The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-08-10
IT WAS A HUGE FAKE.
Mr.. AND MRS. ALLEN TELL THE
STORY OF THE TRAIN-FLAGGlNG.
MR.. ALLEN FLAGGED THE TRAIN
But the Police Reporter at Evanston Sees
His oppor sunity And Makes Great
Story Creates a Sensation in
Kenosha.

Mrs. Nathan Allen is the heroine of
Kenosha society today. Far and wide
in all parts of the country, newspapers
are singing the praises of her heroic ac-
ton at Evanston Saturday when tbs re-
ported that she tagged the Northwest
ern fast mail train in order that she
might reach the bedside of sick child.
According to the story which was told
in the Chicago papers of Sunday, Mrs.
Allen is certainly worthy of all the
praise that has been bestowed upon
her and has a right to the proud dis
tinction which has been given to her.
The story as told relates how Mr.. and
Mrs. Allen had gone to Edgewater to
see the golf contest with che Edgewater
team and shortly after dinner they had
received a telegram from this city an
nouncing that their little son Francis
was very i'll and they were asked to
come homo at once. They reached the
station at Evanston and found out to
their great dsmay that the fast mail
did not stop at Evanston. kilograms
we're exchanged between the manage
meut and Mr.. Allen but the manager
had positively refused to stop the train
at Evanston, At this crisis in the af-
fair Mr. and Mrs. Allen took the mat
ter into their own hands and when the
fast mail came speeding over the hill,
according to the story, Mrs. Allen
walked far out on the track aud waved
her red lined golf cape in the face of
the approaching engine. The train
stopped and a fainting woman was
carried aboard. She explained that a
child was dying and the grimy engin-
GERS heart was touched. He forga7e
the breach in the rules of the road and
crowding the coal into the furnace be
carried Mr.. and Mrs. Allen to this city
at rate of speed that is very seldom
equalled on the road. 1t was beau
tiful story of love and woman's heroism
and the police reporter, who had been
eking out a miserable existence in tie
village Of Evanston, was touched Oy
the pathos of the little tale. He wrote
and wrote, and when the product of
his pen reached the great papers, his
reputotion was assured. Every paper
in the city handled this story Of the
affair, and Mrs. Allen at once became
the observed of all observers. Re-
porters fastened to the city to hold an
interview with the woman who had
been willing to do SO heroic an acs in
order to reach the bedside of her sick
child.
All returned to the great city unre
warded, and Sunday evening Mr..
Allen was seen and told a representa-
tive of this paper the facts in regard to
the incident which had attracted so
much attention to this city and to Mr..
and Mrs. Allen. He said that the
story which had appeared in the morn
ing papers was stuff and nonsense"
and the only part of the tale that was
true was the fact that the mail train
had been tagged at Evanston in order
to let himself and his wife reach this
city.
Little Francis, their two year old
son, was taken slightly i'll Saturday
noon and the telegram which had
reached them at Edgewater had made
Mrs. Allen little nervous. They de-
termined to reach home as soon as
possible, and went to Evanston to
catch the fast mail train. When they
reached Evanston and discovered that
the train did not stop at that station,
Mr.. Allen telegraphed Mr.. Lawson,
the general manager Of the division,
and explaining the matter asked that
the train be stopped. This Lawson
refused to do, and when the train came
over the hill Mr.. Allen took his wife's
golf cape, and, walking up to the
track gave the signal which brought
the train TO stop.
All the story of the actions of Mrs.
Allen, fainting and tagging the train
were simply the images which were
formed in the mind of the reporter
The little child which was the limo
cent cause of the incident, is reported
on the high road to recovery today.
The story, of course, caused a great
sensation in this city, ana Mrs. Allen
and the stopping of the train were the
sole topics of conversation on Sunday