{"product_id":"the-courthouse-tragedy-hillsville-va-99515","title":"The Courthouse Tragedy, Hillsville, VA written by Rufus Gardner circa 1962 notorious Carroll County Courthouse Shootout","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe 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\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCONDITION: VG.-\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vintage Bookworms","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44359455211607,"sku":null,"price":64.61,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1555\/7303\/files\/il_fullxfull.8639037031_pfuw.jpg?v=1790605026","url":"https:\/\/vintagebookworms.com\/products\/the-courthouse-tragedy-hillsville-va-99515","provider":"Vintage Bookworms","version":"1.0","type":"link"}