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September 2020 Shootout at the Carroll County Courthouse: 57 Shots in 90 Seconds BAY 1 1 2 1 3 2 3 Stage 1 10 Pistol, 10 Rifle, 4 Shotgun Pistols loaded with 5 rounds each and holstered. Rifle loaded with 10 rounds is staged in Window C. Shotgun is staged safely in Window D. The Courthouse Tragedy started with a kiss. A stolen kiss, actually, at a corn-shucking party in Fancy Gap in late 1910. It was a big to-do, often celebrated with music and probably more than a little liquor. One of the corn-shucking traditions was that if a boy discovered a red ear of corn, he was allowed to kiss the girl of his choice. According to the most widely accepted version of events, Wesley Edwards, one of Floyd Allen's many nephews, shucked a red ear of corn and kissed the girlfriend of one of his rivals. The next day, Wesley and his brother Sidna Edwards got into a fight with some of those rivals outside a church service. The Edwards boys were about to be charged for assault and other crimes, so they hot-footed it across the state line into Mount Airy, where the Carroll County law couldn't catch them. Start in Doorway with hands on pistols. When ready say “A KISS IS JUST A KISS!” At the buzzer, single tap the pistol targets in the following order: 1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3. From Window C, repeat the sequence on the rifle targets. From Window D, engage 4 shotgun targets until down. Stage 2 10 Pistol, 10 Rifle, 4 Shotgun Pistols loaded with 5 rounds each and holstered. Rifle loaded with 10 rounds is staged in Window C. Shotgun is staged in Window D. Weeks later, they were arrested by North Carolina lawmen and handed over to a pair of Carroll County deputies; Thomas "Pink" Samuels and Peter Easter who were to take them to jail over the mountain in Hillsville. Along the way, they met Floyd Allen, the boys' uncle. Floyd Allen was a rough character. He was 54 years old at the time and a man "who could be your best friend or your worst enemy,". He was also a merchant, alleged bootlegger and occasional deputy. He had a temper. He and his brother Jack even shot and wounded one another in a fight. Floyd and his brothers also possessed a measure of influence over county politics. Maybe too much influence for some folks' liking. They were unreconstructed Democrats in a county run by Republicans. So, when he saw his nephews being dragged off to jail, he sensed his political rivals had conspired against the family. Start in Doorway with hands your hat. When ready say “WE WAS ONLY FUNNIN’!” At the buzzer, double tap the pistol targets in the following order: 1, 2, 3, 2, 1. Move to Window C and with the rifle, shoot the rifle targets in the same order as the pistol. Move to Window D and knock down 4 shotgun targets from left to right. Stage 3 10 Pistol, 10 Rifle, 4 Shotgun Pistols loaded with 5 rounds each and holstered. Rifle loaded with 10 rounds is staged in Window C. Shotgun is staged in Window D. What happened next depends on whom you believe. According to the deputies, Floyd physically freed the boys, beat the deputies and smashed Samuels' pistol against a rock. Floyd, who despite his run-ins with authority had been deputized as a lawman on occasion, said he told the deputies they didn't have proper warrants for arrest and that he freed the boys without harming anyone, although he did admit to hitting Deputy Samuels. Regardless, Floyd took the boys to jail himself a few days later. He was charged with rescuing prisoners in custody, assault and maiming. His case was continued a couple of times until a trial date was finally set for March 11, 1912. Start in Window D with hands on pistols. When ready say “ONLY HIT PINK ONCE!”. At the buzzer, knockdown 4 shotgun targets from right to left. Move to Window C and engage the rifle targets in the following sequence: double tap 1, triple tap 2, double tap 3, triple tap 2. Move to the doorway and repeat the sequence on the pistol targets. BAY 2 1 2 3 4 5 Stage 4 10 Pistol, 10 Rifle, 2 Shotgun Pistols loaded with 5 rounds each and holstered. Rifle loaded with 10 rounds is staged on the horse. Shotgun is staged on the horse. Scores of spectators jammed the courthouse to watch the trial of Floyd Allen. Rumors of threats by the Allens ran rampant through the county. Judge Thornton Massie of Pulaski was urged to disarm everyone as they entered the courtroom, but Massie refused, saying he was there "to prosecute, not persecute." A well-armed crowd settled in for a two-day trial that finally began March 12, a day later than scheduled. Even Floyd, the accused, was packing. The case pitted the Allens against a dream team of their political enemies. Start at the horse with shotgun in both hands. When ready say “WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG!”