Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-12-14
FOUL MURDER.
Officer Clarence e Wright. of Chiea.
20. Shot to Death While at His Post

| Officer Clarence f. Wright. of Chiea.
go. Shot to Death While at His Post
of Duty.
Officer Clarence E. Wright. of the
Desplaines Street Station, Chicago. Ill.
was foully murdered at $40 o'clock
Saturday evening by colored despe.
RADIO named Bill Alien, familiarly
known as the Colonel" whom he was
attempting to arrest. The scene of the
murder was in one of the tumble-dow
rookeries on West Washington street
near Canal street, used as a lodging
house and tenement by low coioreC
and disreputable white people. Officers
Wright and T. Folev had been detailed
by CAPTAIN Bonfeld to assist Detective
John Fletcher, the colored "fy" a
Central Station, in arresting Allen
whose desperate character was only
too well known by the..ofhcers. They
were trying to get in his room at No
81 West Washington street, and while
Aliens woman, known as Annie Hut
Crimson, was insisting that Allen iva:
not there, the later suddenly threw the
door wide open and fired directly a
Wright, who staggered back and fel
dead, with two bullets in the head. The
other officers Immediately drew then
revolvers, and a number Of shots were
sent after Allen as he went down the
stairs on the Jump and escaped. Al
attempt was made to follow him, bu
without success. The body of
THE MURDERED OFFICER
was removed to the Desplaines stree
| Sta oY7d
found that one bullet had entered the
right temple and the other just under
the outer corner of the right eye. The
bullets had both lodged in the brair
and death was almost instantaneous
This was the second murderous
affray in which Allen had participated
during the day, AMI the murder o.
Officer Wright resulted from the at,
tempt to arrest Allen for the first affair
Allen and another colored man named
| James Smead, who had been employed
on Pullman palace cats on the Chicago
& Northwestern railroad were dis
charged on the charge of stealing but
ter and provisions from the Pullman
company. Allen was employed as q
waiter and Smead as cook. In the
same working gang with them was
William Jones, colored waiter, whom
the other two suspected of being the
cause of their discharge. In fact, they
had but little doubt, and while Jones
was at work in one Of the Pullman
cars at the Chicago & Northwestern
depot, corner Wells and Kinzie streets,
| they made a murderous assault upon
him. Allen had q carpenters hammer
| in his hand, and ne thrice struck Jones
viciously with it on the head, knocking
him senseless.
LEAVING HIM 'R DEAD,
with fractured skull. The murderous
pair then ran out Of the car and escap-
ed. Jones was laid out on one of the
berths, and DR.. Isham, the company
physician, was Immediately summon
ed. In dressing Jones' injuries he took
ten splinters from the wounds. The
Larrabee street patrol removed the in
jured man to the County Hospital
| where the physicians in attendance ex-
amined the wounds and pronounced
them exceedingly dangerous, probably
| fatal. Steps were Immediately taken
for the arrest of Allen and SIN cad, and
| the warrants intrusted to Detective
John Fletcher. Not knowing Allen per
sonally, though he had heard of his
recklessness, he secured the assistance
of William Hizer, of No. ia Harrison
street, who knew Allen, to point him
out. They proceeded to the locality
where Allen lived, and, after s. short
watch, wc1e rewarded by seeing Allen
enter the house. They saw him enter
room IL, No. 81 Nest Washington
street, and knew they had their man
Gagged. Leaving Hizer to watch, the
detective then made application to
Captain Bonfeld for assistance, feeling
that Allen would not be easily taxed
and would
MAKE DESPERATE FIGHT.
Officers Wright and Foley were sent,
and returning to Hizer, they learned
that Allen was still in the house. Leav-
ing Foley down stairs, Fletcher,
Wright and Hizer went up stairs.
Wright raped at the door, the other
two standing slightly to one side. The
Hutchinson woman opened the door,
and in response to the officers inquiry
for Allen, said he was not at home.
Hizer, who knew different, insisted that
he was IN the room, and as the officers
made an attempt to force open the
door, it being then but slightly open,
it was suddenly thrown back, exposing
Allen with cooked revolver. He coma
menced firing Immediately, the first
two bullets hitting Wright in the head,
AS he staggered back he interferred
with Fletcher, Hizer being unarmed
sprang back as Allen continued firing
and gave him free path down stairs.
Fletcher emptied his revolver after
Allen but, as far as known, without eff
feet. On reaching the sidewalk
ALLEN TURNED AND FIRED
directly at Hizer, who was following,
but did not hit him. He then ran
north through the alley between Gin
ton and Canal streets, and it is believed
afterward got to the South through the
Washington street tunnel. The police
are making strenuous efforts toIcapture
him, but up to midnight had been un-
successsni. AS ne has many friends on
the various Pullman cars running out
of the city, the police fear that he
might have got out on one, and have
telegraphed full description of him
to the neighboring cities.
The murdered officer was q fine
looking man, about % years old, and
the picture of physical health, and
though but six months on the force,
had done some excellent work and
gave promise of being numbered
AZ ~