The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, May 17, 1912, Page PAGE 7, Image 7
HOW THE ALUEN
TRIAL WAGS
EDITTOR J. E. JOHNSON OF THE
MT. AIRY NEWS, GIVES A DESCRIPTION
OF THE PROCEEDINGS
OF THIS FAMOUS MURDER
TRIAL AT WYTHEVILLE.
(From Charlotte Observer)
Having a good part of his circulation
in the territory divided by the
Virginia-North Carolina line where
the Aliens live, Editor J. E. Johnson
of The Mount Airy News has visited
Wytheville, whence the trial was removed
from Hillsville ,to get in touch
with the proceedings thus far. It is
* a most unusual state of affairs which
he describes. The court house, though
a modern and rather pretentious
structure, has a seating capacity of
not more than two hundred outside
the bar. It can seat only a small
proportion of those who would like to
attend, which circumstance facilitates
measures taken for the protection
of the court. A guard stands
within the door leading to the bar,
and no one may pass this cfoor except
lawyers, newspaper reporters,
court officers and witnesses. At the
door of the court room stands a Baldwin
detective, outside, and a Carroll
County special deputy who knows all
the people there stands with him. No
one who might be a friend of the
A It?? ? - - ? ? ?
Aliens may tsntci nmiuui uciug mov
searched. When all the seats are full
further admission is denied. Nor may
the spectators go in and out at will;
they must wait until the Judge gives
general permission, as he does from
time to time, and then the seats vacated
are filled by those who have
been awaiting the opportunity outside.
Armed detectives are in tbe
court room every minute of the day.
About a hundred and fifty witnesses
and interested spectators are attending
from Carroll County. These have
gone there prepared to stay for
months if necessary, many of whom
are not expcting to get home before
crops are laid by.
The trial, as observed by Editor
Johnson, progresses like a very slow
game of checkers in which each player
studies his men for ten minutes
before making a move. The attorneys
spend much time consulting the
record of testimony previously given
by the witnesses and contend at
lenartVi nvor ovcrv little noint Tn nil
there are about seventy-five witnesses
for the State and perhaps as many as
-fifty for the defense. Among the witnesses
for the State there is unconcealed
anxiety over the outcome. They
have no idea that the Allen crowd
oyould submissively abide by any
8?**--<*ly punitive result, and with this
opiniot^jpany 0ther people agree. It
is pointea-N^t that members of the
Allen faction "k the court room display
a nentire Qf apprehension
and no serious intv~*?t as jf the
proceedings mattered veryJn^e to
them. Floyd Allen, who is descftw,^
as neatly dressed and perhaps the
best-looking man in the bar has his
wife at his side part of the time.
Both sides are represented by able
and prominent counsel. Judge Staples,
presiding, appears to be a man
about forty-five years old, clean-sbav
en ana weigmng aoout one nunarea
and seventy-five pounds. He looks
the Judge and his rulings are positive,
but he has a pleasant smile and
no protests from the attorneys are
ever heard. The jury is composed of
young men,' three of them perhaps
forty-five and the rest not over twenty-five
or thirty. They are an intelligent-looking
lot. It is generally believed
that most of the jurymen will
never agree to anything less than a
verdict of first degree murder in
Floyd Allen's case, but that some of
the young men may stand out for a
verdict less severe. About a dozen
newspaper correspondents, representing
many Virginia and Northern papers,
are watching everything that
goes on.
It may well be supposed that counsel
for the Aliens will have difficulty
in putting any face upon their conduct
when Judge Massie and four
other persons were slain by the gang.
But this they confidently expect to do.
