Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1879-07-15
Death of william Allen Of Ohio.

Ex-Governor William Allen of Ohio
died suddenly on July 18th at Fruit
Hill, his home near Chilicothe, in the
seventy fourth year of his age. His
death resulted fiom a complication of
diseases attendant upon old age.
He was remarkable man and his ca
reer one of much interest as will be seen
from the following sketch of his life.
Mr.. Allen was self-made, gilmore than
ordinary ability, and as public man
for many years occupied q conspicuous
position. He was born at Edenton,
Chowan county, N. G., in 1906, early
lost his parents, and then driftsd to
Lynchburg, Va, where he remained
until 1922, working as saddler's ap-
prentice, when he determined to 20 to
ChilicOthe, Ohio, where his half sister,
the mother of the Hon. Allen G. Thur
man, resided. Young Allen was poorly
educated but self-reliant, and he made
almost the entire trip on foot. in mid
winter, through frequent SHOWS and in
tensely cold weather, having as COM
panion a drover, and this for only a
portion of the distance. On arriving at
Chilicoths his sister placed him in the
academy there, where he remained two
years, and then, at eighteen years of
age, entered a lawyers Office. He was
admitted to practice before he was
twenty-one years of age, and before
reaching the age of twenty-four
had achieved considerable reputation as
ala II yer. particularly in criminal c.
SEES. In 1883 he received the Democrat.
ic nomination for Congress in district
which was Wing by from 1900 to 1900
majority; but he made brilliant can
vass, and was elected by one majority
in vote of 10000. At the next election
Mr.sAllen was defeated Ivy small ma
jority, but was l 500 votes ahead of his
ticket. In 1887, when only thirty-one
years of age. he was elected to the Unit
ed States Senate, and took his seat
March 4th, where he became q leader,
he went directly before the people of
I Ohio as a candidate for re.election. The
result was that the Democrats had q
handsome majority in the Legislature,
and Mr.. Allen was reelected without
opposition. In the Democratic National
Convention of 1848, which met in Bal
tinaore, so bitter was the contest between
the friends of Cas- and Van Buren,, the
leading candidates, that to prevent di
vision q committee composed of men
from both factions waited on Senator
Allen in Washington and urged him to
accept the nomination for the presiden-
cy but he Professionally refused to allow
his name to be used, taking the ground
that as he had been an earnest advocate
of Cass's nomination, to accept nomi-
nation himself would be betrayal of
his friend. He afterwards made can
vass of New York and Pennsylvania in
favor of Mr.. Cass. Mr.. Allen then re-
tired from public life, from which he
did not emerge again until 1874, when
he ran as the Democratic candidate for
Governorof Ohio, and was eisctad by
about 900 majority, his associates on
the State ticket all suffering defeat.
Mr.. Allen was again the Democratic
nominee for Governor in 1876, but after
a memorable contest was defeated by
General Rutherford B. Hayes. nov Pre-.
sident of the United States. Since then
he has been in political retiracy, but
vas understaod to be in vigorous health
for one of his years. Mr.. Howard Car
roll. of the New York ZSmes, who 10
Gently published an extended interview
with Mr.. sAllen, closed by speaking of
him as "the sometimes bitter but al
WAYS faithful partisan. the honest poll
ticisn, the statesman of the olden
timesH