Friel Joins Claude in Jail

The Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, W. Va.
Saturday, March 30, 1912

FRIEL ALLEN JOINS CLAUDE IN HILLSVILLE JAIL

Tells Detectives of Desperate Straits of Uncle Sidna and Wesley Edwards.

BOTH ARE PREPARED TO RESIST UNTIL DEATH

Declares Former Admitted Killing Judge Massie and Latter Acknowl- Edged That He Shot Common- Wealth's Attorney Foster.

ONLY TWO OF ENTIRE BAND NOW FUGITIVES FROM JUSTICE

Hillsville, Va., March 29. --Friel Allen, a blue-eyed stripling of seventeen, youngest of eight of the Allen gang, each indicted for five murders in the Carroll county court house a fortnight ago, was taken late today in the carriage shed at the home of his father, Jasper Allen, eight miles from here.

Young Allen cheerfully submitted to arrest and tonight occupies a cell in the Hillsville jail with his cousin, Claude Swanson Allen, who surrendered without resistance to the detectives yesterday.

Only Sidna Allen, a man of middle age, and his young nephew, Wesley Edwards, both bold mountaineers of reckless daring, are fugitives tonight.

Friel Allen two days ago deserted the two men still at large and brought back tonight an ultimatum of defiance. Both are prepared to resist until death. Jasper Allen was not involved in the courthouse shooting, but it is known that since his son Friel joined the outlaws he has been endeavoring to advise him to submit to the mercy of the law.

Friel Allen galloped into town late today, the prisoner of Detective T. L. Felts and Detective N. C. Payne, who made the arrest. He showed the ill effects of two weeks with little food or shelter. The young prisoner talked glibly on his conversation with Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards. The former, he said, admitted killing Judge Thornton L. Massie, while the latter acknowledged shooting Commonwealth's Attorney William M. Foster. His own part in the tragedy he discreetly avoided discussing.

Young Allen brought information of the desperate straits of Sidna Allen, leader of the band, and his consciousness of the latter's guilt.