A dramatic suicide was that of Charles E. Allen, of near Browns Valley last
Friday Charles E. Allen was 55 years old and lived on the old Stephen Allen farm
near Browns Valley. His family consisted of his wife and half a dozen grown
sons, all of who are well known over the county. Mrs. Allen had been very sick
for some time and her death had been expected for several days. Thursday she was
very low and James Galey and wife and Mrs. John Jones with others sat up with
the family. Early Friday morning Mrs. Jones who sat at the bedside of Mrs. Allen
noticed Mr. Allen enter a closet and heard him rattling around among the
shelves. Soon something fell to the floor with a metallic ring and a moment
later Mr. Allen came out looking very sad and despondent. He soon passed out
into the yard and went to the stable. He was feeding the stock when Mr. Galey
came out a little later to harness his horse to go home. Mr. Allen insisted on
feeding it before he left but Mr. Galey was in a hurry and drove off leaving Mr.
Allen busy about the barn. It was half an hour later perhaps that Mrs. Allen was
seen to be dying and Mr. Allen's cousin, James Henry Allen hastened to the barn
to summon him to the house. He called but received no answer. Something moved
him to ascend into the loft and doing so he was met with a horrible sight.
Stretched out upon the hay was the dead body of Charley Allen. He had
deliberately cut his throat with a pocketknife and had lain there with his
lifeblood gushing from the ugly 4" gash. With a cry of dismay his cousin turned
and hurried to the house only to find that the suicide's wife had just passed
away. The neighbors were quickly aroused and Coroner Barcus was summoned from
Crawfordsville. The case was a most pitiable one. Mr. Allen's health had not
been good for some time and his deed is attributable perhaps to sickness and
grief at the loss of his wife.