The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-02-26
MRS. ALLEN ON TRIAL
Is Charged With the Murder Of Her
Son.
THE HUSBANDS TROUBLES
Tale Of Continuous IIl-Luck-Ths
Defense Mtll EndeaVor to Prove
That tho Woman Is Insane-
Many Women Present.

special Dispatch 20 the Standau.
Helena. Feb. -A-Thr trial of Airs.
Edith Allen for the murder 90 hcr son
,ontinurs io attract luf-r crowds ~
judge smiths court rupm Abput half
ot the spectators 0rr Women To-day
She rniir forenoon Was tak,n up by
th" cr''ss-eNHmIuatiou nt Nj Nuou.
th" husband of tho dsfrudau,. who Uas
put on m" stand yrsie er,iny afternoon
by ih, drf"nsr. Tho chief WIng huuEht
unt hv th" cross-eNJuluatipu was he
fact that Mrs. Nl.,n srrur.d a divorce
ir"m her husband lu lseo. Afterwards
sh" went tn Washington. -. e.. Dhrrc
she lived Win hrr husbands relatives.
Then she iw, lulr 90 aud Nc Allen went
q" hrr with tho children and aft.rV ards
brought hrt back. They began living
together hut Wrrr not married agaln.
'r J. j. l.rlsor the Allcu family ply
sirtbu. testified this afternoon na tU the
continued ill-hcnlth uf Mrs, Allen, as
dld alsn pr T.. T.. kcllurg Both phy-
stCiJns thought the woman WAS uu-
balanced mentally. Patrick Quinn tes-
Tilted as Ia the peculiar actions ~ Mrs.
Allen aud So did q. W Uurton. who
liNcd near tu tn" Aliens when they re-
sided In Helena,
Acknowledged surprise tn the prosecute
Ing attorney, who stated ia court that
II was entirely different from what he
had cNcpo'tcd. Mr. Purcell said that
Ia statements made To- him and others
soon after the shooting, Mr.. Ailen had
said that his wife has threatened hls
M" and that II was not III" FIRST time
there had h"cn such trouble In tho fam
ily ON the stand Mr., Allen has stead
| fastly maintained that his relations
with his wife for long time previous
10 the shooting had been pleasant. nat
hts wife had not threatened him or the
/ hoy. The witness all through his testi-
mony showed "A disposition To shield the
woman.
When nut on the stand for the de-
/ Tense MI. Allen unfoldcd story of
/ trouble such as is seldom heard even In
court. lie and Mrs. Allen were mar
/ ri"d May IL. 1851. At that time and for
years afterwards he had ~ position a.
assistant meltcr In the United states
assay office In this city. Aftcr the birth
of her lrst child. the hoy whom she
l killed oct. -, last. her health failed.
/ From that tim" ON there seemed 10 10
/ nothing but trouble for the Allen fam
/ ily. Mrs. Allen Was constantly ailing
and at times. the husband swore show
/ cd signs NJ mental unhalancr. once, he
said. he was awakened early In the
morning bN a blow on the head. White
he did not see his wife strike him he felt
| certain that II Was she. although he
/ was not permitted to say so ON the
stand. lie was struck on the head with
a hatchct, making had wound Ills
I Wife WIS 10y him when he reused up.
! hut the hatchri Was lying on the he'd.
/ His wife AT that time pretended that
/ the hNise was robbed and that was the
story sven out. although II was cur
/ rent rumor that Mrs. Allen had tried
/ to Kill her husband.
Then their baby died under suspicious
/ circumstances ard that started other
stories rolng. The baby, the third child.
| died when II was nv" months old. lis
\ mother said that It had fallen cut ~
/ It's crib. Gossip"rs said that she killed
| II.
/ About two years ago Mr.. Allcn lost
\ his position and remained Idle for n
/ time. hut afterwards secured work In
/ MarysVillc. Then the mortgage On his
| home was furccluF"d Next the Murys-
| Vile bank. IN which We're all his saw
/ inEs. suspended. and finally came the
| tragic occurrence last October that will
\ either iudicnlly set the brand NJ muir
derrss upon the unfortunate woman or
/ else declare hvr lunatic
I Court adjourned ~ late hour The
/ examination ~ medical experts, who
| will testify as to the insanity theories
ot the defense, viii be brought out to-
l u.arTuW.