New-York tribune., 1911-09-23
CHARLES v. ALLEN FALLS
70 HIS DEATH IN HOTEL
Millionaire Leather ManufaCt-
urer Killed by Accident, Says
Coroner'S Jury.
BELL BOY FINDS BODY
Dead Man Was Brother of
Nathan Allen, Indicted in
100000 Diamond Snug
Cling Case.


tgy telegraph 20 The Tribune
Chicago. Sept. 22.-Charles w, Allen.
millionaire father OF the Leather Trust
and head OF the Kenosha family which
was brought into public notice through
the suit against his brother, Nathan Al
len Who was indicted recently on "A
charge Of aiding in smuggling S2OooOO
worth Of diamonds into the United
States and whose name was linked with
that of Mrs. Helen ID. Jenkins, met death
in the Palmer House to-day.
BY special arrangement. Coroner Hoff-
man held an inquest INTO the death OF
Allen late tonight. and the body was
shipped 10 Kcnosha. The coroner's jury
returned verdict of accidental death.
Aliens body was found at the bottom
OF light shaft in the north wing of the
hotel a few minutes after guests in the
building had been alarmed by the crash
as it struck and smashed through the
wooden floor.
r. w. Fobes. one of the bellboys who
were sent to ascertain the cause Of the
noise, found Allen crumpled up in the
pit beneath one of the windows opening
from the parlor floor. A groan told that
the millionaire still was alive. When
Or. Gill, the house physician, arrived,
however. Aliens heart had stopped beat
ing. His neck, back, right hip and left
arm had been broken by the fall. DIR.
Gill said it was remarkable that he had
not been killed instantly.
Looking up at the window of Aliens
room, four stories above the hotel at
taches saw il was open. When they
lifted the body TO carry IT to a room they
found beneath it the broken pieces Of a
chair. This evidently had made the
plunge with Allen. for the floor under
the body was caved in and the fragments
could not have been lying there.
A few minutes later policemen from
the central station arrived. They looked
at the body, examined the bottom of
the shaft and asked TO be taken TO AL
lens room. The room-No. 497, on the
fifth floor OF the hotel-was the same
that had been occupied intermittently
by Allen since April 1. All the officers
found i'm il, besides the furniture, was
Aliens hat and coat a brass baggage
check and a crumpled telegram. which
read:
Drummond. Mont, September IS.
Charles W. Allen (via Kenosba, Wis.,,
Palmer House, Chicago.
Under no circumstances but automobile
Ter Turner ranch. Keno -
Whether the last word was meant for
Reno or had deeper significance in code
may play an important part.
After the body had been taken to an
Undertaking establishment Dewitt c.
Creeiyr, the city custodian. said
Mir. Aliens death was due to an acct
dental fall from the window. The as
sertion that he may have committed sui
eide is absurd. He had plenty Of money
and his health was good although lately
NE has not been feeling as well as
usual"
Alr. Allen according TO the hotel man
aScment, had made his headquarters at
tho Palmer House for years. He was a
familiar figure about the lobby. He was
careless IN dress, and few Of the en-
ployes knew that he was a millionaire
and his carelessness an eccentricity.
Carried 25,OOO Shares of Steel.
Allen had been carrying $1,000 shares
Of steel stock, but owing to his great
wealth ms friends scout the theory that
the market slump had anything To dc
with his death.
Secretary Theirs. of the Allen Com
psnv. said Mr. Aliens affairs were il
the best of condition and that he had NJ
personal worries, so far as any of hi.
intimate friends or members of his fam
ily knew He retired from active bust
ness FIVE years ago and spent most OF
his time in travel A few business in
terests in which he was particularly alb
sorbed still claimed his attention, but
they were more in the nature Of hobby
than serious affairs
Charles w. Allen leaves fortune con-
servatively estimated at S12.OOOO00 He
was a director i'm the Leather Trust and
held stock in half a dozen Chicago banks
Much Of his wealth was invested in lum-
ber. coal and elevated railroad securities.
lie was an enthusiastic golfer and one
OF the pioneers of the game in the
United States. Mr.. Allen was born in
Kenosha in 1916. the son. of Nathan
Allen, pioneer leather manufacturer
and was an alumnus of Northwestern
University.
June, 1910, Mrs. Charles w. Allen
was fined S1O0 and a penalty Of S3,OOJ
was assessed on her on complaint OF the
New York customs authorities that she
had brought large quantity OF jewelry
and other valuabls articles from Europe
without declaring them. Detained with
her at the time were Mrs. Dewitt G.
Cregior. jr.. OF Chicago; Mrs. Ethel Sum-
mers. OF Rochester, y. Y, and Mrs. Al
lens daughter, Gertrude, who had been
travelling In Europe.
Kenosha, Wis, Sept. 22.-Charles w.
Allen was well known and popular here.
With Nathan Allen he owned large
manufacturing properties. lie leaves a
wife and three children, who live here.
~---
ROBBERS GET $4,000 IN GOLD
Ccafgo Sent 4 sDeriat dIsratch from,