Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-06-21
Brutal Murder of Wife of
Warden of Joliet Prison
ArOuses Inmates.
BURNED TO DEATH
WHILE UNCONSCIOUS
Negro Trusty, Personal Servant Of
Woman, Suspected - Clothing satu-
rated With Alcohol and Set Afirs
After Blow on Head Rendered Victim
Unconseious-Firs Sets Electric Call
Bell to Ringing and Gives Alarm.


Joliet, ILL.,. June 21.-A negro trusty,
a product OF the honor system among
convicts at Joliet penitentiary, was
held in solitary confinement today
pending investigation Of the murder Of
Mrs. Edmund NJ. Allen, wife of the
prison warden. whose body. fearfully
burned, was found onSa blazing bed In
her apartments yesterday.
Joseph Campbell, convicted of kill
ing a negro in Chicago five years ago.
and sentenced to serve an indetermi-
nate sentence of from one year to life.
is the convict under guard. So far
as is known Campbell, chosen as Mrs.
Aliens personal servant under the
honor system, is the last person to
have seen Mrs. Allen alive. Campbell
was one of the Ave trusted convicts
who had access to the wardens apart
ments.
Burned While Unconscious.
Officials believed Mrs. Allen was
burned to death as she lay unconscious
on her bed. Her skull was fractured
but the blow on the head was not suf-
ficient to have caused death. The bed
and the woman's clothing had been
sprinkled with alcohol. Pieces Of the
jug which contained the LIQUID was
found In the room.
The fire apparently had burned for
several minutes before it was discov-
cred.
Warden Allen was In West Baden.
Ind, when the murder was committed.
Mrs. Allen, before her marriage five
years ago, was Miss Odette Maize
Bordeaux, q comic opera faFOrite. She
was member Of the 5siginaK Merry
Widow" company. She took an active
part In the affairs Of the prison and
her influence did much to institute the
honor system
Failed to Go With Husband.
Mrs. Allen. disappointed by her
dressmaker at the last minute, had
been unable to accompany the warden
when he started on a ten-days trip to
West Baden. Ind, last night, and had
been the only occupant OF the bed
room.
At $40, nearly an hour before her
usual rising time. the gsng rung by a
clamor Usually such summons is
answered at once by Campbell, whose
station Is In q den opening off the bed
room.
The bell continued to ring steadily
as II an impatient finger were pressing
against the bedroom button
James Larkin, keeper, was at
breakfast in the buffers pantry. around
a bend in the corridor. He ran into
the hall and met George Simpson, an
other negro servant, who had been
across the corridor in another suite.
THE lady's ringing" snapped Lar
kin. why don't you answer?"
TT amt my bell,'' protested the ne
gro. Where's Campbell?"
The keeper raised his voice and call
ed Campbell. There was no reply from
the negro. but Larkin's call and the
continued unbroken ringing of the gong
brought Harry Rogers. a night turn
key. from his post on the lower flooy.
II smell smoke!" Rogers announced
as he reached the head of the staircase,
painting. Get to the fire whistle!"
Neither OF the others moved to obey,
so Rogers himself raced downstairs
and into the prison yard. III the boiler
room, fifty yards away, he jerked the
whistle cord.
s.'e Fire Squad Out.
Warden Aliens 1900 convict charges
were at breakfast when the screaming
OF the fire siren walled through the
yard. Used to practice drills and minor
blazes. all but those assigned to the
prison fire squad continued eating.
The convict flremen raced to their
the boiler room. A half
dozen Of them followed Michael Kane,
day captain Of the fire department, into
the warden,s house. With them ran
Christy O'Leary. the warden's chauf-
eur.
\ Kane, O'Leary. and the rest found
La1kin beating with his fists against
the locked door connecting the bed
room with the governors suite. Smoke
was curling through the cracks be-
tween door. and frame and Kanes ar
rival was greeted by crashing of
glass as the bedroom windows fell out.
smashss Panel Of Door.
: O'Leary smashed panel Of the door
with q wrench and reached through,
and turned the key. Smoke billowed
forth In a cloud that drove back the
fre fighters.
'Mrs. Aliens in there!" cried some
one in the crowd.
: .No. she's not" another voice con.
Il Just saw her run up the
stairs"
: Later II developed that the woman
figure seen on the stairs was that of
katherine Allen, Mrs. Aliens 17-year-
old stepdaughter. But temporarily
fears for the safety of the warden's s
wife were allayed and no attempt was
made to fight the fire from the, other
two bedroom doors.
:is@ Stumble Over Ruins.
e O'Ieary lay in the west door. direct
ing the stream from a lead Of hose.
Back Of the smoke barrier he could see
aans By the time the hame had been
drsncled out 1t was $40 o'clock.
,OIssafy and Kane groped their way