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 Courthouse Tragedy Symposium On March 12-13, 2012, corresponding to the centennial dates of the trial of Mr. Floyd Allen, the first academic analysis of the Courthouse Tragedy will take place in the historic Hillsville courtroom. The symposium has been organized by a Citizens’ Committee and structured to examine three aspects of this horrific history: the culture, the conflict, and the consequences of the 1912 Courthouse Tragedy. On Monday morning, two seminars will look at certain distinctives of Southern culture; one will focus on the Courthouse Square and its roots in English jurisprudence. The vital role of the courthouse in public affairs has, tragically, made it a scene of violence in multiple southern judicatories. Mr. E. Gary Marshall, local amateur historian will present this topic along with an architectural summary of the Carroll County Courthouse construction by Col. Ira B. Coltrane in 1872. Dr. Richard F. Hamm, chairman of the History Department at the University of Albany in New York will speak on “The Place of Violence in the New South.” Dr. Hamm previously trained and taught at the University of Virginia and is well acquainted with this history. He will share his academic assessment of the cultural forces of the late-19th, early-20th centuries that contributed to the volatile atmosphere present in the Carroll County courthouse of 1912. Dr. Robert Hutton, of the University of Tennessee has studied the violence that characterized much of neighboring Kentucky in this period. The state was weak, travel was difficult, and communication was slow. Officially sanctioned law and order was thus hindered. Citizens formed and adjudicated their own justice. Did the Allens just naturally take the law into their own hands; and did they immediately realize the enormity of their actions? Dr. Hutton will address the audience on Monday afternoon. Mr. John A. Velke III is a professional security consultant in Washington, D.C. He has long gathered information on the early detective agencies that served governments and corporations across America before the advent of State Police forces. Mr. Velke researched the definitive history of the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency; his book was published in 1997. Mr. Velke’s presentation will be illustrated with artifacts of the agency and ephemera of the period. Dr. Thomas Caceci, professor at Virginia Tech, an avid outdoorsman and gun collector will speak on the “Guns of the Courtroom” and offer his expert opinion on the various known hand-guns and calibers that contributed to the carnage of the Courthouse Tragedy. How probable was it that an accidental firing of an unfamiliar automatic ignited this affray? A panel discussion will follow the Monday afternoon sessions. The audience will be able to address questions to these symposium speakers and receive responses supported by years of study and experience. The panel will be supplemented by Mr. Ron Hall and Mr. Bill Lord; both acclaimed authors on the Tragedy. Monday evening, at 7:00 pm in the historic courtroom, the symposium will continue as Jack Hinshelwood, musician and Director of Virginia's Crook Road and Ricky Cox, instructor at the Appalachian Regional and Rural Studies Center at Radford University will provide a program entitled “The Tragedy: A Folk Song Perspective.” Specific Tragedy-Allens themed songs will illustrate a general study of dramatic ballads. The symposium continues, just as Mr. Allen’s original trial continued, on March 13. Mr. Rick Bowman has produced a documentary film he titled Hillsville 1912: A Shooting in the Court; this film will be shown as an effective visual summary of the events preceding, during, and following the courtroom gun-fight. This film includes interviews of the local historians who know this history best. Mr. Bowman uses animation to describe the 1912 courtroom and the principal participants in the Tragedy. Discussion about this film should be stimulating. Mr. Bill Lord, from Pittsburgh, PA, and author of The Red Ear of Corn, will offer his reflections on this history, especially as to new material uncovered and its significance since the 1999 publication of his book. The perplexing question of Who Fired First? will be examined by Mr. Marshall, an engineer and theologian by training, and a local history researcher by avocation. Does the identity of the first-fire-principal really delineate guilty aggressors versus innocent defenders? Was there a conspiracy by either party convened in the courtroom on March 14? Can who fired first, after one hundred years, be really known … factually, substantively, finally? Mr. Marshall will examine the evidence. An assessment of the conflict itself moves to a consideration of the consequences in the next sessions. The Tuesday afternoon symposium features retired Judge Michael Valentine from Fairfax, Virginia. Courtroom violence breaks out when a citizen is driven by a sense of injustice. How do people reach that point where they feel justified in resisting judicial process? Judge Valentine has instructed on court security for over thirty-years and uses this Carroll County event in his classroom. Mrs. Shelby Inscore-Puckett, professional educator and Historical Society founder has studied and will present a photo-illustrated program on the impact of this tragedy upon the principal families and culture. Some twenty-six children were directly affected by this historic tragedy. Hear their stories. Another panel of speakers with the audience will conclude this two-day seminar. Registration for attendance is required. Forms can be copied from the website: www.courthousetragedy1912.com. Passes can be purchased depending upon the days, mornings, or afternoons desired by the attendee. Cost is $60.00 for two-days (including Monday evening), $35.00 for either single day, or $20.00 for any half-day program. Registration forms are also available at the Carroll County Courthouse Museum in Hillsville during regular office hours. Seating is very limited; immediate registration is encouraged. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "Thunder in the Hills" The Live Performance of “Thunder in the Hills” Every performance is SOLD OUT-- no additional performances are scheduled at this time. Thank you for your support. DOORS OPEN ONE-HALF HOUR PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF THE PLAY FOR EACH PERFORMANCE. Centered Text Bold TextThe Museum is located in the Historic Carroll County Courthouse on Main Street in the Downtown Historic District of Hillsville, Virginia Hours:
FREE ADMISSION DONATIONS ACCEPTED 
is to Preserve and Present the History of the County of Carroll, Commonwealth of Virginia |
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