Louis B. Allyn
Lewis B. Allyn (Louis) (July 3, 1874[1] – May 7, 1940, in Westfield, Massachusetts) was an American chemistry professor and influential figure in the pure food movement at the time of his murder.[2][3]
Lewis Benajah Allyn | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 3, 1874 |
| Died | May 7, 1940 (aged 65) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Louis |
| Occupation | Chemist |
He was teaching at Westfield Teachers College and contributing as a pure foods expert[4] for McClure's magazines at the time of his shooting. His is the only unsolved murder in the history of Westfield, Massachusetts.
The early investigation
According to Thomas F. Moriarty, the District Attorney at the time, a witness reported that she was parked 300 feet away when he was murdered.[5] He said she recalled that "a man, wearing dark glasses with his coat collar pulled up was seated behind the wheel of the car," and that a black sedan was involved.[5]
Authorities believed at the time that Professor Allyn was murdered because he refused to hand over a very important secret vitamin formula that was "a vitally important military factor."[5] They added that the nation who was requesting it was "a European nation at war."[5]
At the moment of the murder, the only European nations at war with one another were Germany, France and the United Kingdom, though Germany had already occupied several other European nations. It was only three days after Professor Allyn's murder that Hitler began an invasion of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, ending the phoney war.[6]
A friend of Professor Allyn's verified that an effort by the unnamed nation was made to convince the professor to take an all-expense paid trip there to discuss obtaining the formula, but the professor steadfastly refused on the very day he was slain.[5]
The nation at the time was left unnamed.[5]
See also
References
- United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. FamilySearch. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
- Westfield State College Fun Facts Archived 2006-04-27 at the Wayback Machine, 29. The only unsolved murder in the history of the city of Westfield: The mysterious 1940 shooting of Louis B. Allyn, Westfield Teachers College chemistry professor and pure food expert for McClure's magazines.
- "Life and death of Lewis B. Allyn still shrouded in mystery, part 1". thewestfieldvoice.com. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
- Allyn, Lewis B. (February 1915). "Pure Food In The United States". McClure's. XLVI (4): 78. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
- "Hunt Black Sedan in Murder", The New York Times, vol. LXXXIX, no. 30, 057, p. 14, May 10, 1940
- "Nazis Invade Holland , Belgium, Luxembourg by Land and Air; Dikes Opened; Allies Rush Aid", The New York Times, vol. LXXXIX, no. 30, 057, p. 1, May 10, 1940