In the small, remote community of Hillsville, Virginia, a tragic event unfolded on March 14, 1912, that would leave a lasting mark on the town's history. On that day, Carroll County Sheriff Lewis Franklin Webb, a 64-year-old male, was shot and killed in a chaotic courtroom shootout. The incident, which also claimed the lives of a judge, a prosecutor, a juror, and a witness, erupted during the trial of Floyd Allen, a prominent local businessman.
The violence began just as the verdict was being read in Allen's trial. A group of his armed relatives, who had gathered in the courtroom, opened fire in an apparent attempt to free him. In the ensuing gunfight, Sheriff Webb was fatally wounded. He had only recently taken office in January of that year and was known for not typically carrying a firearm, though he had borrowed one on that fateful day.
In the aftermath of the shootout, Floyd Allen and his son, Claude Allen, were apprehended. They were both convicted for their roles in the deadly affray and were executed in March 1913. Several other members of the Allen family and their supporters were also charged in connection with the courtroom massacre. Some were convicted and received prison sentences of varying lengths, though a few were later pardoned. The estates of Floyd and Sidna Allen were seized to settle wrongful death suits brought by the families of Sheriff Webb and the other victims. The event, which propelled the small farming community into the national spotlight, remains a significant and debated chapter in the history of Carroll County.
