Kern County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....ALLEN, Ernest C May 2 1937 ********************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/obits/obitsca/obitsca.htm ********************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Sharon Dulcich DULCICH6@aol.com June 4, 2004, 10:18 pm The Bakersfield Californian, Monday, May 3, 1937 You asked for an obit for the following person. I did not find an obit, exactly, but the following multi-day murder mystery........... ALLEN, Ernest C. spouse: E. age: 41 yrs county: 15 date: 2 May 1937 Requested by: obarron@sbcglobal.net The Bakersfield Californian, Monday, May 3, 1937 Front Page OLD RIVER MAN SHOT TWICE IN HEAD; BODY IS FOUND BY BOY SOUTH OF HERE; COUPE NEAR ROAD HELD ONLY CLUE Late Bulletin Tentative identification of the murdered man found beside Kern Island canal this morning as Richard Allen, resident of the Old River district, was announced by investigators late today. The partial identification, it was understood, was made through Edna Bollinger, 703 East Truxtun Avenue, whose automobile was found abandoned on Kern Island Road near the murder scene. Mrs. Bollinger was declared to have said she loaned her car to Allen, but knew nothing of the slaying. Original Story: Shot twice in the head, the body of an unidentified man, approximately 35 years of age, was found by a small boy early today on the bank of Kern Island canal, two miles south of Bakersfield. The murdered man, investigators said, was either hurled or fell into muddy waters of the canal during the coarse of an altercation, then was shot as he attempted to climb up the bank to safety. Officers placed hope for solution of the murder mystery in an abandoned automobile found on Kern Island Road nearby. The machine, a 1929 model Chevrolet coupe, was registered to a Mrs. Bollinger, residing on east Truxtun Avenue in Bakersfield, it was reported. In the car was a suitcase containing several articles of men's clothing, tossed about as if hastily ransacked. First theory that robbery was the motive for the brutal murder was disproved, however, with finding of several dollars in currency in a man's hat. whether or not the hat and clothing belonged to the murdered man could not be determined immediately. WORE CORDUROYS The slain man was clothed in blue corduroy trousers and a brown coat sweater. He wore stockings but no shoes. The man's clothing had been thoroughly soaked in water it was reported, although the garments had partially dried. The man had been dead for several hours when found shortly after 6 a.m. by a small boy who lived in a roadside camp near the canal. Following the canal in search of frogs, the boy came upon the body of the man and ran to inform his parents. Sheriff Ed Champness and Achton Jensen, chief criminal deputy took over the investigation of the case. WEAPON SOUGHT Water was turned out of Kern Island canal in an effort to locate the gun with which the murder was committed. Size of the holes in the man's head indicated he was shot with a small caliber weapon, according to investigators. One of the shots entered the head just above the nose and ranged downward; while the other entered the side of the head and came out the neck. The body is at Doughty-Calhoun-O'Meara chapel, where an autopsy examination was slated for this afternoon. --------------------- The Bakersfield Californian, Tuesday, May 4, 1937 Page 9 & 17 REPORT ERNEST ALLEN WAS WITH PAIR SUNDAY EVENING; SERVICE STATION OPERATOR ASSERTS THREE QUARRELING Two men, presumably armed, who were seen with Ernest C. Allen a short time before he was shot and killed Sunday night, were sought by deputies of Sheriff Ed Champness today as suspects in what is proving one of the most baffling Kern murder mysteries in recent years. A Kern Island Road service station operator told investigators that three men, one of whom he believes to be Allen, drove into his place about midnight and asked for water for their automobile. the men appeared to have been drinking heavily and were loudly quarreling among themselves, he reported. The Chevrolet coupe in which the men were riding was the same as that found near Allen's body on Kern Island Road, according to the attendant. Mrs. Edna Bollinger, 703 Truxtun Avenue, whose car Allen was driving the night he was killed, told officers the man had been with her all Sunday and until approximately 11:30 o'clock Sunday evening. He was alone when he left her, the woman said. Where Allen picked up the two men seen with him by the service station operator today remained a mystery. SLEPT IN CAR Allen had been unemployed during recent weeks. He reportedly told Mrs. Bollinger he planned to apply to the King Lumber Company in Bakersfield for employment Monday morning. Mrs. Bollinger said Allen frequently slept in the automobile and that she believed he usually parked the machine on Kern Island Road south of Bakersfield. One theory advanced by officers was that Allen dropped his tow quarrelsome companions, then parked the car beside the road and went to sleep. The two men later returned to the car, killed and robbed Allen, and fled. ROBBERY THEORY Despite the fact that approximately $1.50 in change was found in Allen's hat in the car, officers clung to the robbery motive for the killing because Allen's billfold, supposedly containing several dollars in cur (continued on page seventeen) Pg 17: rency, was missing. The murderers might have overlooked the small change in the dark, it was pointed out. That Allen either went to sleep, or was preparing to go to sleep, before the murder, is indicated in that he had taken off his shoes and was partly clothed, according to deputy sheriffs. The fact that Allen's clothing was wet is taken to indicate he fell or was thrown into the canal during an altercation immediately prior to the shooting. BODY BESIDE CANAL The body, with two bullet wounds in the head, was found beside the canal on the west bank. Ranchers residing nearby said they remembered hearing two shots fired at approximately 1:30 a.m. Monday Morning. the shots sounded as if they were fired in quick succession, it was reported. Achton Jensen, chief criminal deputy of Kern County sheriff's office is in charge of the investigation. LEAVES FAMILY Ernest Cornelius (Dick) Allen, 41 years of age, was born at Hanford. He is survived by a widow, Mrs. Ethel Allen, and 14-year-old daughter, Ruth, both of Watsonville; three sisters, Mrs. Letha Bollinger, Modesto, Mrs. Flora Calvert, Hanford, and Mrs. Lela Silvarer, Watsonville, and three brothers, W. J. Allen, Santa Cruz; Charles H., Modesto, and J. W., of Dinuba. The body is at Doughty-Calhoun-O'Meara chapel where funeral arrangements are being delayed pending arrival of the brothers. Sharon Kern Co Volunteer This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/caobfiles/ File size: 7.2 Kb