Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-18


WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE little girls
attending the third grade in the Jefferson
Public School building, in the southern
section Of this city, we're standing in the
aisles of the schoolroom at o'clock this
afternoon, about to bid school goodby until
Monday, when their teacher, Mrs. Sarah
F. Allen, was fatally shot in their presence
by her worthless husband, who then killed
himself.
Allen had been supported by the earnings
of his wife as a school teacher until some
time ago, when she left him on account Of
dissipation and frequent abuses and vio-
lence. He has annoyed and threatened her
several times since she refused to have any
thing more to do with him, and she had
been warned very recently to beware Of
him. This afternoon Allen hired cab on
Pennsylvania avenue, and told the driver
he wanted to 60 to the Jefferson school
building.
STARTLED CHILDREN.
Arriving there he bade the driver wait
for him and Immediately went to the room
where his wife taught, and taking out his
revolver. a small-sized British bulldog of 80
caliber, in the cloak room, advanced toward
his wife's desk. The children were the first
to see him and when they showed how
startled they were at his appearance, he
called on them not to make any noise or he
would shoot
Mrs. Allen had meanwhile been attracted
and she started to move, but her husband BY
this time was upon her, and saying: "Now,
I've got you where want you" he fred at
close range, the ball taking effect near the
right ear and passing through the head. He
then turned the pistol on himself and inflicted
fatal wound, the bullet entering the right
temple and passing through the brain.
The murderer's wife and the suicide fell
together on the schoolroom floor, his arm
about her neck and the revolver lying on
her cheek. The startled, terror-stricken
children almost created panic, but some of
the more collected of them ran for other
teachers, who succeeded in restoring order.
Police and physicians were summoned, who
did everything possible to make Mrs. AL
lens last moments free from pain.
BOTH WOUNDS FATAL.
She fingered only semi-conscious for some
time and then passed away. Her husband
expired few minutes after the arrival of
the police Mrs. Aliens maiden name was
johnson. Her father, r. W. johnson, is
an old and well-known resident of this city.
About 13 years ago, against the advice Of
her family and friends, she married her
husband, Oswald G. Allen, who came from
Charlottesville, Va. He was known as
worthless fellow, with no trade or liveli-
hood, but the murdered woman seemed to
be infatuated with him. The marriage was
an unhappy one, and Mrs. Allen frequently
said that the only blessing resulting from it
was the fact that no children were born to
them. She was good teacher and was re-
tanned in the public schools notwithstand-
ing her marriage and her husbands drunken
and vicious habits. She supported her
husband until his abuse became intolerable,
when she left him.
He has often been sent to the workhouse
for vagrancy, and since he came into the
possession Of hundred dollars q short time
ago has been almost constantly in the
hands of the police for drunkenness. About
a month ago, while Allen was being washed
with coal oil in the workhouse to rid him
of vermin, one of his fellow prisoners held
o lighted match near him and he was badly
burned.