Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-04-20

OMAHA, Ncb April 10.

"R''A 49, At -
The jury in the BeerAlef murder Trial
retired at 1925 this morning, AID at II
O'Clock brough in a verdict OF not
guilty"
When The verdict was announced by
the clerk, such a tremendous uproar OF
applause was never before heard in a
court room in this country. Peal after
peal Of applause mingled with the tears
of women and the hysterical manner Of
the prisoner rendered the room a scene OF
chaos. Judge Graft then dismissed the
defendant and the jury, while hundreds
of women crowded forward and congrat-
ulated the fair prisoner. Mrs. King, in
conversation with q reporter said: Il am
happy. / want to thank you all for
your kindness to me. ! am going to my
home in Cleveland to live. ! won't talk
any more" The proprietoro of the Murray
hotel asked her to make his hotef her
home while in Omaha. The excitement
runs high and the verdict pleases every
body. The trial has occupied the atten-
ton Of the court for eight days and was
sharply contested by the best legal talent
on either side. During the examination
numerous witnesses testified for the
prosecution and only one witness was put
on the stand for the defense-the jailor-
whose testimony really made no particular
difference either one way or the other.
Each day Of the trial witnessed a crowded
court room. Omaha people took an UNI
usual interest in the trial and even the
ministers, some of them, found texts for
the subject Of a discourse last Sunday
from incidents at the trial. The jury
was out only thirty-fve minutes before
they returned their verdict which made
Elizabeth Beechler a free woman. The
verdict meets the genera, approval of
all.
The crime with which Miss Beechler
was charged and Of which she was &C
quilted is AS follows:
STORY or I'll CRIME.
The tragedy, which took place in Omaha
the morning Of November Il, 1883, Is stu
fresh ia the minds OF all newspaper readers,
On that morning "A young lady arrived III
and sought out the Paxton hotel and
being assigned 10 a room Inquired FOR
Henry W. King, jr. They had a long talk to-
and King was uptraided Tor marrying
and living with another woman. he called
her an a1geuturess and threatened to have
her thrown out of the house. The woman,
who WAS no other than Kings lawful wife,
produced a revolver, and In her desperation
bred AZ king, once, twice, thrice, and the
BODY Of Henry W. King fell down the stairs
and landed on IA landing about half way
down. The woman ran down 10 blin,
raised his head and kissed Lin.
The man was dead. The woman
gently laid his head upon the marble door,
aud walked down the stairway to the Office
with the deadly revolver stil in Ler hand.
The startled guests OF the hotel, who had
heard the shots and witnessed the scene upon
the stair way LANDING, soon surrounded her.
Of them, Mr.. Scott, a travelling man,
seated her in a chair and took the weapon
from her.
"Wbat have you doneln was asked.
~ have shot my husband, who is married
to another woman and IL living with her In
this house. Is he deadP
When told that he was, she insisted upon
going back to him, but was prevented.
The woman was Miss Elizabeth Beechler
and she had been duped by King into believ-
ing that she was his lawful wife. He had
lived with her as his wife in Chicago and
other cities and she had always been recog
nized as such, although In some places
they appeared under an assumed name. just
prior TO Kieg's last marriage Miss Beechler
was paid 81, 800 TO release all claims upon him
ss her husband. This release was obtained
nv fraud. When Miss Beechlcr heard OF
Kings marriage through q newspaper dis
patch she went to Omaha and proceeded at
once to the Paxton hotel and after a few min
utes conversation with King. In which he
treated her with no more respect than a dog.
In a towering rage and without thinking OF
the const euences she fired the shots that
ended the existence Of Henry W. King, jr.
Such. In brief, is a history of the crime.