went off in the mountains again confident that with every exit guarded it is only a matter of hours until Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards will be taken.

Of the eight outlaws who shot up the Carroll county court house and murdered five people they are the only ones not now in jail awaiting trial.

Detective Tom Felts has arranged for a pack of bloodhounds from the state prison farm. He believes he would have taken the two men yesterday had the dogs been with him. Yesterday Allen and Edwards found the posses so close that they fled their refuge without blankets or food.

On the south side of the mountain near Buzzard's Roost there is a cave from which the outlaws fled yesterday leaving tracks that told of long leaps of hurried fight.

The ground was moist and the posse confused their trail with that of two other outlaws known to be in the mountains.

Wilburn Easter, whose home was raided yesterday, was not arrested as reported from Mount Airy but was closely questioned. It was thought Easter had been furnishing food to the outlaws.

Before leaving for the sortie Detective Felts declared the two outlaws entrenched for a siege. Without bedding or supplies, the detective thinks they can not hold out long.

Mount Airy, N. C., April 1--Sidna Allen was seen here this morning. The desperado was encountered by Lafayette Ayers, a mountain resident, who was coming down a trail when he met Allen going up. Allen covered Ayres with a shotgun and declared that he would shoot. Ayres begged for his life and denied any participation in the hunt. Allen then lowered his gun and pursued his way into the mountains.