The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-17
NEWS GATHERED
FROM S0UTHS|DE
Reported That w. M. Allen Has
Agreed to Take Five Years
in Penitentiary.
BOWEN ACQUITTED.

i Bainbridge-S Street Church Calls
4 New Pastor Schools Open.
Personals and Briefs.
Manchester Bureau, Times Dispatch,
4 i. No. ! ZOE Hull Street.
After having Guided Justice forimany
months and then voluntarily given
| himself into the hands of tl1eAlaw, w.
NJ, Allen, former superintendent of the
Almshouse and Cemetery, charged with
malfeasance In office, was yesterday
indicted by the grand jury. and, ac-
cording to well-founded report.
agreed, through his attorney. Mr.. Har-
| ry NJ Smith, Jr to take five years
| in tho penitentiary as n compromise
on the punishment for his self-admit-
ted guilt. Aliens case will be called
for trial next Tuesday, and 1t is un-
derstood that through his counsel. he
Inquired what penalty Commemorative
Attorney Page would require, provided
that the accused should plead guilty
to the Indictment on five counts Of
felony which now face him. The an
swer 1t is stated. was that five years
in the penitentiary would be the pens
atty exacted and on this punishment
both sides were agreed.
Allen was indicted by the special
grand jury sworn in yesterday morn
ing. Thirty witnesses appeared against
him with charges of misdemeanor. and
in addition to this, stood the five counts
of felony lodged against the former
superintendent. Had all the charges
been proved against Allen the fun
legal punishment which must have
followed would have amounted to more
than the natural life of man.
BY this compromise Mr. Allen is
assured of comparatively light sem
tence, which he may be able to relieve
still more by his good behavior.
Pathetic Case.
The case OF Mr.. Allen Is peculiarly
pathetic. For many years he had been
a popular and trusted employe of the
city. Some years ago the department
underwent an investigations. and no
charges were brought. Later. however.
ugly rumors went the rounds, and n
more recent investigation disclosed the
fact that the trusted employe had
gone wrong
This result was a great shock to the
many friends of Mr.. Allen. and his sub
sequent disappearance, taken as a con-
firmation of his guilt, was no less a
who would have been willing almost
to have sworn to his innocence.
a few weeks ago Mr.. Allen Willingly
gave himself up to the authorities. and
he returned, in company with an Of
flcer. to Manchester, where he was i'm
mediately incarcerated. He stated that
he thought it best to give himself up.
as he could never rest easy while
Guiding an ever pursuing justice.
ion ba mo CT tod
he was ready to take his punishment
and that he would do his best to make
amends for the wrongs he had CONF
mitted
Other Cases.
The special grand jury returned also
many other indictments, nearly all the
criminal cases being reported on ad-
versely to the accused.
The negroes, charged with riotlng;
and attacking and assaulting Motor
man Neil, as they We're returning from
church excursion, were all indicted.
Other important charges for this
term were those resting against c. III
Myers and David Davis. Myers is
charged with forgery and Davis with
perjury IN getting on the jury to try
Myers after he had expressed an opin-
ion AS to the guilt Of Myers. The lat
ter is to be tried tomorrow.
C. E. Bowen Acquitted.
Tried for the fifth time on the
charge of highway robbery Charles
e. Bowen was yesterday acquitted by
a jury bearing his case at Chester
field Courthouse. III the preceding
four trials every jury had hung on its
decision, and for two years Bowen's
Tended by Attorney Ernest Wells, of
Manchester. whose untiring efforts III
behalf of his client ultimately result
ed in his acquittal.
About two years ago Miss Gertrude
Risby, of Chesterfield county. was
held up and robbed, where the Belt
Line Railroad crosses Broad Rock
Road by man who had evidently dis
guised himself for the Job. The affair
happened in the afternoon. Suspicion
pointed at Bowen, and his arrest fol-
lowed.
Schools Open.
Children in Manchester, who had at
tended school last year, gathered UP
their dust-worn volumes yesterday
morning. and hurried to school, there
to enroll their names for the session
of 1907 and OS and to have prescribed
the outline of their work for this
year. Yesterday was the day for the
enrolment of the old students; to-
day will he the time set for the on
rollment of the new pupils. The real
work of studying and teaching will
hardly begin, however, before next.
Monday.
Principal Hoke has been here about
a week. acquainting himself with the
conditions and the people. All the
teachers reported at their respective
schools yesterday morning. One ad-
ditional class has been placed In the
Leader Building. making four at Tenth
and Hull Streets.
Call New Pastor.
At a congregational meeting held at
cambridge Street Baptist Church on
Sunday unanimous call was extended
to the Rev. j. w. Durham. pastor Of
the First Baptist Church, OF Pontiac,
III.
cambridge Church has been without
a pastor since June, when its pastor,
the Rev. DR.. =. V. Raldy, accepted n
call to South Carolina.
Mr.. Durham is native of Virginia.
He received his education lat Rich