The Portland daily press., 1899-12-23
Wife and Son Now Liv.
ing Here.
She Tells Her Story In Suffolk
Probate Court.

Boston, December GA story reveal
ing the romantic life Of Elhridge q. Al
len, former superintendent of the N. T.,
N. II. & II. railroad company, who form
srly lived In Portland. and who ended his
life recently by self-inflicting bullet
wound In New York hotel, Is unravel-
ling in the Suffolk county probate court
before Judge Mokim.
The situat ion 10 dramatic. Two nttrao-
tive women sat confronting each other,
one on the witness stand. the other In the
spectators' seats, for more than two
hours, while the former related clrcum-
stances of her marriage to young black
smisn who subsequently, became the
actise head of q big railroad corporation
"a marriage which the other declares
never VT S performed.
This s,sue 10 ths first in a litigation
Involving both women and the estate OF
MIR. Allen.
Harri,t (. Allen of Portland, Me-, the
first wife OF the interstate. petitions tho
court to appoint her administratrix OF the
estate OF her husband, Elbridge q. Allen.
The petition is opposed by Mrs. Flora
E. Allen Of Uxbiijge. the second wife
of the Interstate.
The first Mrs Allen has son % years
old. He was In court. he is bright
looking young fellow, and listened to his
mothers testimonyswith intens, interest.
Elbridge @. Allen, Jr., IL the boys name.
His mother was separated from his
father January /. 1881.
MIR. Allen was we'll known IN railroad
circles. September 20 last 1t bs,ame
known through the press that he had
committed suicide in a New York hotel.
Near his bedside was found slip of pa
per bearing the followingi Notify my
wife, Flora Il. Allen, Uxbridge, Mass"
Ii. S. Boutwell, and Jesse Cove appear
for the petitioner; &. f. Choate and A.
A. Maxwell Iepr ,sent the respondent.
Mrs. Harriet Allen took the stand and
testified that she moved TO Portland.
Me-, with her parent. In 1867 or 1858,
and that while there she met klbridge
G. Allen in 1871, He was working there
and WAS boarding with Mrs. Ann III.
Burnham. He was a blacksmith or car
risge maker. and was year older than
witness.
She first met him at Deering. In the
suburbs Of Portland, and was introduced
on tie following Sunday. They attend
cd several places Of amusement together,
among the places that they visited being
the Portland theatre.
They were engaged in January. 1872,
and by the last Of February began to
plan about getting married. No obiec-
tion was made to the marriage OF the
part of her friends. There was some talk
of an elopement, but witness had n AIDE
no plans in regard TO that. Her only
plans wore to come to Boston and get
married.
STE had made pl;,1s about gt>og away
from home to work. She notified a friend
of hers that she was coming to Boston.
Her name was Sarah Hoigdon. When
she left home witness took trunk with
Der, and was accompanied by Mr.. Allen.
They left the house In carriage and
went to the Boston boat.
They arrived in Boston tina following
morning and went di -ently to the Park
street church. The pastor of the church.
Rev. W. II. II. Murray, was there and
performed the marriage ceremony.
From the church the party went to
the New England house and remained
there about a week, He wrote letter to
the mother of witness at that time.
From the New England house they
went to the South End but did not re-
main there longer than two or three
weeks. Afterwards they lived in South
Boston, and Mr.. lien then became a con
ductor on the South Boston line of horse
cars.
At that time several OF the relatives Of
the witness visited her at her house In
South Boston. Among those who visited
her at that time was her mother and her
brother and his wife. They moved
about a good deal, sometimes keeping
house and sometimes boarding, Mr..
Allen working as 9 conductor all the
time. They moved to Lynn In 1880 and
lived at the Revere house. They lived