Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-11-01
Acte d Worried and
Nervous, Word of His
Chief Clerk - Long
Distance C. all from
Portland and T W O
Letters Apparently
Disturbed Him No
Trace of Slayers

Jay Oct. 31-Worry gripped Ar
thur L. Allen for fully week before
he was slain by unknowns last Fri
day while travelling by auto from
Jay to Riley. where he held the po-
sition of postmaster. At least this
is the word of several local residents
who are acquainted with the widow
and who had dealings with Allen in
his capacity as storekeeper and post-
master.
Frederick White. a clerk employed
i'll Aliens store, was the first to he
quoted that the victim had been act
ing strangely for several days before
the murder. White says that Allen
left the store on the morning of the
murder. he wrote a letter. He did
not know whether it was mailed or
not, ne explained. The first place
visited in Jay by the victim, after he
left Riley, was the postoffice. Miss
Ella 5. Lee, the postmistress was
questioned as to whether Mr.. Allen
had mailed a letter there. She de-
clared that the rigid rules of her Of
flee prohibited her from answering
this question.
On Wednesday, according to the
statement of White. he learned some
thing that terribly upset him. His
usual agreeable manner vanished.
and he became morose, nervously ap-
prehensive. and depressed.
This 1T Is now believed, was due
largely to letter received by Allen
on Wednesday. No trace Of this let
ter has been found. It may have
been among the papers taken from
his body; there is the sinister sig
nlticance that it may have been at
least one motive for the murder. No.
body. it is believed, knows the con-
tents; and II the name of the sender,
or place from which it was mailed,
are known by the authorities, they
have given out no statement
Also, on Thursday, Allen received
long distance telephone call-from
Portland, it is understood, although
of this there is no definite assurance
Whether this call supplemented the
letter. or was in any way related to
ton; the general belief is that some
connection existed.
Several hundred people attended
the funeral of the victim, which was
held from the home of his sister, Mrs.
t;uy knight. in Jay, Monday after
noon. The body was taken from the
victims home at Riley to Jay during
the carly part of the afternoon. Over
30 machines were grouped about the
home when the caSkct was carried
into the knight residence. The Rev.
\. A. Blair OF Orange, Mass. former
" in charge of the Universalist
church in this town delivered a brief
culogy. The Pilgrim Commandery of
the Knight Templars OF Pennington,
OF which Mr.. Allen was a member,
had charge of the funeral services.
Several tiers of floral offerings en-
clrcled the grave as the casket was
lowered. One wreath was from the
Victim's former SchoOlmateS and the
other was from the Riley Mill En-
poycS. The latter was significant
IN view of u rumOr during the early
"tages Of the case that Mr.. Allen had
made some enemies among the old
employees of Riley pulp mill when
he sold food to a group of men who
had taken positions of men who re-
signed when labor difficulties devel-
orCd.
County Attorney Holman was
called at Pennington and questioned
regarding the developments of the
Augusta phase of the case. Two men
had been reported as acting s;lspi-
clousIy on Friday in a hotel in Au-
2usta. \ brother-ia-la Of the
victim had been notified of this by
the Augusta police. The county at
torney in charge of the Allen case
said lie hadn't heard anything about
this phase Of the case.
Questioned as to the progress Of
Continued on Page 3-Col. 81