Nebraska advertiser., 1877-06-21
FOUL PLAY.
COrOner's Inquest on the Death OF
Clark Allen.
4 Dark Case.

Last Wednesday, just as we were
gong to press with our paper, we re-
ceived news, and made mention in an
item, that Clark Allen, an old resi-
dent farmer of many years of Glen
Rock precinct had died the day before
-Tuesday-that there were circum-
stances connected with his sickness
and death which led to suspicion that
there had been foul play-that he had
been poisoned-that a foul murder
had been committed by some person
or persons. These reports coming
from authentic sources to Coroner
Ebright, he at once gave the matter
his official attention. He procured
the professional services of DR.. A. s.
Holiday, and with the doctor and
Sheriff Plasters went out TO the Allen
farm. The coroner summoned jury
and proceeded to hold an inquest.
The evidence elected was sufficient to
justify a chemical analysis of the
stomach of the deceased /; and Dr.
Holiday performed a post mOrtena
operation upon the body and took out
the stomach which was placed In a
glass jar, the jar sealed and sent to
Prof. G. E. Bailey, analytical chemist
in the State University. Lincoln. AT
ter sufficient evidence had been
brought out to justify this proceeding,
the inquest was adjourned to Wednes-
day the Goth inst, when Prof. Bailey
will be present at the inquest and
make known the result of his exam
ination of the stomach.
During the examination in the
presence of the dead man, facts were
elicited which leads strongly to the
opinion that the wife of the deceased
and her son Frank Allen are guilty Of
administering poison to the husband
and father.
We shall not attempt to give all of
the rumors, gossip, aud neighbOrhOod
talk that are afioat, but only few of
the mostpertinent points of testimony
at the inquest.
Allen and his wife separated some
time ago and lived apart. A divorce
suit is now pending between them.
He remained on the farm in Glen
Rock and she lived with her father,
Mr.. Jemison, In the southeast corner
of Otoe county. Clark Allen was un-
healthy and kept bottle of medicine
of which be used occasionally, as
may be presumed according to direc-
tions. On Saturday, June I'd, Mrs.
Allen visited the farm to see Allen, as
was supposed, on some business. mat
ter. They had violent quarrel dur
ing their interview. Frank Allen
the son, who is about fifteen years old,
said that on that day his mother told
him that In a certain place he would
find bottle, and that if he would pour
the contents of that bottle
into the old man. : medicine bottle she
would buy him a new flute. And the
boy says he did as his mother request
ed him to do, and did it at once.
On the morning of the next day fol-
lowing the old lady's visit. Allen, be-
fore sitting down to breakfast, went
to his bottle and took q dose of HE
medicine. Within q few minutes
he was taken violently sick,
and showed all the symptoms of hav-
ing swallowed ursenical poison. AZ
ter ten days Of intense suffering he
died.
It Is proper to say here that Allen
had two bottles of medicine, and that
the boy has told different stories as to
what bottle he poured from into the
medicine his father was taking. But
this. question seems to be settled by
witness, Mrs. Lambert, who
lives I'm Aliens house. and. whose
husband attends the farm. She says
she saw the boy, Frank, pour some
kind of fluid into the old man's med
icine, and identifies the bottle.
Mrs. Lambert's testimony is
in another particular
That Mrs. Allen said to her that AL
len would not live to attend the d.
vorce trial next fall-"No, he will not
be alive a week from now"
The above appears to be the strong
est testimony adduced against the
woman and boy. If the chemist finds
the contents of the bottle from which
the boy poured into his fathers med
icine, to be poison, it will make the
case still stronger against them.
There being sufficient grounds to
hold Mrs. Allen and her son in cus-
tody, Sheriff Plasters proceeded to
make the arrests Immediately, and
she and the boy are now under guard
in this city.
Prof. Bailey is here now to tell the
result of his examinations, and while
he refuses to make any statement to
us regarding the matter, he has stated
to another that be found traces of
poison in the stomach, and that the
bottle contained arsenic.
AS we have to put our paper to press
before the conclusion of the inquest,
we cannot this week give the findings
of the coroner's jury.
Head Light OH sat IEuddart's.
IfE CREAM, ICE cDEEEs