Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-02-16
H. B. ALIENS FATE.
The LlfeIess Body Of the Missing Man
Found in a Canebrake.
Death from ExhaustiOn After Nearly
Three Days in the Woods.

The anxious and protgac.ed search for
the missing merchant, T. g. Allen, was
| terminated on Sunday by the discovery Of
his body in a eanebrake near the river bank,
about three miles below the city. 1t was
| found by party Of negroes, consisting of
Richard McGsvock, William and Tom
Deaderick, Henry Ware and George
| Vaughan. who were out with their dogs,
and probably looking for the lost man, as
| thew had been told Of bis disappearance.
The body was first seen by Ware, between
10 and Ii o'clock A. II, and the rest being
/ called to the place, they concluded at once,
| from the description they had heard, that
| it must be that Of Mr.. Allen. The rest
remainis~ TO g.."h &c q o. s .,,. mr.
cured horses and made haste to bring
word Of the discovery. The news spread
rapidly throughout the city, and became
| the subject Of much conversation and spec
rlation-such was the general Interest felt
in the lost man.
| Coroner Brantley, being notified, set out
between y and O'Clock, with a consider
able party, for the spot where the body was
| found, which is in the bend Of .he river,
about midway between Buena Vista and
/ Hyde's Ferries. The canebFake, covering
| from aquarter 10 half an acre, was very
thick and tangled, and the ground marshy.
| A way had to be cut out before the body
| could be removed.
| G. @. Cautrell, VIM. Warner, S. n.
| Ward, Thomas Porter, Is. w. Council, j.
w. Stewart and Lewis Bryan, were quall-
| fed as a jury Of inquest.
No one had yet gone near the body, as
/ no tracks could be found in the soft ground
/ Immediately about it. The Coroner is
satisfied that he himself was the first LAY
/ a hand upon il. So far from any marks OF
violence, there was not a scratch or the
sign Of a death-struggle. The body lay
upon the back in position indicating that
| the unfortunate man, in stepping down a
/ decliyity, had cot his feet entangied in a
| parcel Of cane and fallen down, unable TO
| extTicate himself. The features were
| placid, almost wearing smile, and looked
as if he had slept into death. His clothes,
al Of which, including the overcOat and
OvershOes, were still on, were saturated
with water from the rain which fell during
the latter part Of Sunday night. Nothing
was missing but his hst. The unexpected
fact that the body had not stihened, con
WINGED the jury that Mr.. Allen had been
ability died Sunday morning.
The negroes, by whom the body vas
| found, were sworn and examined. Their
| testimony related merely to the discovery
Of the remains, as set forth above. Martin
AnkenbaUer, a German, said he was out
looking for Mr.. Allen Saturday evening and
was in a canoe rowing along near the bank
in the neigh1orhood Of this canebrake,
when his dog bayed something IN the
swamp, which be thought might have been
Mr.. Allen, but it was then too dark to 60
out and look.
The juTy's verdict was that the deceased
came to his death by arrangement and ex-
pOsure.
Mr.. Allen vas missing three DAYS, hay-
ing disappeared from his family and
friends Thursday morning. He was at the
store (Buckner & CO.'s) attending to bust
ness all day Wednesday, and nothing pc
cUliar was observed in his manner. He
had suffered long time from a chronic
neuralgia affection, but was not IN tie
habit Of complain ne, OF even speaking Of
his disease, except 10 persons with whom
ne was intimate. As a medicine he had
been using morphine in doses Of I grain.
On Wednesday he purchased one grain
and took a quarter Of a grain Of this be-
| fore leaving the store. II would have re-
| CURED a dose Of seven grains, in the Opin-
| ion OF the prescriptiOnist, TO have danger
| Ously affected him. Before living down at
night he took another dose and rested well
| through the night. The next morning he
| went TO market, bought bis marketing, and
| sent il home as usual. After that he was
No a1f-a In his E4vsaf
| friends. l. is very clearly settled that he
wandered of in a delirioUs state Of mind,
| induced by the small doses Of morphine
| he was in the habit of taking, and died Of
/ exposure and hunger. He must have been
without food Cor three days and nights.
This explanation Of his untimely taking
of is in thorough accordance with his life
aud character. He was a consistent mem
Der of the Methodist Church, kind hus-
band, a loving father, and an industrious,
capable and prudent business man. His
wife and two children have the deep SYM
Pathy Of a large circle Of friends and &C
quaintances.
That the UCfOrtunate gentleman was not
found before death overlook him was not
due to lack Of thoroUghness or peEever-
ance in the search made for him. a large
party VI lis AAlEAAass sklgAAAAAF NAAtAta NA4N
young men, organized, by dividing their
number into squads, with particular terri
tory assigned 20 each, and secured the city
and surrounding country night and day.
D ligent search was directed down the
river.
The funeral will take place to-day at IL
O'Clock from McKendree Church.
TRIBUTE OF RESPECT.
go 1ro Irr1s-.nuc ~ Mech
Vile was held at the store of Evans, Fife *
Porter, yesterday afternoon, for the purpose
of paving a tribute Of respect to the late
Harris 3. Allen, whose sudden death has
cast a gloom over the entire community.
Thompson Anderson occupied the chair
and Leonard PaTzes acted as Secretary.
MessTs. J. W. Manner, J. II. Ewiu, CIV.
Peden, L. B. Sample and r. W. Jennings
bic resolutions.
The committee reported the following,
which were adopted:
Whereas, it has pleased a gracious but
mysterious Providence to remove from our
midst, BIZ death, Harris B. Allen, esq, OF
this city; therefore
Resolved, that our business community
has lost one Of its brightest, best and most
eNiELEeSlAAl AIEAuuElog A44nl VIC ACNlAg "
plOTe his loss, and will cherish his memory
as a man of truth, honesty, justice, and Of
an untarnished reputation.
Resolved, that, as an evidence Of our
high esteem for the deceased, we viii al
tend, in a body, the funeral services, to be |
held in McKendree Church to morrow.
Resolved, that we tender the sympathies |
Of the mercantile community to the be- |
reaved widow and the orphan children Of |
the deceased.
Resolved. that the secretary Of this meet
ing be requested to furnish copies Of these |
proceedings TO his family and also the press !
The chairman appointed the following !
gentlemen as pall-bearers: II. B. Bdckner, |
J. ". Manner VIM. Porter, r. w. Jeu- |
nings, ". 9. Dibrell, RObt. Conway, Rich
ard BUfOrd, G. w. Peden, ?. 5. Hollins |
and Leonard Parkes.
The meeting then adjourned.
-a-mlno--