Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1898-04-01
A. B. ALLEN MURDERED.

ed in a murder. After the election
Saturday the successful party had a
dance to celebrate the election Of the
Law and Order" ticket. The dance
was given by the successful party for
their own enjoyment. Mervin Foster,
a brother Of the ex-school teacher and
OF w. B. Foster, came TO the dance.
His presence was distasteful and he
was requested to leave. This he re-
fused to do. To avoid making a dis
turbance before the ladies he was not
elected. He vas greatly enraged at
the request to leave, AID made threats
OF whipping ceveral different people
In town. He was considered harm
less, having once before attempted to
whip a man and been whipped him
self. One Of the men that Foster was
DESTROYS of whipping was A. b. Allen,
a well known COW man, who had
charge OF the Ward s. Courtney cattle.
Tuesday Mr.. Allen went to the post
Office and had to pass Fosters saloon.
When returning from the p~ostofice he
was met by Mervin Foster, who came
out of the saloon. Foster called Allen
hard names and commenced shooting
at him. Allen evidently had expected
trouble aud vas armed. He returned
Fosters fire and Foster ran around
the corner, Allen started on towards
j. T. longs store. After he had
crossed the track and got some dis
lance away w. B. Foster came out of
the saloon with a Winchester rife,
took deliberate aim at Allen and fired.
Allen dropped dead.
Several men started toward to pick
up his body, but Foster strobe up and
down, like a cat watching its prey,
fiourishing his gun and allowed no one
TO cOme near the body.
Justice Haynie commissioned Bart
Upton as a constable aud authorized
him to make the arrest. Bart took a
Double barrelled shot gun and invited
Mr.. Foster to come in, which he
promptly did.
1t was found that two shots had hit
Allen, one a pistol shot, the other a
winchester shot, which had gone
through him, and probably caused in
slant death, Mervln Foster bad re-
ceiyed one shot, which had barked his
shoulder, but had not done any serious
injury.
After the inquest, in which the
above facts were brought out, Mr..
Aliens body was taken to Lordsburg
by a. X. Dale, accompanied by Mrs.
Allen and Mrs. Tong. They made a
night drive arriving here in town 10
time to catch the morning train. The
Knights OF Pythias, OF which order Mr..
Allen was a member, took charge OF
the remains and placed them on the
east bound train. Mrs. Allen will take
her dead to Roswell, their old home,
for burial.
"A. b. Allen was a man about forty
years old, married, but with no child
reu. He had been engaged in the cat
! tie business all his life, having lived
for many years in the eastern part OF
! the territory. When the First nation.
al bank of FL Paso took possession OF
the Ward & Courtney cattle at Dun.
can it seut Mr.. Allen up to take charge
| of them. Mr.. Allen was of a quiet
~peaceable disposition, not at all quar-
rels0me, but a brave man and n who
would not allow any to impose on
him. While he had been in this sec
tion OF the country but a short time
h had made many friends, and wa;
universally liked.
U. S. Stewart, cashier of the First
national bank, came up from Ell PasC
on a freight train, and accompanied
Mrs. Allen and Mrs, Tong to Ell Paso
l.. w. Clapp, chancellor commander
Of the local lodge Of the Knights o.
Pythias, accompanied the party K
Ell Paso. The Rev. E. f.. Goodson
who was well acquainted with Mr.
Allen in Roswell, came ia from Dem
ing Tuesday night and accompanied
the funeral party to El Paso, anC
probably will go with it to Roswell.
Sheriff Birchaeld arrived in Duncan
Tuesday night and took charge o
both Fosters. Unfortunately Graham
county juries are not much better
than the Grant county species, and /
is doubtful il either Of the men ar,
punished for this cruel murder.
At the divine services which wer,
held in the opera house at Deminl