The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-09-28
W. Allen Instantly
Killed When He Fell from
WindoWof Palmer House
DEATH ENDS ACTIVE CAREER
Deceased Had Been One of the Most
Prominent Of the Builders of Keno
sha and Tragic Death Has Caused
Great Sorrow.

Charles w. Allen, retired president
of the N. r. Aliens Sons company, one
of Kenosha's most prominent citizens
and one Of her best beloved men, met
accidental death in Chicago just after
three o'clock Friday afternoon when
he fell from the window in his room
on the fourth floor of the Palmer
House into an air and light shaft
Mr.. Allen met instant death and his
body was found few seconds after
he had fallen The details of the
death of Mr.. Allen will probably never
be definitely known, but the examina
tion made by members of the coroner s
jury Friday night and Saturday morn.
ing left no doubt that the death of
Mr.. Allen was the result Of an accident
1t is evident from the appearance of
| the room that Mr.. Allen had been sit
! ting in a chair at the window reading
and it seems just as evident that he
was either seized with an attack of
vertigo or that he suddenly twitched
i'll his chair with such violence that he
| lost his balance and fell from the win
dow. The chair in which Mr. Allen
was sitting was found broken to pieces
at the bottom of the shaft and it seems
very natural that in his fall Mr. Allen
had clutched the chair with his left
hand IN an effort to save himself and
| had carried it with him in his fatal
plunge to the floor seventy feet below.
This theory of the death Of Mr.. Al
len is clearly borne out by the state
ment of bell boy who was in the room
few minutes before the accident oc-
cured and who was the last person to
see Mr.. Allen alive. The bell boy
stated that Mr. Allen sat near the
window with his chair tilted back read
ing. He said that there was nothing in
the appearance of Mr.. Allen to excite
any comment and that he had received
and dismissed him courteously.
Mr.. Allen was dead when DR.. P. W.
Gill, the hotel physician reached his
side and the physician declared that
death had been almost instantaneous.
Mr.. Allen had left Kenosha for Chi
cago early Friday morning in company
with his son, Robert w. Allen, who
had planned to leave on Friday even
ing for an extended trip to the Pacific
coast and San Francisco. He had not
been in the best of health for several
days, but when he left home on Friday
morning he was in good health and in
excellent spirits. He had planned to
return to Kenosha by one clock in
the afternoon. Just after eleven
CLOCK he had called up E. G. Theirs,
secretary of the n. R. Aliens Sons
company. He had short talk
with Mr.. Theirs in regard to some de-
tails of the business and stated that
he would probably return to Kenosha
later in the day. It is supposed that
Mr. Allen then went to the Palmer
House where for some time he had
maintained room simply to be used
in case he wanted to rest while in Chi
cago. After he went to the room. with
the exception of a call for ice water.
he sent no messages to the office and
the clerk who received him declared
that he seemed IN good health and that
his condition did not in any way ex-
cite comment.
Following the finding Of the body Of
Mr.. Allen sensational stories were cir
culated in regard TO his death but
these were all shown to be groundIess
by the examination made by the coro
ner. Charles Chester Allen went to
Chicago soon after the news Of the
death of his father had been received
| in Kenosha and he asked the officials
to make an examination into the case
at once and the inquest was practically
completed before the remains were
brought to Kenosha Saturday morning.
The news was received in Kenosha
just after five O'Clock and Mrs. Allen
who was at her home awaiting the re-
turn of her husband was FRUSTRATED
She did not leave her room during the
evoning, but it is said that she is
standing the great shock as well as
could be expected.
Charles Chester Allen, the oldest son
Of Mr.. Allen when seen at the home
said: IT can not believe that this IS
true. Father had been slightly i'll for
several days, but when he left Keno
sha this morning he seemed greatly i'm
|proyed and ha seemed to be IN excel