They will endeavor to show, says Editor
Johnson, that the massacre was
a free for all fight, that the Court officers
had prepared for a fight, were
expecting it and had made threats
and otherwise conducted themselves
in a manner calculated to bring on a
fight. When the State rests its ease
the defence will put up witnesses to
testify that the Court officials fired
the first shot and that the Aliens
merely acted in self defence. These
witnesses, however, will probably all
r> men wnose character end affiliations,
when proven, should weaken
the influence of their testimony a
great deal. All the State's witnesses,
while not by any means agreeing
upon every detail, unanimously declare
that Floyd Allen jumped to his
feet the moment the Sheriff was ordered
to take custody of the accused
and that the firing thereupon started
from the northeastern corner of the
room where Claud and Sidna Allen
-were standing on a bench. Some of
them freely admit that they then ran
and saw very little of what subsequently
took place. Lawyers for the
defence smile when asked if they feel
any hope. They declare, perhaps
partly for effect but with evident conchance
of any of the Aliens ever going
to the electric chair. Short or
moderate penitentiary sentences for
the worst offenders is the worst they
profess to fear. As Floyd Allen
stands indicted for five different murders,
he, at any rate, might get off
light or scathless on the present
trial and still face plenty of trouble
ahead. Ex-Judge Oglesby of Bristol,
of counsel fottthe Aliens, thinks there
is a fighting chance to get them completely
out. Talking with Editor
I T_1 ? --
uunnsun, ne said ne would argue that
the whole trouble was nothing less
than a feud, in which feeling is
against the Aliens principally because
they came out on top.
We have condensed these observations,
from the more than four columns
which they occupy in The
News, to convey something of the
atmosphere which surrounds this affair
at its present stage. We gather
the impression that there is indeed
little likelihood of any death sentence
for one of the most atrocious crimes
civilization has ever seen. It may
also be doubted whether the Allen
gang will ever deign to serve, if they
are called upon to serve ,any penitentiary
terms. The plea of mutual provocation
between the Court officers and
the Allen gang is, of course, transparently
absurd; the same plea could
be made for the latter if they shoot
up?as they may shoot up?the court
trying them now. Some precautions
had in fact been taken, though not
enough, as events fearfully showed,
and if desperadoes may with impunity
.murder Court officers whn Ko?o
been justly warned against them, including
a Judge who went on the
bench unarmed because he would
rather die than detract from the dignity
of his office, we might as well
abolish our Courts. But any sort of
plea will suffice where some mitigation
or extenuation is sought and
willingly accepted for letting several
or half a dozen or a dozen men off
light. We cannot put so many white
men to death, no matter what they
do; it is a hard matter to inflict anysubstantial
punishment at all. If they
can claim the dignity of constituting
a mob, custom affords them absolute
protection in nearly every community
of the South or, for that matter, of
the United States. "Lynching" is the
most potently protective word;
"strike" the next; "feud" the next.
If counsel for the Aliens can mjake
| any. sort of pretence that they constituted
a mob and that the affair
was a feud, the embarrassment felt
J-.lf '
in uuaung wnn so many defendants?
| particularly strong in their case?will
be solved. They will get off with
light punishment, if they are sentenced
to or accept any punishment at
all.
R. P. Whitlock Elected Cashier.
Landrum, May 12.?A meeting of
ttife directors of the Bank of Landrum
was held in rear of bank building
Friday. The president, H. B. Carlisle
of Spartanburg, and a majority
of the directors were present. R. P.
Whitlock of Spartanburg was elected
cashier, vice P. V. Cunningham, resigned.
The new cashier will entei
upon his duties about June 1. Until
then the bank will be looked after by
William Baynard and G. B. Hampton
H. W. Ackerman was elected a director.
A report was made on the
business being done by the bank
Everything is in good shape and the
usual three and one-half per cenl
semi-annual dividend will be paid,
?The State.
Mr. Whitlock has a host of friends
in Union and the county who rejoice
with him in his good fortune. Roy
is a fine young man possessing many
nne traits, and will make good anywhere.
Flatted Train With Shirt.
