Posses Move in From Two Sides

The Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, W. Va.
Thursday, March 28, 1912

POSSES MOVE IN ON OUTLAWS FROM TWO SIDES

Fight Between Allens and De- tectives Expected Within Twenty-four Hours.

DETECTIVE FELTS SURE HE HAS GANG TRAPPED

Grand Jury Returns Eight New In- dictments Against Sidna, Floyd, Vic- tor, Claud and Friel Allen and Sidna and Wesley Edwards

MURDER IS CHARGED IN EACH OF THE TRUE BILLS

Hillsville, Va., March 27. --Posses are moving upon the court house assassins from two sides tonight and a fight is expected within the next twenty-four hours. Fifty horsemen tonight encircled the strongholds in Blue Ridge where all of the Allen gang are believed to be hiding, left their mounts worked single file to points of advantage from which they expect to charge upon the outlaws at daybreak.

Sheriff Haynes, of Surrey county, N. C., with a volunteer posse of fifty men, is also waiting to move from Mount Airy. The posses have taken equipment to remain in the mountains until they take the outlaws or are assured of their escape from this section.

What posse leaders regard as the final movement was undertaken at dawn today by a picked squad of sharp shooting detectives. Sidna and Friel Allen and Wesley Edwards, three of the four men still at large, are supposedly cornered in a wild section of the Blue Ridge, twenty miles from here, near the North Carolina line. With guards at every known pass that could possibly furnish an avenue of escape for the fugitives, the detectives have invaded this section, determined to capture or kill the outlaws before emerging again.

Detective Tom Felts, in charge of the searchers is confident the men have been trapped. Felts admits that he has abandoned hope of capturing Claude Swanson Allen, whom he believes is hundred of miles away by now.

The special grand jury today returned eight new indictments against Sidna, Floyd, Victor, Claude and Friel Allen, Byrd Marion, Sidna Edwards and Wesley Edwards. Of these Floyd Allen, Sidna Edwards, Victor Allen and Byrd Marion are in custody. Murder is charged.