The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-04-12

says le was an Accident-One Cartridge
Fails to Explode But the other Does
the Work-Her Life is Despaired Of
Lying in a Critical Condition at the St
Francis Hospital Last Night-What the
People Say Concerning the Woman
Father Criticised.
Mrs. VIII Allen is lying at the point
of death. if not already dead, at her
home, 326 North Moseley avenue.
She has been feeling i'll for about a
week and yesterday morning she went
with her nother-in-law TO the office Of
DR.. Kirkwood for treatment
When she returned home she went to
bed again The day being wet her hus-
band was at home and was playing a
French harp in the upstair hallway Of
the residence when he heard a shot in
his Wife's room. Mrs. Aliens sister,
Florence, was in the next room and
both the sister and the husband got into
She sick room as the revolver fell out
Of the hand Of Mrs. Allen TO the floor.
She said she had shot herself accident
ally and Immediately three doctors
were called in They found that the
bullet had entered her right side at the
wist and they located 1T under the skin
at the opposite side. In turning her
over to extract the bullet it disappear
ed and when a reporter for the Eagle,
who was present, left, the doctors were
unable to find it
The case is an extremely sad one for
many reasons, chief among which was
the cold, cruel indifference OF the poor
girii' = father, to her condition
There were in the house at the time of
the shooting Mrs. Allen, the mother-fn-
sarw who was, herself, quite sick and the
accident agitated the poor woman SO
that She was suffering from extreme
nervousness, VIII Allen, the young wo-
mans husband; Pearl Allen, his sister,
and Florence Turner. the wounded
girls sister.
Mrs. Allen told them that she had
shot herself accidentally and called for
q doctor.
In speaking with a reporter for the
Eagle the elder Mrs.Allen said: Our
Ing the past week or 50 some parties
had been around the house at night
and wanted 30 break in on one OF two
occasions Clara got her husbands re-
Volver and kept Bt under the feather
tick It is a cooking, self-acting
S2-calibre and as Clara was taking It
out from under the tick a while ago it
accidentally went off and shot her. She
says she did not intend to shoot herself
and 1 do not think she did either. She
was married to VIII In January and
both loved each other In tenSely. When
VIII was out in the country seven miles
working on a farm Clara said she could
not live during his absence and started
TO walk out TO where he was. When
she had gone two miles she met a waS-
on and node the remainder of the way.
There IS no reason in the world why she
should attempt suicide. although she
was sick and low spirited. When took
her to Dr.. Kirkwood's Office this morn
ing he said that she looked strange but
didn't say what the cause of 1t was"
Florence Turner, the wounded girls
oldest sister. did not think that Clara
intended TO commit suicide Clara,
she said, "Was born while her mother
was in consumption and was always
weak and sometimes Eighty. Mother
died when us girls were little children
and our father did not care
for US When ran down
through Tho rain to house to
to tell him that Clara had shot herself
l.
Kicked al me- He belongs to the A o..
u w and two other lodges here in
town and I VIII spend my last cent to
have him expelled A man that viii
deny his Own children when they are In
trouble IS not flt TO i've My stepmother
treated me all right, she has a woman's
heart Here he COMES now" she said
sobbaug and crying. 81 can't bear TO
see him" and zyith thax Sho went into
the other rODm-
The woun ded girls father then come
In. SAT silently and sullenly IN a chair
and went out without saying a word,
although Pearl Allen asked him whebA-
er he did not want to see his daugsh ter,
After standing out In the porch for a
little while he went into the house and
up to the girls room with Harry Sui
ton bur never spoke a word TO her. He
again went out onto the porch and
stood There Harry Sutton said that the
doctors would like To have a doctor
more sn the practice OF surgery with
Them, and asked him If he didn't want
to get one. Whit no trace of u. father 5
Instinct Turner said, mo, IL Is none Of
my business She made a hard bed for
herself and She can lie on it" Bis
actions were eXaSperat ingly cool.
While 1t is true that Mrs Allen said
that she did not intend TO commit sui
eide yet the evidence points strongly
Shat way. The cartridge before the one
that exploded shodwed that the hammer
had fallen on it but It failed 20 60 OFF
for some reason. Then again, she has
been sick and respondent and perhaps
little bit Tightly as her sister said. She
was working at Mrs Stanley'S MILL
merry BaZar.
A reporter for the Eagle called at the
Bazaar. Mrs Stanley was not at home
but one OF the young ladies there said:
81 declare am perfectly aStOnished-
Isn't it too bad and she and her hus-
band loved each other So They loved
50 hard as to make Il seem silly and
ridiculous Mrs Allen worked here and
we all liked her She was quite a hand
some little woman and so young Just
think OF. she IS not II years old yet She
always talked about killing herself. Her
father ootected TO her marriage and she
said that II she couldn't marry VIII
Alien she would Kill herself After they
were married she talked about killing
herself II Anything should ever occur
TO separate her husband from her. IN
fact. she talked frequently about kill
Ing herself. We got so used to * that
we did not pay any attention 20 Il any
more am altogether surprised but ]
feel awful sorry for the poor girl.
Mrs. Allen was taken 10 St Francis
hospital last night and her life was de-
epaired Of