Tearing his shirt from his back an
Ohio man flagged a train and saved it
from a wreck, but H. T. Alston, Raleigh,
N. C.t once prevented a wreck
with Electric Bitters. "I was in a
terrible plight when I began to use
them," he writes, "my stomach, head
back and kidneys were all badly affected
and my liver was in bad condition,
but four bottles of Electric Bitters
.made me fed like a new man."
A trial will convince you of their
matchless merit for any stomach,
liver or kidney trouble. Price 60c
at The Rice Drug Company.
Higher EluMtinn
"What's the matter, Younghubby?"
asked Oldboy. "You look pale around
the gills."
"I guess it is lack of nourishment",
replied Younghubby. "My wife knows
100 ways to use a chafing dish, but
she can't boil an egg."?Cincinnati
Enquirer.
A Conscientious Clerk.
Lady Customer?I'm afraid none
of these hose will suit my husband.
Are you quite sure you've shown me
everything T
Weary Clerk?Absolutely, madam,
except the?er?pair I have on.?Boston
Transcript.
r Mm a,
V- ... - V
TWO OFFICERS KILLED;
THIRD MAKES CAPTURE.
Marshall and Deputy Ambushed and
Slain?Other Deputy, Wounded, ,
Takes Assailants Prisoner.
Gainesville, Fla., May 12.?Marshal
C. H. Slaughter and Deputy Sheriff
Charles White of Archer, Fla., were
decoyed to a lonely spot near there at
3 o'clock this morning and assassinated.
J. A. Manning, another deputy,
feigned death, and escaped after being
wounded. He shot one of the
murderers, capturing him and his
three sons, who are now in jail.
Shortly after midnight Marshal
Slaughter received a message ttaft
there was a "skin" game in progress
on the outskirts of the town. He
deputized White and Manning and
started for the scene. When the party
approached the scene everything
seemed to be quiet and they lay in
wait. Shortly after 2 o'clock the officers
started to reconnoiter and were
greeted by a volley of shots.
Marshal Slaughter and Deputy
White fell at the first fire, both being
dead when aid arrived. Manning also
fell with a wound in hi3 abdomen.
He feigned death, and as the negt{>es
started off shot Cain Perry, one Vof
the negroes, and at the point of,his
pistol held up the three sons who
were implicated in the shooting.
All four of the negroes were landed
in jail, and feeling runs high, violence
being feared.
The assassination of the two officers
follow the killing of Ben Stokes, a
notorious "blind tiger" operator, by
Marshal Slaughter several months
ago. Slaughter was forced to sboot
in self-defense.
Jonesville Items. ^
Jonesville, May 14th.?The echos of
the Confederate Veterans reunion at
Macon last week are about the same
as other reunions in the past. Good
service rendered by the reunion committee
at Camp Gordon in three 1
meals a day and fairly good lodging, 1
but aside from, this the blood ran
cold in the veins of hotel keepers,
boarding houses and lunch counters. 1
Appie ana pear trees are 3unering '
dreadfully from blight and seems like 1
we will have but few apples and
pears this year.
The graves of the Confederate sol- !
diers in the cemetery here were decorated
last Friday evening by the la- '
dies of the local chapter U. D. C.s and '
the children.
Several of our county candidates
were in Jonesvillc last Saturday and 1
some of them made speeches at Bow- (
an 'a store near the mill, town, s ^ k
Mr. J. E. Myers has moved with ^
his family from Winnsboro to Jones- 1
ville. Mr. Myers moved from Jones- !
ville about a year since.
But little farm work was done in 1
this community last week. Consequently
there is much of the corn and
cotton crop yet to be planted.
Mr. J. N. Littlejohn will move with
his family to Columbia this week.
M?- v
ma* v it nuuiit vi vyivoa ivvjro
was the guest of Mr. Thomas H. Gore
Monday night.
Local News of Tabor.
Mt. Tabor, May 14.?Tabor school
closed Friday and a picnic as usual
was given Saturday. We were all
very much disappointed about having
. the picnic at the church, but we enI
joyed a very pleasant day at Mr.
p Humes' vacant house. Many games
were played and the tables would nqt
' begin to hold what the baskets trfn;
tained.
