Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-17
AFFAIRS At SOUTH OMAHA
Mrs. Allen is Released from Custody
After Inquest Over Her Baby.
NO EVIDENCE AGAINST HER
That child Died from CarBoIic Acid
is shOvn, Bat How - . Conn
Plete Mystery Up to the
Present Time.

The coroner's jury in the case Of Mrs.
George W. Allen concerning the death Of
her son. Lemuel T Allen. who died Of
carbolic acid poisoning, brought in a YER
dict stating the bare facts Of the case 50
far as the evidence showed. namely that
Lemuel T. Allen came to his death from
a fatal dose Of the acid administered in a
manner and under circumstances unknown
to the jurors on the morning OF Thursday.
August 10.
The county attorney. on hearing the evil
dence in the case ard the verdict. recon-
mended that Mrs. Allen be released. and
she was given her freedom Saturday even
ing.
The evidence before the coroner's Jury
was a complete blank on the one important
point as to how the poison was admins
tered. In the chain OF circumstances one
or two suspicious points we're brought out,
but these lacked any direct -confirmatory
evidence. II was shown that Mrs. Allen
purchased carbolic acid At a Q street drug
store, that on the night before the death
she had arisen about midnight and
%sprinkled acid on the bedding for the pur-
pose OF killing bed bugs. About 10 o'clock
Thursday morning her screams brought the
women OF the neighborhood 70 the rest
dence, where they found her with the baby
In her arms, crying "Oh, my baby; II must
not die. 1t must not die" It was already
dead. Search was made for the bottle, hut
IL could not be found, although the house
was searched. Another mystery In The case
was that P. H. Shields searched the house
again Saturday morning and found a bottle
labeled carbolic acid under the bed on the
Stats that supports the springs where the
women had repeatedly searched for II. This
bottle was uncorked. Mrs. Allen said she
had never seen this bottle before.
She showed the police on their first visit
where she had placed the bottle after she
had sprinkled the bed clothing that night.
II was high up on a shelf, out Of reach
Of the child. There was an older son, aged
I years, but he said he knew nothing Of
the case.
1t is apparent that poison was admins
tered to the child by some hand with in
tent, but there is no evidence to show that
this was Mrs. Allen. In fact. all the women
Of the neighborhood spoke well Of her and
said she had been very kind to her chill
dren and was very fond OF them.
The women examine in the case were
Mrs. Long. Mrs. Wood. Mrs. Kittie White
thorn, Mrs. Ida Harrison, Mary Ludwig,
Bertha Beckel and Mrs. Ida Hiatt. All Of
them agreed as to the circumstances after
the poisoning was discovered.
No Tobacco in Cells.
Chief John Briggs OF the South Omaha
police department has issued strict orders
that no tobacco be allowed in the cells OF
the new jail. He discovered at once, in
the new quarters. that the users Of tobacco
would spit on the walls OF the cells and out
into the corridors. making sanitary condi-
tons impossible. This rule has already
caused a wall from the jailbirds. One mar
submitted to much rough handling before
he would drop his smoking" He wa,
forced TO drop it, however. The police are
of the opinion that this check on tn:
smokers will have the effect OF keeping
lot Of habitues from falling into the hand.
Of the police The chief said, I'VE havt
good quarters now some OF the men whC
they get when they are on the streets. W
don't propose to make this jail a sort o.
drawing room for bar-room toughs. ! real
ize that these men san get along better
without drink or any other thing thai
tobacco; but as 1 have given orders, n,
tobacco goes into the cells hereafter"
Magic City GOssip.
letters Gold Top Beer delivered to an,
part Of the city, Telephone No. s.
Joe Hoffman was fined $ and costs 70
assault and battery yesterday morning. H
caused some disturbance at the pool hai