Birmingham age-herald., 1895-06-09
FACT THAT FLOORS FICTION The Very Strange Story of Mr..
 I. M. Allen. OVER TWENTY YEARS AGO
He Left Calhoun County for ths Far West on
 Fortune Bent.
NEWS OF HIS DEATH COMES TO HIS FAMILY
One of His Daughters Recently Obtained Reformation Which Has Already Led to Startling Developments-Fi-
 nale Rich in Promises.

Annl5ton5 June 1.-(Spec1al.)-MrS.D Dr. J. T. Acton of this city, who for over twenty years has mourned her father as dead, now believes and has good reasons for believing that he is still alive.
 The story is a strange one, but not too strange to be true, and there is every reason to believe that it is true. About twenty-two years ago T. M. AL len, a brother Of l.. L. Allen of DeArmon- vile and father of Mrs Dr. J. T. Acton of this city, Mrs. M. l.. Garrett of Oxford and w. H. Allen, who now resides in Florida, left Calhoun county for the far west to seek his fortune. His wife and several children, besides other rela tives, were left behind with the under l standing that if he liked the land of the setting sun he was to send for his fam fly. MT Allen drifted from place to place, with varying success, and finally reached San Francisco. He wrote home regularly and often for about two years, when sud denly the letters stopped. His wife wrote again and again to him, but no response came. Finally she wrote to some of the authorities out there and the reply con tained the information that more than her worst fears were realized. The letter stated that MT. Allen had been assaulted one night by thugsan that one of them
 
 back of the head with rock, the wound causing his death few days afterwards in a hospital.
 The family at that time were not able to make further Investigations and that member has since been mourned as one dead. .
 Mrs. Allen died few years later and then death took the children one by one until only the three mentioned were left.
 Twenty years have passed since the IT.. the emotions of the remaining members when they received information which caused them to hope that MT. Allen was still alive can only be imagined. About six weeks since Mrs. Garrett noticed in the Hot Blast of this city clipping from San Francisco paper of strange claimant which had appeared for $14000,000 worth of property in the heart of that city. This claimant who gave his name as T. M Allen, had bought some land in San Francisco over twenty years ago. paid for and received the deeds to it. Shortly afterwards he had been assaulted and given a terrific blow in the head. From this blow he had been confined ever since in hos p1tal in San Francisco in very feeble condition, with no memory whatever and without the power of speech. Recently these two faculties had come back to him. and he had instituted suit to re- cover his property, upon which some of the finest buildings in San Francisco had been erected
 As soon as Mrs. Garrett saw the news paper item she wrote to her sister. Mrs. Acton, who was in Florida with her brother. Mrs. Acton immediately came home, and consultation was held with their uncle, MT. l.. L. Allen. The name. the date, the blow on the head and all the other circumstances led them to be- lieve that the California Allen was none other than the brother and father whom they had so long believed to be dead
 Since that time they have been very quietly conducting an investigation. A letter was written to the San Francisco Allen. It was answered by his attorney, and this leads them to believe that the old gentleman is still very feeble and that his attorney is endeavoring to pro- tect him from imposters, who might be trying to claim kin with him on account of his probable wealth.
 Mrs. Acton and Mrs. Garrett have sent indisputable proofs to the San Francisco attorney that they are really the daugh- ters of the T. M. Allen who left Calhoun county and went to California in the early '70s, and an answer is expected at an early day.
 Dr. and Mrs. Acton will probably go to San Francisco in a week or two to decide for themselves if this T. M. Allen is really the father of the latter.
 For forty years Prices Cream Baking Powder has remained the standard for.