In the small mountain town of Hillsville, Virginia, a tragic event unfolded on March 14, 1912, that would claim the life of 19-year-old Nancy Elizabeth "Betty" Ayers. A witness at the Carroll County Courthouse, she was caught in a violent eruption of gunfire that has since been dubbed the "Hillsville Massacre." The chaos began inside the courtroom moments after Floyd Allen, the patriarch of a powerful local clan, was found guilty of assault and sentenced to a year in prison.
Upon hearing the sentence, Allen declared, "Gentlemen, I ain't a going," and a shootout immediately erupted between the Allen family and court officials.
Amid the hail of bullets that tore through the courtroom, Ayers was struck in the back by a stray shot as she tried to flee. In the ensuing melee, Judge Thornton Massie, Sheriff Lewis Webb, Commonwealth's Attorney William Foster, and a juror named Augustus Fowler were killed. Several others were wounded in the brief but intense gun battle that lasted only a few minutes. Nancy Ayers was gravely wounded and succumbed to her injuries the following day. Accounts from the time describe her being shot near the beltline, with the bullet lodging near her right breast.
The suspects, members of the Allen clan, fled into the mountains immediately after the shooting, sparking a massive manhunt. The wounded Floyd Allen was unable to ride a horse and was soon captured at a local hotel. Other family members, including his son Claude, his brother Sidna, and nephews Wesley and Sidna Edwards, were also sought. Over time, all the wanted men were apprehended. Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards managed to escape to Des Moines, Iowa, but were captured there six months later by Baldwin-Felts detectives.
The trials for the courthouse shooting were moved to Wytheville. Floyd Allen and his son Claude Allen were both convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. They were executed by electric chair on March 28, 1913. Other members of the family received lengthy prison sentences for their roles in the deadly shootout. Friel Allen was sentenced to 18 years, Wesley Edwards to 27 years, and Sidna Allen to 35 years. Sidna Edwards pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a 15-year sentence. The governors later commuted the sentences of the surviving Allen family members who were still in prison.
