Allen Family

CHAPTER IX, page113

COLORFUL STORIES OF THE RIVER 
Judqe, Sheriff, Clerk Killed by Allens

The entire United States was shocked on the morning of 
March 15. 1912, when a front page story revealed that the 
circuit judge and the court officials of Carroll County. 
a mountain county of Virginia. had been shot and killed 
in the courthouse at Hillsville by members of the Allen 
family.

The dead were Circuit Judge Thornton L. Massie, Sheriff 
Lewis Webb. Commonwealth's Attorney William Foster; Miss 
Betty Ayers, a witness: Augustus Fowler, a juror.

Floyd Allen of the Allen family was badly wounded in the 
thigh. The trouble came about by a series of circumstances. 
The officers of the county were Republican, it being a strong 
Republican county. There had been petty fist fights with 
officers over politics. The Allens were merchants, leaders 
in their communities and strongly Democratic. Thus difference 
in politics was a factor.

Wesley Edwards and Sidna Edwards, Allen relatives, had 
been arrested for fighting and disturbing public worship. 
They contended that they had been attacked. It is claimed 
that they were taken from officers by Floyd Allen, an uncle, 
and Floyd was indicted. One officer had been left unconscious.

The trial for Floyd Allen was set for March 13, 1912, in the 
courthouse at Hillside. Floyd Allen was found guilty, given 
one year in jail. and motion for new trial was refused. Also 
Allen was denied bond pending an appeal.

It was then that the shooting started, there being about a 
dozen members of the Allen family in the courtroom. Shooting 
lasted for some minutes between the officers and Allens with 
the previously mentioned results.

The Allens took to the hills. A special train bearing 20 
Baldwin Felts from Roanoke came to Hillsville, and took up 
pursuit of the Allens. All the Allens were captured or 
surrendered.

Floyd Allen and his son Claude Allen were given the death
sentence in the subsequent trials and executed.

Sidna Allen. prosperous merchant, and one of the men doing 
the shooting and his nephew Wesley Edwards made their way to 
Des Moines, Iowa, where they worked as carpenters for months. 
They were captured by W, G. Baldwin. head of the Baldwin-Felts 
Agency, on September 14, 1912. Edwards had written a girl friend 
in Carroll County, who tipped off the officers.

In two trials, one-for murder and for manslaughter. Sidna 
Allen was given 35 years in prison. Wesley Edwards was 
given 27 years in prison. The trials took place in Wytheville. 
Virginia. with juries drawn from adjoining counties.

Friel Allen and Sidna Edwards, sentenced to long terms in 
prison were pardoned by Governor E. Lee Trinkle, on October 
6, 1922. Wesley Edwards and Sidna Allen were pardoned by 
Governor Harry Flood Byrd on April 29, 1926.

During his term in prison, Sidna Allen who was a carpenter, 
had made small carvings. In the subsequent days. he organized 
a tent show in which he charged admission for showing these 
works of his art.

While living in Des Moines, Wesley Edwards had left for home, 
slipped into Carroll County, saw all his relatives and friends 
and then left again for Des Moines without any word of his 
whereabouts getting to officers.