The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1888-05-18
THE z z

THE BEEN TRAGEDY.
A Remarkable Will and q Startling Statemeu,
M" BY His Widow.
A Great Mystery to BIO Unraveled.
m%@ Special to Pioneer Press.
CHICAGO, May 1O.-The will of Gen. Mar.
tin BEEN was shown to-day. It leaves to
bulk of the property is left to the sisters al
Alton, ILL.,, in equal parts. The most i'm.
portant feature of the will is a private mem.
| orandum attached to it, directing his part.
ner, Carlos P. Sawyer, and DIS. McComas
to make rigid investigation into the manner
of bis death, and if he is found to have been
foully dealt with to prosecute those guilty.
He adds that his troubles have made him
suspicious, and that all may he without
cause, but refers vaguely to a letter in the
vault, which may guide you as to whom
have most a~pprehensions of danger. I have
written her if she wants to be free" Further
down he says the remark made by him that
he would try to kill himself was made fol
effect, as he had no such purpose. II his
death should be accidental destroy the mem.
orandum, but enforce the will unless re-
voked. The memorandum makes other dis
connected reference to his domestic affairs,
and says he "fears poison more than all
else" The Union Veteran League proposes
to push their investigation thoroughly
Friends of the dead man are greatly sur
prised at this singular attachment to his
will, and hardly know what to say oft.
Mrs. BEEN said to-day:
"When Gen. BEEN took his own life al
Stanton, Nebraska, it was my sincere desire
and hope that the domestic troubles under
which I struggled for eight years should not
be revealed. But inasmuch as there has been
published the will of Gen. BEEN, made only
a day before he started for Stanton, and as
that will contains the most terrible relec.
tions upon me, I am now compelled to make
a statement of few Of the facts which have
led up to this awful tragedy, in order that
the public may know just where the fault
lies, and just why Gen. BEEN took his life
with his own hand. Soon after he had taken
his wedding VOWS he left me alone for the
balance of the night, not knowing where he
was or what he was doing. In the morning
he simply said, ooh, I have some friends to
stay with" After three weeks we came to
Chicago to live, the General taking ne to a
boarding house. At Thanksgiving time his
sister wrote him from Alton to bring me
down there with some of my best clothes.
1 did not want to be taken around as a show
and said I did not want to go. With chat he
flew into a violent rage and struck me and
beat me on the neck until he drew blood,
and the disturbance attracted the attention
of all the people in the house. From that
time OF there was constant trouble. For a
the General was always sweet, and manifest
ed apparent regard for me; but it was just
the contrary as soon as we were alone. He
repeatedly tore off all my clothes in his fits
Of violence. At New York a characteristic
circumstance took place. The General took
me to the Murray Hill hotel, kept on the
European plan. Suddenly, and without any
warning, the General left me with only IS or
40 cents in my pocket. He was absent ten
uoyo3 AASA0S u0uO uO PAOvlSAOA "A0UOvVA
by which I could get anything to eat, and
during those days of suspense and danger I
sustained myself by eating he food that I
begged of the servants of the hotel for my
dog. After I had been in Europe about a
year I returned to this country to attend to a
lawsuit pending on my hands. The General
met me in New York and was very disap-
pointed, as I had grown thinner and lost
some Of the attractiveness that he supposed
l had before. When we got to the hotel he
became very violent, and kicked over a tub
Of water that was there, broke a couple of
chairs and followed it up that evening by a
row with the Duke of Aberdeen. After a
short stay in Chicago I went to my relatives
in Stanton, Nebraska. / returned to Chi
cago in August. I went to the Generals
Office, where he refused to take. my HAND or
rave anything to do with me until I signed
a paper embodying a list Of all my supposed
shortcomings, and closed by wanting me to
solemnly swear that no matter what crimes
he would commit, or what might happen to
him, under no circumstances was I to leave
him. "Now," said lie, "you must sign that
paper" [ laughed and said, "Oh, no; we
won't sign it until we have read it and talked
it over" Then he fourished his pistol and
said l should sign it at once. I finally signed
the paper. On the following Sunday the
General was in the room with me. Both of
rs had lain down; he on the bed and I IN the
sofa. I was suddenly awakened by scarcely
being able to breathe. All I could do was
to open my eyes, when I saw the General
standing over me with both hands pressed SO
tightly on my throat that my breathing had
almost stopped. All he said was, "Oh! What
big eyes you have!" Next day my friends
saw the marks on my neck. At another
home at Du Quoin, Ill, he insisted upon my
signing a paper, the contents Of which I
knew nothing, and when 1 refused he took
me by the arm and shook me, and l, not
being very we'll, fell to the floor, where he
repeatedly kicked me, and like a fool that I
was, 1 got up and signed the paper. But
perhaps the greatest indignity that he
heaped on me was the Sabbath here in Chi
cago when, riding with some of our friends,
he stopped at the house of a questionable
woman, aud insisted upon the whole party
making a call. After this accumulation of
distress I consulted an attorney to see what
could be done about a divorce.
Grinding 1 could not get a divorce without
bringing in these questionable women n
i~njuring families Of other people, end the
General still being anxious for me to go
back to Europe 1 decided to 60, hoping
thereby to get at least temporary relief. 1t
was during this time that he became suspi-
cious that I wanted a divorce, and forged
my attorneys name to a cablegram to me
ordering certain letters sent to a fictitious
address. He also forged my mothers name
to an order directing certain goods tina she
had sent to me in Europe reshipped to him
at Chicago. I came home soon after and
went to Stanton, as you know. He appeared
suddenly at the ranch one Sunday, and on
the following Tuesday took his owa life:by
pistol shot, as has already been repeatedly
told by me. His physical health, his finan.
cio1 c%ro;fo ond othar <roreoo<;oco ~rh;oh