New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-28
TRUSTY'S FATE
GOES TO JURY
Golden Rule" COnvit at
Joliet May Die for Muir
der of Warden'S Wife.
WITNESSES DENY
HIS STATEMENTS
Odds of 5 to 3 Being Placed That
Jury Will Not Be Able to
Reach Agreement.

Joliet. H.. Nov. 27.-The case OF Jo-
seph Campbell, negro convict, accused
of the murder of Mrs. Meizie Odette
Allen. wife of the warden of The state
penitentiary here, went to the jury
this afternoon.
Mrs. Aliens charred body was found
in the wardens apartments at the
pcnitentiary June 20, last, after fire
that partly destroyed the apartments.
Shortly afterward Campbell, q trusty.
was arrested. In his final argument
TO the jury to-day States Attorney
Robert Martin ridiculed the contention
Of TIE defence that Mrs. Allen died as
the result Of an accident. He demanded
the death penalty.
To the other convicts Joseph Camp
bell was known as Chicken joe" Five
years ago he was sentenced to the
Joliet Penitentiary for manslaughter,
having killed another negro in a Chi
cago apartment house. where both
worked as janitors. He was made
.rusty by Warden Allen because of
his model record in prison, and at the
time of the murder of Mrs. Allen was
her personal servant Both Warden
and Mrs. Allen were attempting to
secure a parole for Campbell when the
warden's wife was killed.
At 6:10 on the morning of June 20,
nearly an hour before Mrs. Aliens
usual time for rising, the gong, rung
by push button at her bedside, set
up a ciamor. Campbell should have
answered. his station being in a den
opening off the bedroom. He was found
later behind the greenhouse, outside
the prison walls.
Body Burned and Bleeding.
James Larkin. a keeper. was at break
fast in the buffers pantry. The ring
ing of the bell annoyed MIN, and he
walked TO Mrs. Aliens bedroom to see
what was the matter. A mass Of flames
and a volume of smoke shot from the
doorway. and he raised the alarm. Half
a dozen Of the convicts rushed in and
soon extinguished the flames. On the
charred bed was found the body Of the
warden's wife. her head in a pool of
blood. The bell was still ringing, and
it was found that the alarm had been
sounded automatically when the wood
EN- covering had been burned off and
the wires short-circuited.
In the charred remains of the bed
was found a broken alcohol Jug, which
should have been in a linen closet IN
another part of the house. In the
closet was found a mans collar with
blood stains on it. Campbell later ad-
mitted il was Lis, but said that the
blood stains were the result of slip
of his razor.
When Campbell was found behind the
greenhouse he was looking up in daze
at the window from which the smoke
was still curling. He was dragged TO
the warden's house, and there admitted
that he had been in Mrs. Aliens room,
but denied that he had used violence
on her. He declared that Mrs. Allen
had called him at 8 o'clock.
Door Unlocked.
you get me the papers. joe" she
said, according to his version. 81 got
'em for her and filled her thermos bot
tie with ice water. Then she says TO be
sure TO tell the barber she would like
him TO wake her UP az 9 o'clock, be-
cause she wanted shampoo.
Mrs. Allen done got back into bed
after she let me in, and she didn't lock
her door when | went out" said Camp
bell.
An inquest showed that Mrs. Aliens
skull had been crushed, but il was i'm
possible TO determine whether she had
been attacked previously to the fire.
Meantime Chicken Joe's" life was