Virginia Plays Game of Starve-out<

The Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, W. Va.
Monday, April 4, 1912

VIRGINIA TAKES HAND IN GAME OF STARVE-OUT

Governor in Proclamation Asks All Citizens to Withhold Aid From Allen Gang.

PROMPT PROSECUTIONS FOR ALL WHO GIVE AID

Detectives Ride Twenty Miles Into Mountains to Arrest Cousin of Wesley Edwards, Charged With Being Accessory After the Fact.

STRAIN TELLS ON JACK ALLEN: SUFFERS APOPLEPTIC STROKE

Hillsville, Va., April 3-The State of Virginia took a hand today in the campaign to starve the two court house assassins still at large out of their mountain stronghold.

Governor Mann issued a proclamation calling upon all citizens to withhold aid from Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards, the only tow uncaptured members of the outlaw troop that shot up the Carroll county court nearly a month ago, promising prompt prosecutions for any persons who do assist them.

This has been arranged, after conferences with the heads of posses, and today Detectives Baldwin, Payne and Edwards rode twenty miles into the Fancy Gap section and arrested Jordan Edwards, a cousin of Wesley and one of the Allen kinsmen, and locked him up on a charge of being an accessory after the fact to the courthouse murders.

The posses put in an unsuccessful day scouring the mountain thickets. The strain has told on old Jack Allen, father of Friel, now in jail for shooting Jack Allen suffered a stroke of apoplexy today.

Refreshed by a badly needed night’s rest, the detective posses went back into the mountains today to continue their search for Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards.

Fanny and Topsy, the state’s famous bloodhounds, were given another chance at the outlaws. The dogs are handicapped by the heavy rains which washed away all the trails, but the officers are staking their hopes upon the dogs work.

Searchers are satisfied the outlaws are ranging back and forth in the section of the mountains that has been guarded for the past week.

Sidna Allen has been seen directing several times within the past two days. Detective Felts, who has been directing the hunt for the outlaws, went to Richmond today to confer with Governor Mann.