Wichita eagle., 1889-05-07
A FEARFUL ORDEAL.
Changed Into an Old Man at the
Age Of Thirty-Six.
HDick" Allen, Although Possessed OF Iron
Nerve, Meets With an Adventure
Which Wrecks His Physical
System.

Occup-ing a seat in the reading
room OF a downtown hotel one day
last week. says the Alta California,
there might have been observed a
seemingly aged gentleman, whose hair
was gray and whose cheeks were shrlv-
eled. A pallor of death was on his
face, and frequently the muscles OF his
features would twist convuEively.
His name was Richard J. Allen. and he
registered himself as hailing from
Toronto, Ont
Five years ago Richard Alien, OF
Dick Allen, as he was Familiarity
known by his associates. owned or al
least claimed and occupied, stock
range of considerable area in Southern
Arizona, the Mexican boundary line
being distant but few miles He
owned large number of beef cattle
and was considered well-to-do.
Among the rough population Of the
border Allen was a power. He was
most generously gifted by nature, hav
ing a well-knit. athletic frame and a
mind well stored with knowledge.
But it was Aliens nerve which Sc
cured for him recognition and af1iuence
amid the cactus-flecked plains of
Arizona and New Mexico nerve
which knew no finching even in the
face of death. The greasers and
Indians soon learned to dread the tall
stockman, for in more than one en-
counter they had come off badly
worsted, and more than one unmarked
grave on the Mexican frontier bears
silent witness to Aliens unerring aim,
for he never heSitated to kill when he
thought himself justified. Very little
is considered justification among the
class with which Allen was associated.
So greatly was he feared and respected
by his wild companions and neighbors
that nothing bearing his brand was
ever molested, and the most daring
of the cowboys and outlaws seldom
tempted death by a too prolonged argu-
men with him.
As an illustration of his iron nerve
it may be related that at one time In
1884 he was given warning to keep
away from certain small settlement
some ten miles from his ranch. he
having incurred the displeasure of
gang OF notorious cut-throats there.
Allen smiled grimly as he read the
warning. then strapped on his re-
volver and set forth for the hostile
hamlet. He tied his horse in the rear
of d saloon and started to enter when
a pistol shot was heard and a bullet
whistled passed his head. Allen
turned. Not more than twenty feet
away stood Dan" half-breed Indian.
with a revolver in his hand. As Allen
turned three more balls passed in close
proximity to his head. He knew the
Indian had one shot left. With
scornful smile he said: Fire again,
YOU, and fire lower"
The Indian did so and the next in
slant his spirit had left the arid plains
of Arizona forever. Then Allen strobe
into the saloon, where at least half
dozen of his enemies were gathered,
and demanded to know who sent him
the warming No one answered and
after roundly cursing the gang for
their cowardice he left and went home.
For two months he battled hard with
death, for the last bullet fired by the
Indian had lodged in his right breast,
almost piercing the lung.
1t was some three months after this
occurrence that Allen met with a mis-
hap that hurled him from the heights
of a sturdy manhood to an existence
little removed from death. 1t was in
the summer of 1885. All day long
Allen mad been hard at work branding
lot of yearling steers at point some
twenty miles from his dugout, and at
night he was completely worn out 1t
was a wearisome gallop from the
branding-place to his cheerless habi-
tation, for the air was sultry and the
baked ground gave forth All intense
heat Ii was nearly eleven o'clock
when the stockman reach his desti-
nation, and glad was he when his pony
was safely stabbed for the night and
he was at liberty to retire Ee was
about TO creep into bed when his quick
ear detected slight noise in the
direction of his stable, and he knew
at once that prowiers were abou.
Selling his revolver he started for tie
stable on his hands and knees, Tor he
intended to kill and not TO alarm, hav-
ing no garments on other than his
undershirt. The noise at the stable
continued and Allen moved rapidly to
ward the sound. SO intent was be on
investigating the morse that he failed
TO notice where his peDth led him. and
suddenly without warming he felt
something beneath hsn give way and
he was precipitated to the bottom of
.played-out" well, distance of some
twenty-five feet. The we'll had been
dry for years and the xnouth had been