The Courthouse Tragedy, Hillsville, VA written by Rufus Gardner circa 1962 notorious Carroll County Courthouse Shootout

The cover design features portrait photos of key figures involved in the shootout, categorized by their fates:"Electrocuted": Floyd Allen and his son Claude Allen, who were executed in the electric chair at the Virginia State Penitentiary."Imprisoned at Richmond, VA.": Sidna Allen, Wesley Edwards, Friel Allen, and Sidna Edwards, who received lengthy prison sentences."Murdered": Jasper "Jack" Allen. The tragedy exploded during a routine courtroom trial where Floyd Allen was being sentenced to one year in prison for taking a prisoner away from a deputy sheriff. Upon hearing his sentence, Allen famously declared, "Gentlemen, I ain't a goin'," triggering a chaotic gun battle in open court. Within minutes, 5 people were dead—including Circuit Court Judge Thornton Massie, Sheriff Lewis Webb, and Commonwealth's Attorney William Foster—and 7 others were wounded. The incident dominated national headlines until it was bumped from the front pages by the sinking of the Titanic a month later

CONDITION: VG.-