Miss Bowie, the beloved teacher of
| Tabor, left for Easley Monday, where
qHa Wil] 1 anonrl n v?rV*ilft t?*tfU U/t?
w.?v tv ? opvxu n vt iiiiv nftVIl UCl D13UCI|
Mrs. Ellison. Every one regretted
very much to see Miss Bowie leave
but are glad to know that she will
( be with us for another term.
Mr. Jack Burgess of West Springs
, was in Tabor Saturday.
Miss Edna Baldwin spent Saturday
night with Mrs. Shands.
Mr. R. C. Shands spent the weekend
in Charlotte and returned Monday,
through the country in his Hew
car.
Miss Lily Askew returned Friday
after a few days' visit to friends in
Union.
Miss Mildred Askew spent the
week-end with her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. J. V. Askew.
Messrs. Ben Adams and Frank
Vaughan were in Tabor Sunday.
Miss Maude Baldwin spent the
week-end with her mother.
Master Jesse Byrd left Sunday for
Nealsville, N. C., where he will spend
the summer with his grandparents.
Mrs. J> R Askew returned Saturday
after a visit to her son, Mr. S.
C. Askew.
Mr. and Mrs. Tom! Cudd went to
Union Monday.
Mrs. J. L. Calvert spent Sunday afternoon
in Adamaburg.
Mr. Willie McDowal of Pacolet is
visiting Mr. Lewis Barnett.
Mr. Avery Byrd is visiting his
brother, M. R. C. Byrd.
Messrs. Albert MeWhirter and Miller
of Lockhart, were in Tabor Sunday
afternoon.
Mr. Dave Betsill has returned from -1
Spartanburg, where he attended the t
banquet of the U. C. T. I
"A Nuisance." <
Anarchy vs. Law and Order.
Editor of The Herald:
It has become rather common during
political campaigns for speakers
to be hissed and howled down by
some person or persons in the audience
who oppose them. In reply to
such a howl, a speaker recently said:
"Down with you anarchists! South
Carolina will never bow to anarchy
so long as she has a true son alive
to fight her battles." On reading this
mo viuoawim arose; "xias anarcny invaded
South Carolina?"
The Standard dictionary defines
"anarchy" as meaning "absence or
utter disregard of government, an unregulated
and chaotic condition of
society, social and political confusion
and disorder." The definition given
of "anarchist" is "a malcontent respecting
all existing institutions, regarding
them as essentially tyrannical.
One who would use violence to
destroy the existing social and civil
order of things."
Then the asarchist, considered
from the political standpoint is the
man who believes in no law and order;
who believes in no civilization;
who believes in no purity; who believes
in no government. It would be
difficult for the mind to think of a
more dangerous character than the
man who believes such doctrine and
who stands ready to sacrifice his life
can have no well defined belief in
God, and therefore must be an Atheist
,else he could not so ruthlessly
tear down and trample under foot all
obligations imposed upon him by human
and divine law, and stand brist
ling, like a porcupine, against all law
and order. Such a one is the very
personification of all that is repulsive
in human nature.
Selfishness is the foundation stone
upon which anarchy rests. So far as
in him lies, the anarchist endeavors
to gratify every evil passion and appetite
at the expense of law and order,
civilization, purity and good government.
The drink shops and the
gambling hells are the frequent resorts
of all such. It is hard to conceive
how lust could attain to greater
depth of degradation. Such selfishness,
which is always armed to the
teeth, leads to riot and bloodshed.
The anarchist is a rebel, and as
such should be treated by all who believes
in law and order| It is not a
question of better government with
him, but a desire for no government
for himself and a readiness to gratify
his desire by the seal of the ready
pistol, dynamite and infernal machines.
