The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-06-28
MURDER IN ST. PAUL.

MURDER IN ST. PAUL.
NHLE ALLEN CUTS THE THROAT OF
JOHN HI. CLAPP.
81 q Quarrel Over a Woman the
Well Known Merchants Hotel
Clerk Murders the Travelling Agent
for w. s. Dennis.
St. Paul, June 23.-John II. Clapp, city
,alesman for w. S. Dennis, the cigar
dealer. was killed at 1890 last night, and
Ehle Allen, the popular and well known
hotel clerk, son Of Col. Allen, the livery-
man, is locked up at the central police
station, charged with his murder. There
is woman connected with the case.
Her name is Louise Leyde, and she is a
daughter of John Leyde, ex-market mas
ter. She is also locked up in the female
ward at the central police station, and
will be held as witness, having been
detained by order of Coroner Whitcomb.
The murder occurred in the streets in
front of No. 100 West Fourth street,
where the Leyde woman lived. Two
stories are told as to the cause of the
murder. One version is that furnished
BY Louise Leyde as told by Coroner
Whitcomb and Deputy Coroner Robert
Wheaton. Miss Leyde says she was
walking west on Fourth street just across
from where she lives with young wo-
an with whom she is not very well ac-
qrainted. She claims she is not well
enough acquainted to know her name,
but thinks her companions name is
Wilkin or Wilson. She says Clapp ap-
preached herself and companion from be-
hnd and made some insulting remark to
her; that she saw Ehle Allen across the
street. and asked him to protect her.
Clapp followed her across the street, she
Gains, and when Allen asked him why
ne had lnsulted the woman he applied
vile eplthet to Allen and said something
further of an insulting nature to the
women. Then, the Leyde woman claims,
allen interfered and Clapp reached
around toward his hip pocket, and Allen .
threw one of his aims around Clupp's
reek. Further than this she refused to
talk, and would not say whether she
CIV Allen cut Clapp or not.
The ether story is that Ehle Allen has
been in the habit of visiting the Leyde
woman in her apartments at No. $50
West Fourth street, and that John Clapp
was also visitor at the woman in her
apartments. That Allen was jealous of
Clapp's attentions to the Leyde woman
and that last evening he visited the wo-
n;n's apartments and found her in COM
pony with Clapp and the murder ensued.
Clapp was killed with a knife His
threat was cut and the knife blade sew
cred the carotid artery and the jugular
vein. After receiving his death wound
Clapp ran from the scene of the murder
to the Metropolitan hotel, through the
large open doors facing Washington
street into the hotel corridor and sank
down in one of the corridor chairs.
Ralph Meyer, young son of julie Meyer,
of the hotel bar, was sitting within three
feet of Clapp when he sat down in the
chair and he gave the alarm, arousing
the attaches of the house and the per-
sons in the corridors. When Clapp sat
down his head fell forward and he
gasped in voice scarcely audible: go
get doctor; I'm stabbed" Those were
the only words he said, and Immediately
afterward became unconscious Young
Meyer asked him who stabbed him, but
B he did not reply. The night clerk mott
fed the police authorities at once and
called Drs. Metcalf, Marquis and Pine.
In the meantime somebody had wrapped
towel aroud Clapp's neck and attempt
ed to stop the flow of blood, but in vain,
and shortly after Clapp was dead. Allen
and the woman were later arrested.
7 John H. Clapp, the murdered man,
was about thirty-fve years old, and has
resided in st. Paul about fifteen years.
He is a printer by trade, and twelve
years ago was employed in the job
Office Of the Pioneer Press. He quit the
printing business to accept a position
with the firm of Perkins & Lyons, whole.
sale liquor dealers, as travelling salesman,
and was with the firm long time, leav-
ing their employ to enter the service of
W. S. Dennis, the cigar dealer, as city
salesman. He held the latter position at
the time of his death, and was we'll and
favorably known by nearly every business
man in St. Paul. He was a married
man, but leaves no children. He lived
with his wife on Selby avenue. Mrs.
Clapp was notified about an hour after
the murder occurred of her husbands
tragic death, and she is almost frantic
with grief. III s.s All
Ehle Allen is about thirty years old.
He was born and raised in st. Paul and
is we'll known and liked by host Of
friends and acquaintance. He learned
the hotel business with his father when
Col. Allen owned and conducted the Mer-
\ chants hotel, and when Mr.. Carson took
charge of the hotel he remained as head
clerk, which position he still retains.
+ Coroner Whitcomb had the body of the
murdered man removed to the morgue,
and SEINE time to-day he will hold an in.
quest, at which the Leyde woman and
her companion, whose name, it has since
been learned, is Thayer, will be the