Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-17
THE TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
More Particulars About the
Double Murder.
AN UNHAPPY MARRIAGE.
A Worthless Husband and His Awful Crime

The tragedy at the Jefferson school building
at O'Clock this afternoon, reported in the reg
ular edition Of The STAR, created the most in
tense excitement in that section of the CITY.
The man who killed his wife and
himself was Oswald c. Allen. Allen
is said to have been a worthless fellow,
much dissipated. He lived at 9th and G streets,
next to the Hebrew synagogue. His wife and
victim was well-known school teacher named
Sarah E. Allen, who lived in South Washing
ton. She was about forty-two years old and
had been teacher for many years. She was
in charge of a third-srade school, composed of
little girls.
ALIENS VISIT TO THE BUILDING.
Allen, it is said, hired cab on Pennsylvania
avenue and told the driver to take him to the
Jefferson building. Upon arriving there he
alighted and told the driver to wait until
he wanted him. Then he walked up
the stone steps and passed through
the hall into the cloak-room adjoining the
room where his wife was engaged as a teacher
He showed himself to her and beckoned her
to tie door. She came toward him and reached
the threshold of the cloak-room.
THE FATAL SHOTS FOLLOWED BY A PANIC.
He then drew pistol and shot her in the
left temple. Turning the pistol then upon him.
self, he shot himself through the right temple.
Both fell to the floor in the cloak room. The
children in the school-room who had witnessed
the frightful scene, rushed from the room in a
panic, and spread the alarm, causing the ut
most excitement Lieutenant Vernon and
two policemen soon arrived on the scene.
The woman was found to be still alive.
She was removed to the school
room, and Drs. Bowman, Cook, Thompson, and
Leach called and made an examination and
dressed the wound, which, however, was re.
Garded as fatal.
THE FRIGHTENED SCHOOL CHILDREN.
The stairway was thronged with the fright
ened teachers and children, who looked on the
scene with awe, while outside an immense
throng blocked the sidewalk.
PARTICULARS OF THE TRAGEDY.
Allen entered the school-room just at 8
O'Clock, as the children were being dismissed.
He advanced to the desk where his wife was
sitting and said "Now I've got you; you can't
escape me-"
She jumped to her feet and exclaimed, "Ohr'
running toward the ante-room to the west
He followed her. drawing his pistol as he ad
vanced, and fred just as she was on the thresh.
old.
She fell forward without cry, over into the
next room. The murderer then placed the
pistol to his temple and fired the second shot,
falling dead immediately.
The children were greatly frightened and
some little excitement ensued, but others ra1
into the room and their panic was soon quoted
They were quickly sent out of the building.
Drs. Leech, Crook, Boarman, Thompson and
staffer were summoned. They found that the
bullet had passed into Mrs. Aliens left ear
came out of the right side of her head, and
that there was no hope for her recovery.
Aliens life was extinct. The ball en-
tered the temple and went upward to the toy
of the brain.
BARELY ALIVE,
At four o'clock Mrs. Allen was still alive, but
unconscious. The physicians then said thai
she could not possibly live.
FORMER TROUBLE.
One of the teachers of the building stated te
a STAR reporter that Allen once thrashei
his wife in her school room il
the Potomac building. He had frequentl,
made threats against her life and she had de
| termined to sue for divorce.
Aliens body was soon taken to the fourth
precinct station-house and thence to thu
morgue, where it now lies.
A large crowd of children and grown people
gathered at the doors of the school building
and several policemen were called to keeI
them from pressing through the doors.
DISTRESSING SCENE.
The teachers Of the building stopped a
the door of the room where the TRACED,
occurred and listened with frightened
| faces to the words of eye wit
nessess. There were great blood stains
on the floor, and the dying murdered woman
| lay on the floor in the southwest corner, will
the physicians grouped around her.
Her head was bandaged and kind hands
occasionally bathed it with dampenet
! cloths. She uttered slight means a
| intervals and her breath came
family. Her eyes were barely opened and he,
face showed no evidences Of pain.
THR NUMBER OF SHOTS FIRED.
| There are different opinions as to the mum
Der Of shots fred. Most of those who heart
them say that there were but two
both of which took effect, but Others
declare that three were heard. The thirt
shot could not be found.
AFTER THE TRAGEDY.
The scene about the school-building was
| singular one. Crowds Of children gathered in
awe-struck silence about the building. The
police soon had all the approaches cleared and
the building was emptied of all except the
teachers.
supt. Powell and Supervising Principa
Fairbrother, who were at the Franklin building
| engaged in a teachers examination, were a
onca pokified and arrived st the builcins