The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1871-12-22
A Career Puli Of Romance.


TEcre died lately al Bright Star Hop
kins County, Texas, q typical Western
American az class nov swiftly Passing
out. "Cor tack Alien" was wellknown
AN ovor the Southwest, aud was the
hero of many startling achievements.
Bold. impulSise, and reckless, u crack
shot and q superb horsaman, capable Of
the most romantic generosity, and q per-
feet Corsican IN pursuit ut The cshdes'a,
he was at cned terror and an admlra-
ton wherever he went. The fringe of
civilization sweeps increasingly ON, and
Just GA the forests and the red men mslt
away before il, 10 do adventures OF the
type Of Col Jack Allen men half aayag'
es, half fine gentlemen men equally at
home at war, field sport, the duel, the
har~room, and the gaming.tahle. bat, ~
q rule, less prv@en.ahle elsewhere. We
would exempt from the latter uualifca.
ton the singular hero we describe, for
he added conrtliness 10 his other graces,
and has been credited with no little sue
cess with the fair,
Very early in life Allen was unlueky
enough 10 kill man in Shelby County,
Kentucky " In but right ta say that
the Community regarded his oct as one
If self.deiense, aud that the jury, when
he was tried for murder, acquitted him
on that ground The affair neVerthe-
less. embittered him. and he soon after
started for Missouri, subsequently,
with single companion, he went clear
through the Indian Territory and thence
4 into Texas, War Was then going ON
with Mexico, and Allen plunged into Il
4 with characteristic daring. He was with
I Sam Houston at the battle Of San Jacln-
4 10, which ended the straggle, and after
/ this returned home For time he be-
came farmer. But the bugles soon
sang ON the banks of the Rio Grande,
and beginning came of that end which
saw TAYLOR the visitor of many bloody
battles, and Scott debating peace from
the "halis OF the MonteEumas. Allen
straightway raised a company OF cavalry,
and, with splendid body of followers,
helped Humphrey Marshall TO cut the
enemy 10 pie es al Buena Vista AT the
end OF the war, Col, Allen was ON his
oars, and quite at @ loss what 10 do,
Like many other of the wild spirits Of
the Southwest, he was too restless and
fond Of excitement for life Of mere
agriculture or trade, and was soon cast
ing uneasily about in search Of adven-
tare. We ind him accordingly, soon
after the peace, raising q band Of
Kentuckians, and becoming conspicuous
among the leaders Of the celebrated
.. first Cuban expedition. he got oh
with his men from a Southern port, and
made his way TO the island OF Contoy,
near the coast of Yucatan. The theory
/ OF this expedition was that the Cuban
CreoleS, In great numbers, were ready
to revolt, and would rise at once ON the
Advent Of the "fihbuSters" from the
4 United States. But when, after three
weeks stay at Contoy, Allen sailed 10
y Car1enas, his rebel allies informed him
that his force was too small To be eHechial
and he had better 60 back again. This
FCol Allen would, doubtless, quietly have
done. The Cuban authorities, however,
had other views, and, advised Of the
plans of the invaders, came down upon
them with n heavy force. Allen here
gained undeniahle laurels. He repalSed
in handsome style every attack Of a
greatly superior command, and, with
trifling loss, got away in safety He
then sailed for Key West, and when with
in few miles OF that place. WAS attack
ed by the Spanish frigate PiArfo. Again
he succeeded in making his escape, aud
got unharmed into Florida. This was
in 1850, and next year the Cuban fever
was raging. and Col. Allen, operated
under Lopez, was raising men and or
ganiEing a new tOray. The fate Of the
Lopez Expedition is well known. Lopez
was garrotsd, aud poaaC sho,.
Allen was in New Orleans M the time,
and so was unh armed. Other expedi-
tions were subsequently planned in which
Gen. Goieouria WAS prominent ana
Allen always hal q part-but they all
fell through and Cuba for q time was lefl
in peace.
Allen now turned his eyes 10 Nicaragua
Anything in the shape Of iilibUstcr-
ing" had charms for him, and the am
bilious designs Of Walker found in him
n ready sympathixer. lie sailed for
Nicaragua IN May, 1896, with two hun,
dred men, and joined Walker soon after.
Allen did not however, appear 10 get on
with the grey-eyed man Of destiny,
or to believe in his success At any rate
he soon went back tn Kentucky, and be-
gan getting up another Cuban expedi-
ton. He proposed 10 take his men from
Nicaragua. to join in this new under
taking, in WHICH Goicouria was also in-
terest. The movement was prevented,
and in October, 1856, Allen once more
went back 10 his farm.