Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-06-04
THE METTMAN CASE.
THE CASE ON TRIAL IN THE UNITED
STATES CIRCUIT COURT AT LEAyEN-
WORTH CHARLES A. BENSON AND
MRS. MARY RAUTzAHN ON TRIAL
FOR THEIR LIVES.


States circuit court, which is TO deter
mine the fate Of Charles Albert Benson
and Mrs. Mary Rautzahn this week
began It's session in this city to-day
Benson and Mrs. Rautzahn we're in
ldicted by the United States grand jurl
a year ago for the murder OF Mrs. The
resa Metman In this city March %, 1890
The murder was done on a bleak
Sunday night In ravine In the desc
late common north OF town, known ri
the government reservation The OLE
woman had S400 and the motive wa
robbery There may have beer
another motive, but II there WAS II Il
still one of the many mysteries con
nected with the deed.
Mrs. Mcttman was shot through the
head, the body was quartered with q
saw and the dismembcred fragments
We're placed Ia agunny sack and thrown
into tho Missouri river. A stone was
attached TO the sack, but IL let slip III
grim companion.
Five days after the murder the sack
enclosing parts Of the body was found
stranded on the shore. Further up the
bank other fragments were found and
nearly month later one Of the WON
ans legs that had been missing up tc
that time was taken out OF the river
near the Planters house This was
identified by its shoe and stocking, and
Mrs. Mettman's grave was opened to re
seive II.
The day the murder was discovered
the wires were busy telling the story OF
the Louisville cyclone. The catastro-
phe SO far ovreshadowed the atrocious
murder OF Mrs. Mettman that the world
heard little Of the murder.
John Mettman the murdered womans
husband, WAS the first person arrested.
His story was straightforward. Mrs.
Mettman had feft her home Sunday af-
ternoon 10 call on neighbor She had
left the neighbor's house In the even
ing at o'clock TO return home. But
she never came back As the days
went by the old man, who continued to
90 steadily 10 and from his work as
water carrier at Fort Leayen-
worth became worried. Mrs. Nett
man was peculiar and did about as she
pleased, and ties OF affection were not
strong between husband and wife, but
something more than usual was wrong
this time. With the dislike OF the Ger
man for scandal. Mettman did not say
anything about his trouble except 10
his son Henry and his stepdaughter
Mary Rautzahn, widow, who, with her
two children, lived with them.
The money Mrs. Mettman had was
the savings OF the son 1t was through
the daughter that the loss OF it was first
discovered
Mettman put an advertisement in a
local newspaper the third day after his
wife's disappearance. They we're not
generally known and ii attracted little
attention or comment outside of the
Mettman neighbOrhood. Then came
the discovery Mottman was bound
over 10 court, but was subsequently re-
leased The daughter was arrested
aud Benson's name was mentioned.
Their criminal intimacy became known,
To shield herself she called in question
her mothers chastity.
Benson was employed in hay press
works in Kansas City, and lodged with
A Mrs. Bartell at 81 Bluf street. He
was with the daughter in this city
part OF night after the murder, and
they did much corresponding afterward.
The scent grew hot toward him, and he
fed 20 New York and to Camden, N. J.
His letters went to him now as Arthur
FELTON,. A package containing jewelry
that Benson must have stolen from the
residence Of James H. Foster in this
city, while nursing the dry goods mer-
chant, two $40 gold pieces and some
newspaper clippings, was mailed by
Mrs. Rautzhan, through Mrs. Bartell at
Kansas City, to Arthur FELTON," II was
short Of sufficient postage. and was torn
open by the weighing clerk, who wished
to get the owners address This was a
strong clue The Camden police were
notified, ard a decoy package was sent.
Deputy She 1d Pickens OF this city, met
Benson after his arrest in the police
station at Camden. He seemed glad to
see Pickens. "Why | know YOU he
said. Benson had plenty of nerve. but
he expressed some fear when taken of
the train here in the freight yards that
he would be mobbed. The crowd that
followed him TO the county Jail was
impclled by curiosity, however, and not
by desire for vengeance.
The trial awakcns public interest In
the case surprisingly, and If Mrs. Nett
mans wrath would only walk into court
and clear the the mystery there would
be- another hanging in Kansas.
The jury 10 try Benson and Mrs
ltautzahn will be empaneled tomorrow
morning Benson and four other
United States prisoners arrived from
Topeka yesterday at o'clock. Mrs
lfautzahn, who has been here ever since
the session Of the grand jury, is now in
the same building with Benson, but
they are not permitted to see each
other, and probably do not care to.
Bensons daughter, Rosa, visited him
at the Jail soon after his arrival and re-
manned with him about half an hour
He kissed her when she went up to him
and bid her good by in the same way,
assuring her that in a short time he
would be a free man. She promised to
bring him some clean clothes that he
might appear in the court room In a
fresher apparel than he has been sc-
TO since his Imprisonment.
Benson Is thinner than he was and
tells his fellow prisoners that he will
soon be out doors with the rest of the
world. He confidently expects to be
cleared on the testimony OF a witness
who will arrive from Chicago tonight.
This witness is a shoemaker named
who lived in Kansas City at
the tim Benson was there and at whose
house Benson says he was at o'clock
Sunday night March %, 1890, the
night OF the murder Benson SAYS that
not only can he prove this by Schaher,
but that be can also prove that he stop
ped at Schaffer's shop the next morn
ing, Monday, between 9 and 10 o'clock.
He Is fuddled about locations and can
not tell where Schader's shop was in
Kansas City.
Mrs. Rautzahn refuses TO talk except
to the sheriff, Jailer Pickens and
Thomas p. Fenlon, her attorney. Ben
sons attorney is Judge Webb of
Topeka. Pickens confided to Mrs.
Rautzahn recently that he believed
that Benson would try to throw the
whole blame on her, adding that he
thought Benson was the guilty man.
You think about right she said.
Benson tells the same story that he
has stuck to all along. He intimates
that Mettman and Mrs. Rautzahn. il
they did not kill Mrs. Mettman, know
who did The old man. he SAYS, is a
religious crank, and when he drinks a
drop Is like a wild man. He intimates
that while one Of these spells was on he
killed his wife. Tho family physician
Of the Metmans some time ago said