He cannot be classed with the laboring
man nor with the man o^:a like
l -
n?i. aac ciuuiuLUA wnn a kiss tno
man who runs the spindle and the
loom, and holds the plow, but the
man so embraced should understand
that it is the kiss of a Judas which
is given him with the purpose of
making him an agent of crime.
No law abiding citizen should be
unwilling to declare himself publicly
and boldly for the vindication of the
majesty of the law. All should be
supremely interested in seeing to it
that the laws which protect the Godgiven
rights of the people are respected
and obeyed. Against the ascendency
of anarchy, all good men
should take a stand, and if need be
in the battlefield and to the bitter
end. All good citizens should have
such a high regard for law and order
that they will see to it that all the
laws on our statute books are enforced,
and that no man or set of
men shall trample them under foot;
that they will see to it that men who
are paid by the public to protect life
and property and enforce the law,
shall not wink at crime of any character
nor draw salaries for their
fidelity in shielding the lawless; that
they will see to it that every officer
of the state, from governor down to
coroner, shall understand clearly that
it is his business to put down lawlessness
and crime of every kind and
maintain law and order.
If anarchy, "the abomination of
desolation," the demon of destruction,
is ever permitted to become supreme
in South Carolina, commerce will no
longer furl her white sails to the
breeze; the 'manufacturer will no
longer hear the hum of his spindles
and the machinery of his workshop;
the farmer will no longer reap the
golden harvest in abundance from
his soil, for the land will be filled
with violence and bloodshed.
Is South Carolina to be led hv m?i.
contents into a state of confusion, disorder,
riot and tumult? Into anarchy
? shall anarchists or the law-abiding
citizens of this state rule? "Let
him that thinketh he standeth take
heed lest he fall." "Sin is the transgression
of law" and "The wages of
in is death."
Let the slogan of every good citizen
be, "Hurrah for law and order!
Down with anarchy!"
RUPERT.
May 19, 1912.?In Spartanburg
Herald.
&r I
When fire destroyed Mrs. Alberta
Kee's cottage in Kershaw at midnight
ar^i. i? ?*-?<?
vTou.ioouajr, on mil inx a property loss
rf |2,000, with insurance of $1,200, it
slso consumed $1,600 in currency in a
hoe box which was kept in a closet.
^4. A^A A^A A^A J^A
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I EVERY ID
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*$* Every Idle Dollar ol
*$* to hard work.
? When your money ii
day and night?intere
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money is saie irom mi
A nights.
& Why not start a Sa
& your money earn futu
& We pay 4 per cent i
partment compoundec
$1.00 starts an accoun
& Wc Respectfully
I Citizens N;
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Y UNION, SOI
Capital and Surplus
HI? 4? 4? 4? 4? 4* ^ 4? 4? 4? 4* 4*
"KEEP YOUR IS
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Standing of Twel
<4t Showing Per Cent, c
?ft South Ca
Union Central 64%
?|t Prudential 52
Aetna 46
Equitable 38
?b Mutual Life 34
^ Travelers 25
The figures used in thi
?|f Preliminary Report of the
?ft Carolina, and are, therefoi
a This report shows thai
jP companies doing business
060.42 MORE THAN THE
<4* IN THIS STATE. This is
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ft uunars mure man trie iota
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THE RICE Dl
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JTH CAROLINA. Y
$60,000.00.j
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1QTSEY AT HOME" *
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>f Money Carried Out of 4?.
rolina in 1910 4"
Mutual Benefit 52%
New York Life.. 50 4*
Pcnn Mutual 39 jl
Life Ins. Co. of Virginia 35 *
Metropolitan .26 4*
Southeastern Life 00 ?
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is leaflet are obtained from the 4*
Insurance Department of South tire,
authentic. *|?
t, in 1910, the life insurance
in this State received $1,750,- X
IR TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS J
over Two Hundred Thousand
,1 cost of maintaining the State time
year. *]?
Home Company. t|LIFE
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