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Show FEUDIST ASKS THAT HIS ED! BE p LIFE Jack Allen Offers to Surren-der Surren-der His Relatives if Authorities Author-ities Will Agree to Protect Pro-tect His Boy. By International News Service. HILLS VI L1ID,- Va.. March 2d, "Give my boy Free! his life save him from the electric chair and I will surrender hlni to the law, as well as my brother Sldna and my nephews, Claude Allen and Wesley Edwards, Ed-wards, inside of five hours. "My kinsman are a whole lot to me, hut the boy Is my own flesh and blood j I'll do anything to keep hlni from a murderer's mur-derer's death." This- niessaiforriecordliig loap:cport widely circulated' hero today, was sent In from tho mountains by Jack Alien, who did not take part In the courthouse slaughter of two weeks ago, hut has been acting as head of the clan since its elilof-talD, elilof-talD, Sldnu. took to the wilds, and its patriarch, Floyd, was placed in the Koa-noke Koa-noke Jail. Jack declared through his messenger, the story had It, I hat ho knows the mountain fastness where the fugitives have been hiding and that he was willing to lead the posse of mountaineer scouts directly to the place tonight If his proposition propo-sition wa3 accepted. Looking Up Evidence. The officials here, before replying to this proposition, are said to ho trying to learn just how much" evidenco there Is against Freel whether his bullets were responsible for the death of any of the five persons who fell before the fusillade from tho desperadoes' lire. If there is no positive evidenco that he killed anyone, any-one, the answer probably will be, "Yes, bring them in and Freol may live." The proposal was brought, here tills morning, according to the report, by Barnard Bar-nard Allen, another son of Jack, who Is younger than his fugitive brother. Fre.cl. Barnard went directly to tho office of ex-Judge W. G. Bolen and told him that; tho outlaws had never been near capture: that they could defy their pursuers, and the only way they might, be taken was hy having their hiding place revealed by one who knew it Therefore It would he best for the authorities touigrcc to Jack's terms If thoy possibly could. Judge Bolen declines to discuss the story, declaring It "absurd." Prosecutor Landreth and Judgo Staples, who succeeded suc-ceeded the slain Judge Masslc on the bench, say they have heard nothing of such a proposal. Trial Begins. Court opened this morning for the preliminaries pre-liminaries of the trial of tho captured clansmen. It was a great occasion as all court days arc here, with spectators and litigants riding Into town on horseback, horse-back, drummers spreading forth their wares in the shops, groups of men standing stand-ing about and discussing the case and thirsty folk stalking: hero and there for "corn," ,rts the crystal produce of the moonshine still is termed. There seemed a certain significance to the old Virginia formula of opening' court, as repeated by Sheriff Gllllsple. who succeeded the slain Sheriff Webb. Beginning with the customary "O yecs," the formula concludes, "'God ?avo the commonwealth and the officers of this court." The last time it was repeated three of the court officers and two others were killed within an hour. Today's proceedings dealt solely with the attachments which were placed upon the properties of Floyd' Sldna and Victor Allen by the widows of Judge Masslo, Prosecutor Foster and Sheriff Webb. There was nothing exciting about the proceedings, pro-ceedings, but they wern interesting enough to keep tho attontlon of a crowd which filled the little court room and divided di-vided Its attention between Judge Staples Sta-ples and the bullet holes In the room walls. The relatives of the slain officer each brought suit for $10,000 against the Aliens. Al-iens. In order that these sums may be colleled in case the damage suits are won the Aliens properties, of which there (Continued on PagoTwo.) i 'T'HE WOMAN in the ufaer kotograk is Mrs. Floyd Allen, wife of tie leader of the Allen gang. In all of his interviews since his capture Allen has asserted the innocence of his son Victor. Tliegrouft picture shows the family of Victor Allen, who is also in jail. The lower picture is of a mountain hut, where the gang stofed in their fight from Hillsville FEUDIST ASKS THAT BOY BE GIVEN LITE (Continued From Page One.) was altogether more than ?50,000, aro in tho hands of tho law. R. E. Wills, of counsel for tho defense, contonded at the opening of court that the attachments should bo dismissed because be-cause they aro working hardships upon tho Aliens' wives and iMiildren. The stato's attorney declared. In answer to this, that If the attachments were dismissed dis-missed greater and permanent hardships would be worked upon the families of tho victims. If the properties were to be freed now the Aliens might sell or transfer trans-fer them and there would be nothing which the victims' kinsfolk might collect. Judge Staples also took this view nnd tho attachments were confirmed. Tomorrow Tomor-row counsel for the defense will Invoke the "poor man exemption" law. This Is an old Virginia statute of curious wording. word-ing. It exempts from seizure, among other things, the family Bible, a pew In church, six knives, forks and spoons, beds and chairs enough for tlie family, one cow and a calf and ten barrels ot com. It Is likely that tho Allen relatives will be given the benefit of this exemption. Tomorrow tho present Indlcaments against the Aliens will bo quashed and now ones will be brought up. There is a probability that the indictment against Victor Allen, who is in jail with his father. Floyd, in Roanoke, may bo dismissed dis-missed entirely and the boy turned free. It Is pretty well established that. Victor was unarmed at the time of the tragedy. After the matter of Indictments has boon disposed of, the date of the trial will bo set, probably April 15. Attorneys Halrston and Wills aro engaged en-gaged busily In Investigating every ono who was present in tho courthouse when tho mountaineers fired their fatal volley. Nearly two hundred persons will be witnesses, wit-nesses, among them every lawyor In Hlllsvllle. |
