But in a mountain community up in Virginia, a tragedy was about to take place.
March 14, 1912, is a day still remembered and talked about by many who grew up in or near Hillsville, Virginia, or around North Carolina.
Thanks to my husband's great-grandpa's wisdom back then, or I might not have the husband and kids I have today!
My husband's Grandpa John, age 19 and not yet married, had wanted to go to the Carroll County courthouse the day Floyd Allen was on trial. His father said he shouldn't go because he felt like there would be trouble. I'm so glad that Grandpa John listened to his father!
The following abbreviated history is based on multiple eye-witnesses, and accounts of their stories.
Even with many similarities, there will always be conflictions and differences of opinion as to which was correct.
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| Floyd Allen |
Others inadvertently played a part in leading up to the tragic day in 1912. Some months earlier, Wesley Edwards, nephew of Floyd Allen, had kissed another young man's girl at a corn shucking. It was said that if you shucked a red ear of corn, you got to kiss the girl of your choice.
This led to Wesley and his brother Sidna Edwards (not to be confused with Sidna Allen, uncle to the Edwards young men, and brother to Floyd and Jack Allen) getting into a fight with the other young man and his friends. Wesley and Sidna claimed to be in self-defense, but upon facing several charges (including assault with a deadly weapon), fled to Mt. Airy, NC, to evade arrest for a little while longer.
Although appearing to be innocent in the initiation of this fight (the charges did seem damaging), according to a documentary I watched, these young men were the muscle that ensured that the accounts of their Uncle Sidna Allen's store were never long in being paid in full.
Later, upon being taken back to Virginia, their Uncle Floyd saw them and got into an argument with the two arresting deputies over how his nephews were tied up. This resulted in a fight in which Floyd beat one of the deputies with the deputy's own pistol. Some accounts say he was beaten unconscious. The other deputy, after grappling with Wesley, had fled, firing a shot at Floyd while the two young men escaped.
Floyd afterward said that he had not meant to free the brothers, but simply didn't like that the deputies had tied his nephews.
A few days later, Floyd did turn the Edwards brothers in to face their charges, but he also faced serious charges himself for the assault of the deputy.
When Floyd's case came to trial nearly a year later, there were many witnesses and conflicting accusations.
On March 13, a ruling was not reached, and the proceedings were continued the next morning.
The day of the verdict was March 14, 1912. There had been much rumbling as to potential trouble at the courthouse since Floyd was determined not to go to jail. This was no casual defiance in light of many thwarted attempts at jailing or penalizing Floyd Allen in the past. And indeed, not only were the officials armed (having received death threats), but the Allens themselves came into the courthouse bearing pistols and shotguns. In addition to Floyd's presence, there were Floyd's sons Victor and Claude; one of his brothers, Sidna Allen; Jack Allen's son, Friel; Sidna and Wesley Edwards, and several more relatives.
At the sentencing of one year's imprisonment, Floyd Allen arose slowly, then announced, "Gentlemen, I ain't a-goin'."
A shot was fired, and immediately the courtroom became filled with shots and screams as bullets whizzed and people tried to evade them in the chaos. The shooting wasn't limited to the courtroom, but continued outside as spectators, court officials, and the Allens either shot at each other or fled, leaving a judge, prosecutor, sheriff, and a juror dead, and a witness that died the next day, and seven more wounded.
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| Sidna Allen and his nephew, Wesley Edwards, handcuffed after their arrest |
Many of the Allens involved in the shooting headed for the hills, but all were captured within a month except Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards who fled the state. Floyd Allen was wounded too badly to escape and holed up in a nearby hotel where he was arrested the next day. After an extensive, 6-month manhunt by Baldwin-Felts detectives, Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards were apprehended.
Floyd and Claude Allen had received the death sentence, for both had been accused of firing the first shots, although the Allens claimed it was the deputy clerk Dexter Goad because of politics. Both Sinda Allen and Wesley were convicted of murdering the same three men but neither were given the death penalty. Some believe that these two received less severe sentences since the hot anger had died down somewhat by the time they were captured. Others also confessed to some of the same murders, but with all the bullets flying, one would be hard pressed, even with today's forensics, to say which bullet actually did the killing. I suppose if one didn't, the next would. =(
It's dismaying to think of so many deaths over Floyd Allen's refusal to serve a year in prison...
Then I wonder how many people may go to hell because of my refusal to share the gospel?
I'm sure some of the people attending court that day never thought it would turn out the way it did. I'm not sure if any of the wounded suffered long-lasting damage. I don't know if any lives changed for the better after their close brush with death.
I do know I'm thankful that I know where I'm going when I die. I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was just 10 years old. When I think of those who are without Christ in their lives, who live day-to-day without being able to cry to Him when they need Someone, who don't know that there is hope, that they can have joy and peace in knowing they will go to Heaven when they die... it just breaks my heart.
I want anyone reading this to know that it is possible to know for certain that you will go to heaven when you die. ANYone can get salvation. And it's free!
Some may think they are too good to go to hell, but the truth is, no one is good enough to go to Heaven!
--Romans 3:10 "As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one."
--Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
The penalty for sin is death.
--Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death..."
So if we're not good enough to go to Heaven, and the penalty for sin is death, how can we get there?
About 2,000 years ago, Jesus paid our way!
--Romans 5:8 "... God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
--The rest of Romans 6:23 says, "..but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
It is a gift! And it is free; all you have to do is accept it.
--Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
--John 1:12 "But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name."
--Acts 16:31 "...believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..."
All you need to do is pray and ask the Lord to give you salvation from your sins. It's that simple. Receiving a gift is pretty simple isn't it?
If you are a new Christian, one important thing to know is that the good feeling you have now may change sometimes. Being a Christian doesn't make me perfect. I still get angry and sin. Sometimes I feel far from the Lord. This usually happens if I haven't been reading my Bible daily and praying. There have been a few times when I doubted that I had been saved! Then I know I need to get back to reading every day, and as I read, I grow so much closer to the Lord.
If you are still reading and haven't made the decision yet to accept Christ, but would like to know more about salvation, please read God's Simple Plan of Salvation.
Please don't put it off until too late.
In Christ,
Sources:
-The Roanoker (a little more objective)
-Wikipedia (many things written here, I have also read elsewhere)
-Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court (a documentary)
--Two reviews of the documentary (written by descendants)
-I have also read The Courthouse Tragedy, Hillsville, VA, written by Rufus Gardener. The Roanoker article implies that the author was sympathetic to the Allens. It has been some time since I read it, but much of it sounds sound pretty close to what I've read and heard elsewhere, although it did seem slightly less intense in some accounts.
I would liked to have gone to the play that is being performed several weekends this month, but failed to get tickets in time. Thunder in the Hills, researched and produced by Frank Levering, is being performed 11 times this month in the Hillsville courthouse. Two additional performances were added to the original 9, and sold out in 5 hours.
ETA: I saw a short segment of a practice that someone had posted online. One man used language we would never use, so I'm glad I wasn't able to go. I failed to consider the fact that most of those men likely had foul mouths, and that it would be included in the play. 🙁
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