. At the buzzer, with the shotgun, engage either the 2 knockdowns or the popper and bird. There is a 5 second bonus for breaking the bird but no penalty if it is missed. With the rifle, shoot the targets in the following order: 3, 5, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 1. Move to the forward position and with pistols, repeat the rifle sequence. Stage 5 10 Pistol, 10 Rifle, 4 Shotgun Pistols loaded with 5 rounds each and holstered. Rifle loaded with 10 rounds is staged on the horse. Shotgun is staged on the horse. The jury had not reached a verdict by March 13 and was sequestered in the Thornton Hotel next door to the courthouse. Floyd spent the night in his brother Sidna's fine new home in Fancy Gap, about 7 miles south of Hillsville. The next day broke cold and gray, as people filled the courtroom, a throng that included Floyd's sons, Claude and Victor, his brother, Sidna and several nephews. Floyd sat inside an area called "the bar of justice," a slightly raised platform cordoned off by a wooden rail on all sides. He was accompanied by his lawyer, W.D. Bolen, a retired judge. At about 8:35 a.m., the jury returned with a guilty verdict and recommended Floyd spend a year in jail and pay a $1,000 fine. Bolen, Floyd's lawyer, asked for bail while he worked on an appeal. Judge Massie denied the motion and instructed Sheriff Lew Webb to take charge of the prisoner. Floyd stood up, fumbled with the buttons on his sweater, and announced: Start with shotgun at Cowboy Port Arms. When ready say “GENTLEMEN, I JUST AIN’T A-GOIN’!”. At the buzzer, with the shotgun, engage the 4 shotgun targets. There is a 5 second bonus for breaking the bird but no penalty if it is missed. With the rifle, double tap the targets in the following order: outside, outside, inside, inside, middle. Move to the forward position and repeat the sequence with your pistols. Stage 6 10 Pistol, 10 Rifle, 4 Shotgun Pistols loaded with 5 rounds each and holstered. Rifle loaded with 10 rounds is staged on the horse. Shotgun is staged on the horse. Some said that the first shot was accidental, that it came from Sheriff Webb as he fumbled with an automatic pistol he had borrowed from a neighbor in case there was trouble that day. Other witnesses gave wildly conflicting testimonies. Some said the first shot came from the direction of Claude and Sidna Allen, but others said it came from the vicinity of Webb or Dexter Goad. Instantly, pistols popped and bullets screamed through the crowded courtroom for at least a minute. Start with the rifle pointing downrange. When ready say “DANGED AUTOMATICS!”. At the buzzer, with the rifle, shoot the targets in the following order : 1, 3, 5, 2, 4, 1, 3, 5, 2, 4. With the shotgun, engage the 4 shotgun targets. There is a 5 second bonus for breaking the bird but no penalty if it is missed. Move to the forward position and with your pistols, engage the targets in the same sequence as the rifle. Match Back Story In Hillsville, VA, nearly 100 years ago, Main Street was where Floyd Allen, minutes after his criminal conviction, blasted away with his pistol, wobbling on a bullet-shattered pelvis and knee. On March 14, 1912, bullets flew as members of the Allen family shot it out on the courthouse lawn with armed courtroom officials. Dozens of panicked citizens fled in all directions. Gunmen jumped on horses to escape into the mountains. The dead and the dying lay inside the courtroom, where the gun battle started. That's the day when members of the "Allen Clan" and local lawmen engaged in an epic gunfight that made national headlines and shook the community like an earthquake. In barely a minute, a judge, prosecutor, sheriff, juror and witness were killed or mortally wounded. A year later, a father and a son would die in the electric chair. In these parts, it's known as "The Courthouse Tragedy." The shootout proved to be a tipping point for Southwest Virginia, as the frontier-style old ways were brought kicking, screaming and shooting into the 20th century, when the rule of law would not be obliterated by clannishness and gunplay.

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