Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-07-31
The Antietam Cemetery Tragedy.
WHY MRS. BENNER SHOT HER JEALOUS HUSBAND.

WHY MRS. BENNER SHOT HER JEALOUS HUSBAND.
At Hagerstown, Maryland, yesterday, a hear
Ing was had In the case OF Mrs. Ida E. Benner,
who on Sunday last shot her husband. Thomas
Fl. Benner, at Antietam cemetery, Sharpsburg.
Mrs. Benner Is Of medium height, 1.-the In form,
has pale and regular features and dark eyes,
and altogether Is very good-look1ng lady.
went to the hearing without any emotion what
ever. When called on, she told her story calmly
and without hesitation.
TESTIMONY OF THE LIEUTENANT IN THE CASE.
Lieut.: Geo. A:Haverfield was the first witness.
He testified that he lived with Mr.. and Mrs.
Benner at the lodge room, national cemetery,
Snarpsburg. About O'Clock on Sunday morn
Of a gun being fired down stairs, and then a
groan. He went down stairs, and in a little
room found Benner, lying in pool OF blood. At
himself. Just at this time Mrs Benner came In
and said, "Mr. Haverfield, did It; had to do 1t
In sell. defense. No one knows what have had
to suffer through him. He has treated me like
a dog, and came in this morning with knife
and threatened to kill me If would not con-
fess.'' Witness said, "Confess what?" and she
replied, ''That was intimate with you" Wit
not tell me this before?" and she replied, because
she was afraid. She added that her husband
had ordered her to bring down the gun from
their room on the Friday previous. as he wanted
to kill dog. Witness said during the time he
boarded at the house he saw Mrs. Benner very
seldom, and Mr.. Benner and he often took their
meals alone.
Peter Nose testified that on Thursday last
Mr.. and Mrs. Benner had little quarrel, and
in the evening Benner said to witness that he
would give his wife good whipping and make
a better woman out OF her.
TESTIMONY OF MRS. BENNER.
Mrs. Ida E. Benner, after being sworn, said:
am IS years next September. twas married
on the list of December last. On Saturday night
and had sghta and
then went out and l sat up until midnight, when
heard some people come In, whom supposed
to be my husband and Mr.. Haverfield. did not
in the morning my husband was lying on the
floor in the sitting room. AS soon as entered
he jumped up Pa and said Ida II you do not con-
He said, ''That Lieutenant Haverfield has
got the advantage OF me-" l replied, "My
God, Tom, l am as innocent as the angels In
Heaven" He kept repeating that he would
kill me, and stepping out into the Kitchen
returned with knife and a stick OF wood.
Locking one of the doors, he advanced with the
knife at his side and the stick of wood held out
retreated to the corner Of the room, and said,
''Tom, have nothing to confess; II you attempt
to touch me with that knife will defend my
self" l saw the gun in the corner, and picked
1t up. By this time he was close to me and had
the knife raised over his shoulder. / am not
conscious Of pulling the trigger, but the gun
went off and he staggered out OF the room. do
not know what did with the gun afterwards,
but Lieutenant Haverf1eld came in, and told
him what had done. My husband had on sew
eral occasions made similar charges against me,
parents, but l told his mother. Three weeks
ago he threw board at me and struck me on
the side. ! suffered great pain afterwards and
asked him to bring the doctor. He said he was
afraid to do so for fear would tell the doctor
how it happened, but would get plaster for
me. After that 1 said nothing. There was
never the slightest intimacy OF any character
between Lieut.. Haverfield and myself.
The witness was most emphatic In her de-
malls Of any intimacy with Lieut.. Haverfield,
asserting that nothing more than simple
good morning had hardly ever passed between
them. On one occasion the lieutenant came to
the room where she was to light his pipe, and
her husband afterwards upbraided her. The
reason she did not tell her father Of her huS-
bands accusations was because she knew he
would have insisted on her returning home.
MRS. BENNER ADMITTED TO BAIL.
Mrs. Benners counsel moved for discharge
of the prisoner on the ground that the circum-
stances justified the plea OF self-defense. Judge
Motter, before whom the hearing took place.
admitted her to bail In $500. b md was at
once given.