Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-10-29

|p!lCl III" CCl. CD oSepn lamp
he'll Negro convict accused OF the
murder OF June 20 last Of Mrs Maizie
odette Allen. wife of Edmund Nj AL
len then warden of the state peniten-
Isry here. WAS placed on trial today.
. Questions asked the first veniremen
were taken 10 indicate that evidence
against The Negro is circumstantial.
Mrs Edmund Nj. Allen, wife of the
Warden of the Illinois state peni-
tenuary at Joliet. was found muir
6erad IN her bed in the warden's suite
| Of the prison between five and SIX
|o'cock in the morning of June 20.
|l9I5 Her skull was crushed in and
|he, body burned Fire by which the
|st yer evidently sought TO destroy
|frtdences of the crime led TO its dis
|pvery.
Joseph Campbell better known as
lhonor" man favored BY the warden
| ami his wife was Immediately arrest :
ri and his conflicting stories led the
authorities to formally charge him
! ~th the crime.
| Campbell, who was serving a term
. nj from one year TO life for the kill
Pms If Henry stephens. d negro JAM
m in Chicago. November 10, 1913,
way said TO he the last man to have
seen the murdered woman alive. Ac-
rordlne TO his own testimony at the
nquesl ne brought Mrs. Allen the
morning papers less than an hour be-
fore she was found slain and then
iook her pet dog for walk as was
his custom.
| Al $40 On the morning of the muir
der nearly an hour before the usual
risne time, the gong runr by push
button al the bedside of Mrs. Allen,
set w clamor. Usually such q
summons was answered by Campbell,
whose station was in q den opening
NJ the bedroom The bell continued
90 ring steadily. as if an impatient
finger was pressing against the bed
nom button.
James Larkin. a keeper. was at
creakfast in the buffers pantry
around a bend in the corridor. He
ran INTO the hall and met George
Simpson another negro house ser
want who had been across the corridor
IN another suite,
The lady's ringing e." said Larkin.
WHY DON'T YOU answer
1T ANTS my bell" protested the
negro. Where's Campbell"
There was no reply from the negro,
hui Larkin's call and the continued
ringing of the gong brought Harry
Rogers q night turnkey, from his
posi- on the lower floor,
Il smell smoke" Rogers said. Get
to the fire whistle"
The volunteer fire squad, AT break
'asl al The time. responded 10 the
alarm and found the charred body of
Mrs, Allen after having broken down
'ne door leading to her apartment.
Had il not been for a freak of the
names. the whole building might have
beer burned out and all evidence of
crime destroyed, If was established at
the inquest. The continued ringing
the hell operated by the push but
eh Ill Mrs Aliens apartment was
9sgun automatically when the wooden
@serins was burned off and the wires
shart circuited
h. Y 7, Benson, former prison
MUSICIAN and an old friend of Mrs.
alien, examined the body and an
aeunced that the wound in her head
aao not caused her death. II was the
a'e he said, that killed her. The
murderer, the physician thought. had
"hred alcohol upon the bedding after
~ mad attacked Mrs. Allen, then
ioaehed q match to the sheets. An
mpts jug that smelled of wood alco-
~ was found near the bed.
II was al first announced that rob-
'~rS was not the motive for the
VINE but several valuable. articles OF
sS"eirF were found to be missing
Nperai days later. however, these
we're found hidden in a pillow slip in /
~ adjoining room. At the time OF
siaphell'S arrest only these two facts
cry absolutely established:
THE murder was the work OF
Npae one inside the penitentiary.
al was the act of one of ten IN
uuals. because there were but ten
ss n who could have reached Mrs |
mems bedchamber
warden Allen was absent at the !
ny OF the murder He had left the /
ssoh the previous night for ten
az UP 10 West Baden, Ind, at the
sns eestlon of his physician. Mrs.
! disappointed by her dreSsmak-
any him. !