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Stories of Appalachia

Stories of Appalachia

The Death of Jack Allen: The Hillsville Aftermath

Stories of Appalachia · Nov 15, 2025 · 16:09

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Four years after the Hillsville courthouse shootout shocked Virginia, another one of the Allen brothers met a violent end. Jack Allen, brother of Floyd Allen, and once a constable in that Carroll County courtroom, was shot and killed in 1916 at a roadhouse near Mt. Airy, North Carolina. His killer, 24-year-old Will McCraw, claimed self-defense and was acquitted.

But the story doesn’t stop there.

McCraw may not have been a stranger to Jack Allen’s family and some believe he was nudged into the confrontation by men with unfinished business from Hillsville.

In this episode, Steve and Rod follow the trail from the courtroom to the roadhouse, tracing rumors of revenge, Baldwin-Felts detectives and a possible family connection to the killer.

It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia.

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Thanks for listening.

Episodes: Stories of Appalachia

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