The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1889-06-13
A FEARFUL. Ordeal 81
Changed Into an Old Man at the
Age. Of Thirty-Six.
.,Oick" Allen, Although Possessed OF Iron
Nerve. Meets with Adventure
which Wrsclss His Physicist -
,g system. !


- 81
Occupying a scat In the reading
room Of q 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 shriv-
cled,- A pallor of death was on his
face, and frequently the muscles Of his
features would twist convulsively.
His name was Richard J. Allen. and he
registered himself as hailing from
Toronto, Ont.
Five years ago Richard Allen, or
Dick Allen. as he was Familiarity
known by his associates. owned, or at
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
mostgenerously gifted by nature, hav-
ing u well-knit, athletic frame and a
mind well stored with knowledge.
But it was Aliens nerve which Sc
cured fer, him recognition and affluence
amid the cactus-fecked4 plains y Of
Arizona and New Mexico-a nerve
which knew no fiinching even in the
face of DEATH The greasers and
Indians soon learned to dread the tall
3stockman, for in more than one en-
counter they had ecome 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 bearingx his brand was
ever molested, and the most daring
of the cowboys and outlaws seldom
tempted death by too prolonged argu-
men with him.
AS an illustration OF his iron nerve
it may be related that at one time in
1881 he was given warning to keep
away fromsa certain small settlement
some7 ten miles from his ranch, he
: having incurred the disp,easure of a
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 tiedshis horse in the rear
OF saloon and started to enter when
a pistol shot was heard and a bullet
whistfed passed his head. Allen
turned. Not more than twenty feet
away stood dan, a harf-breed Indian.
with % 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 a
scornfnl smile he said: Sire again.
YOU, and fire lower." ~
The Indian did so and the next in
slant his spirit had left the arid plains
-ef=Arizona forever .FhenA 1len strobe
into the saloon, whore at least half a
dozen OF his enemies were gathered
and demanded to know who. sent him
the warning. No one answered and
eafter roundly cursing the gang for
their cowardice he leftand 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 hung. n
1t was sometime months after this
occurrence that Allen met with a mis-
hap that hurled him from the heights
OF Sturdy manhood TO an existence
little removed from death. Ttwass in
the summer OF 1885. All day long
Allen had been hard at work branding
q lot Of yearling ,steersat a point some
-atwenty miles from his dugout;; and at
night he was completely W orno II
was . wearisome gallop from the
branding place to his cheerless habi-
t;ition. for the air was sultry and the
baked ground gave forth an intense
heat. It was nearly eleven o'clock
when the stockman reach his desti-
natien, and glad was he when his pony
was safely stabbed for the night and
he was at liberty to retire. He 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 providers were about.
: Selling his revolver he started for the
stable on9his hands and knees, for 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 he on
investigating the.noise that he failed
to notice where his path led him, and
suddenly without warming he felt
something beneath him give way and
he was precipitated to the bottom of a
.'played-out' well, distance of some
twenty-five feet. The we'll had been
dry for years and the mouth had been
closed with a. few rotten boards,
which. giving way underneath Aliens
great weight, bad caused the catas-
trophe. .
For. a moment Allen was stunneds
The skin OF his body had been abraded
ina dozen places and every bone ached