Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-04-19
SIN, SHANE AND CRIME
THB STORY OF LIZZIE KINGS
LIPB AND LOVE.
The Murdsrsss Of Harry King Trumphantly Acquitted
at 0maha-Deceivsd by Her Husband, Per-
secuted by His Parents, She
INDICATED Herself.

OMAHA, NEB., April 18.-The sensation
of the day in this city is the trial and ac-
quittal of Elizabeth Beechler for the kill
ipg of Henry ". King Jr. The evidence
developed life story which, for misery,
devotion and desperation on one side, and
heartless cruelty on the other, is really
equslled in real life
At the time of bis death last fall, King
was about 80 years of age, Miss Beechler
being 10 years his junior. He was the dis
sipated son of wealthy Chicago whole
saler, whose family, occupying a
palatisl home in the North
Division, stands as high, socially,
as the head of it does financially. Young
King made the acquaintance of Elizabeth
Beechler three years ago, and persuaded
her TO elope with him on promise of mar.
riage. The girl was noted for her beauty,
but her home was in Cleveland, and hel
presence in Chicago has not been account
ed for except on the theory held by the
Kiugs, that abe was already an advent.
uress. Be this "a it may, che was young
and ambitious, ard all the facts show that
FROM the time that she took up with King
she expected to be his lawful wife, and she
gave him no occasion for jealousy.
The youpg couple, after travelling for
some time, visiting several EASTERN cities,
Cleveland among them, where the girl
was introduced TO her parents as Kings
wife, went TO Quincy, ILL.,, and settled
down, taking the name of lie Garde.
King had money, and for the year that
they lived in Quincy the young couple led
sn exemplary life, moved in good society,
and no one suspected that they were other
than what they appeared to be-s very
happy family. The girls little brother
came to live her, and King introduced her
everywhere AZ his wife, under an assumed
name, and both joined church at her
solicitation under that name.
DECEIVED BY HER HUsBANED.
At length she became fully convinced
that young King was playing her false,
and her letter to him changed in tone
from affection and sympathy to sorrow
and desperation. "Marry me, Harry King" :"
she writes in one OF them, ''and will
be content to live with you in barn." In
another she says: "You promised to marry
me. You must keep your promise" She
had been advised that the fact that she
and King had lived together in Quincy for
a year as man and wife constituted COM
mon law marriage, but she was disturbed
because they they had gone under an as
sumed name, and as she expected soon to
become mother she felt that she as yet
had no right TO the name of King. Re.
ceiviDg no satisfactory replies from him,
and being pressed by his creditors, she
fnallv accepted $500 from the lawyers
and signed paper relieving young Ki z
of all obligations to her, not knowing, as
she sfterward said, what the exact nature
of the paper was.
From Quincy she went 10 her home in
Cleveland, where in the course of few
months young King, escaping from the
parental Oof, found her. and, processing
that she WAS still his wife, persuaded her
to return to Chicago with him and 20 to
housekeeping again. This time they took
a fine fiat in the North Division, not far
from the King mansion, but they were
soon discovered, and il was not lorg before
the Kings got their son away and had the
girl again IN the clutches of the lawyers.
DESERTED FOR ANOTHER.
About the middle of last November Miss
Beechler heard for the first time that King
had remarked and was living in Omaha.
Dressed merely in wrapper, she took the
first train for that city, drove to the hotel,
where she registered as Mrs. II. W. King,
Jr., and sent word to the young man asking
an interview in the parlor. He Joined her
there Immediately, and for some time they
sat upon sofa and talked quietly. Finally
they arose and walked hurriedly to the
elevator, where there were few loud
words, scuflle, during which King took
tbs girl by the throat, and then four shots
from a revolver which Miss Beechler had
drawn frem her pocket. King fell dead,
and crowd soon assembling found the
girl in h sierics keeling at his side.
The trial, which has Just ended with q
verdict of not guilty, was attended
throughout by On enormous concourse OF
people, all of whom were in close sympa-
thy with the prisoner, who, dressed in
deep mourning, made a most interesting
picture.
A STORY OF PERSECUTION.
A singular circumstance connected with
the trial of Miss Beechler is the fact that it
is believed to he the only proceeding OF the
kind on record in which the defence intro
duced not single witness. General
Cowsn, attorney for Miss Beechler, con-
tented himself with the cross-examination
of the States witnesses, and from them he
proved all that he wished TO establish.
Indeed, one of the best witnesses for the
defence was a Chicago lawyer, who had
long been in the employ of the Kings, and
from whom was wruug the story ~ the
wealthy family's long persecution of the
girl, who at length took the law into her
own hands.