Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-05-16
HE SEEKS PEACE IN DEATH
hARTwELL ALIEN COMMITS SUICIDE BY
HAXdiNd HIT1SELF.

: The Ex- County Superintendent Of Schools an
Pioneer Citizen, Under Adverse Circumstan
ees, Took His Own Life Sorrowful Ending
Of One Long Prominent as Leading Citizei
and Educator.
The community was shocked as it sci
dom is on Monday. by the taking of his
life by Hartwell Allen, a citizen OF Yer
non county since 1884, For two months
past he had been stopping at the Central
house in this city. Monday morning he
came to his meal as usual partook OF
but little food, complaining that he was
not feeling well, He said to,Mrs. Mos
ing, the landlady, that he would go to
his room and rest. Nothing was seen
of Mr. Allen until the dinner hour when
a servant girl went to call him to the
meal, and found him hanging dead.
Every act in the tragedy appears to have
been planned with the utmost delibera-
/ tion by the unfortunate man. he hung
from 2x4 scantling placed across the
opening which iliits one to the garret
of the house. The rope used was at
| tached TO web halter, which Allen had
some time previous taken from the
l
| half-inch rope. The outer end of the
same was tied around the beam above
| and a slip-noose WAS formed with the
| ring so that the rope readily frightened
with the slightest pressure and weight.
/ The feet of the dead man rested on the
| floor and his legs were crossed. If he
had stood erect the rope could have
! scarcely touched his chin, thus demon
strating the determination of the man
| in the rash act A chair was close be-
side the body, but in order to have
placed his head through the moose he
must have stood on the chair and delib-
| erately stepped off His coat and vest
| laid beside his form and he was in his
stocking-feet With the whole weight
CT the body pulling on it the rope was
embedded in the fieshy part of the neck.
The features were distorted and tongue
protruded. The sight was ghastly one
Sheriff Ericsson summoned a coroner S
Jury before Squire Toney consisting of
E.:M Rogers, L. E. Rabbit, j. w.
Brown, Abner Silbaugh, J. a. Tate and
B. F. Purdy. Their verdict was arrived
at after the examination of several wit
nesses. There was no other conclusion
than that he committed suicide Moth
ing on his person or among his scanty
effects was left in explanation of bis act
or directions given as to the deposition
he desired made of his remalp5. He had,
however, several days sjnca, asked two OF
three of his longtime :: lends to see that
he have respectable burial on his lot
in the Newton cemetery, beside his
mother, should he be taken away unex-
pectedly, showing clearly that he had
| the matter of self destruction IN contem-
plation for some time. The remains were
taken in charge by Undertakers Pulver
81 Call. Brief services We're held IN
their quarters on Tuesday morning
before being conveyed to Newton. Rev
Stenen read portion of Scripture and
offered a prayer after which Rev VIM.
Haughton gave a brief and feeling talk
on the life and public services OF his
denarted friend At Neston services
were Aell al the grave and good con
| gregation was present to pay the last
earthly office to one who settled among
| them forty-six years ago.
Hartwell Allen was born in Vermont,
| June rs, 1888. He was man of splen-
| did natural talents, possessed a collegiate
! education. He came to this section and
| located land at Newton in 1854, then
returned east and married the compan-
| ion of his life who passed away in Min
| nesota a few years since. Mrs Allen
was educated at the same institutions
| of learning with her husband and in
after years they pursued the teaching
occupation together This was practi-
cally their life work, and Mr.. Allen was
| in the educational harness in Vernon
| county almost continually from that
| early period till two or three years since,
when failing health and advancing years
| disqu thHe3 MIN for service. He taught
| in nearly all the graded and district
| schools, and was county superintendent
| for a period of about four or six years.
| He left the impress of his good training
| upon the mind of more of the youth OF
| Vernon county than any other person.
During his strong manhood" said Squire
McMichael to the CENSOR, 'Hartwell
Allen had the most unanimous following,
personally and politically. of any man
| who ever lived in the county. As q
| speaker and debater he was ready and
! logical. He was poor financier always
He was generous and hospitable, a man
| of the very best habits and principles,
and his condition of late years has beer
/ pitiable and humiliation to all of us
| old settlers who knew him in early and
mature manhood.
There is no question that his poverty
and the thought of becoming perma.
nent public charge during the balance
of his days drove Hartwell Allen to'take
his own life. He had come to that point
where he was totally incapacitated for
self support, and in fact has for much
of the past two or three years depended
upon the bounty of his old friends fol
maintenance. 'Tis indeed sad that one
who has held the place in society, and
especially in the field of education
should find himself reduced to the va
grants level But such is life. The
men are few who have lived more ex
emplary lives as to uprightness of char.
acter, pure thoughts and honest purposes
$. Hanson Of Avalanche displayed
specimens taken from well 100 fee
below the surface, on jug Creek, which
contain good indications of both golC
and silver.
-Drs. Suttle and Belt went to Reads
town, Wednesday, to assist DIR. Brown
in delicate yet successfully performed