Allens Wore Steel or Iron Breastplate

The Bluefield Daily Telegraph,
Bluefield, W. Va.
Tuesday Morning, May 7, 1912

ALLENS WORE STEEL OR IRON BREASTPLATE

Takes Mighty Little of Right Stuff to Turn Bullets, Floyd Told His Captors.

TESTIMONY OF VARIOUS JURORS IS CORROBORATIVE

All Certain That Firing Commenced In Northeast Corner of Courtroom, Where Sidna and Claude Were and Clerk Did Not Shoot Miss Ayers.

ALL NOTICED THAT FLOYD REACHED FOR HIS GUN.

Wytheville, Va., May 6. --It don't take but mighty little of the right stuff to turn bullets. This was one of Floyd Allen's first remarks to his guard after his capture at the Hillsville courthouse shooting on March 14. Witnesses at the trial today testified that this was his retort when the guard expressed surprise that the old mountaineer had not been wounded until after he had left the court room where the judge, prosecutor, sheriff, a juror and a bystander had been killed, in the prosecution's attempt to show that the Allens came prepared for shooting and wore steel or iron breast plate. Witnesses testified that of the dozens of shots fired at the Allens by men only a few feet away none took effect.

The morning session was consumed principally by the examination of jurors who served in the case against Floyd Allen when he was convicted in the Carroll court for interfering with Deputy Sheriff Samuels in the release of his nephews while under arrest.

A peculiar thing regarding the testimony of the various jurors is the fact that they nearly all saw the same thing with the exception of a few details. All are certain that the firing commenced in the northeast corner of the court room where Sidna and Claude Allen were located. They all saw the movement of Floyd Allen, who is on trial, when he reached his hand into his sweater to draw his gun.

The first witness examined was Juror M. C. White. When he came into the court room with the other jurors on the morning of the tragedy he saw Floyd Allen. Immediately after the sheriff was told to take charge of the prisoner and after he had been sentenced to the penitentiary, reach into his sweater. The juror was expecting trouble and immediately dropped to the floor. About that time the jury made a break to get out and the firing commenced in the northeast corner of the court room. Juror White crawled over the floor and into the clerk's office and hid himself in a vault. As he passed out, he saw Victor Allen and Sidna Edwards on a bench.

On cross-examination he said he saw Deputy Sheriff Quesenberry loading a pistol in the clerk's office but did not see him do any shooting.

Juror C. C. Kane, who was seriously wounded, was the next witness examined. His testimony was in the main corroborative of the statements made by Juror White. When the trouble started he attempted to get into the jury room, but found it so crowded that he could not force his way. At the door he turned and saw Floyd Allen with his pistol pointed directly at him. He again turned and started to run when he received a shot in the back just above the hip. A second shot struck him from another direction in the left leg. After being shot twice he forced himself through the crowd into the jury room and saw Commonwealth's Attorney Foster come in in a dying condition. After this the witness saw no more of the shooting. He was not shaken on cross-examination.

Juror F. B. Faddis, corroborated the testimony of Juror White regarding the movement of Floyd Allen in reaching for his pistol. He attempted to get into the jury room but was crowded out. He then attempted to go through the crowd and out of the court room, by way of the front door. As he started out he saw Sheriff Webb advance but he had no pistol in his hand. He was positive the firing started in the northeast corner of the court room. As he went towards the front door, he saw Miss Elizabeth Ayers, who was mortally wounded in front of him. He saw the ball strike her and saw the indentation in her dress. He turned and saw Floyd Allen shooting at him as he ran towards the street. This evidence contradicts the theory of the defense that Dexter Goad, the clerk, is responsible for the death of Miss Ayers.

The foreman of the jury, C. L. Howell, was the next witness. He told of the rendering of the verdict against Floyd Allen and of seeing him reaching into his sweater. Mr. Howell then ran into the jury room where there were two other men, one of whom was a juror. He had to pass Floyd Allen and when within three steps of the judge's room he heard the shots and saw the flash of the guns from the northeast corner of the court room. The shots were fired right over his head. As he went in he saw Wesley Edwards and another man standing on tiptoe on a bench still craning their necks as if trying to look over the crowd. When he came out after remaining some time in the judge's room, the first man he saw was Juror Fowler. The next was Juror Webb, who had a toothpick in his mouth.

Deputy Treasurer A. F. Green, who was in the court room, gave important testimony along the same line as that given by the jurors who had been examined earlier in the session. He said he saw Floyd Allen signal to Sidna Allen when the verdict was pronounced against Floyd. This was done by Floyd drawing a paper from his pocket. He looked straight at Sidna and Claude Allen who were standing on a bench in the northeast corner of the court room. They recognized the signal and nodded. He then told of Floyd jumping and almost immediately the firing of shots started in the corner of the room occupied by Claude and his uncle, Sidna Allen.

For the first time Judge Oglesby, of Bristol, appeared in the case. He cross-examined the witness but failed to materially effect the force of his testimony.

The plans of the court room were again introduced by a witness named Marshall. After giving his testimony he was cross-examined by the defense in regard to his acquaintance with the Allens.