Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-06-11
BLACK FOR MR.. B.
Mrs. Rautzahn's Testimony IN the
Benson Case.
her PITFUL MORAL WEAKNESS
she Gets Herself in the Power OF the Man
and Gives Over Her Brothers
Money After Her Mothers
Murder.

LBAvENwoRTH, Kan, June THE
sensation of the day in the Mettman
case came Saturday afternoon when
MIRA Nary Rautzahn, daughter OF the
murdered Mrs Mettman and the para
mour of the man who is supposed TO
have killed her mother, was put on the
stand by the prosecution and told freely
and fully the story of her wrongdoings-
She Is blue-eyed, brown-haired, slen-
der woman and seems to be In every
Way superior to Benson
Judge Webb objected TO her testify
ing on the ground that she was a CO.
defendant with Benson The United
States attorney briefly argued in sup
port of the competency of the witness
If she was desirous of testifying volun-
tarily. Judge Riner overruled the OBJ
Section and the defense noted its excep-
tion-
Mrs Rautzahn then gave her age as
sS years and said she was widow with
two children. Then she continued: 81
first met C. A. Benson at fathers house
In 1888. An improper intimacy began
between us IN 1887. Upon his PROPOSE
ton l went to live with him in the
spring of 1889 in Kansas City. l start
ed to 90 to Nebraska, but he would not
let me. l remained with him then
about a week My children were with
me. ! next staid with him few days
later in the spring. From that time on
was with him on an average of once
9 month and lived with him at such
times as his wife. My mother knew Of
nv arrangement with Benson. She
made il with him and approved Of it
and he paid her for taking care of my
children when was with him
"Benson saw me Saturday night,
March Is, 1890. He came to my
fathers place by way of the back gate.
expected him and looked for him. He
usually came Mt about ten minutes past
10 He asked where my father was. I
told him he was in bed. He then asked
me to call my mother. did so and she
told me to take care of the children
while she was gone. She staid half an
hour, and then coming in told me
could go out. went out and Benson,
after chatting awhile, asked me if I
thought my mother would give him
away. ! did not know what he meant,
but he continued and said that he would
put bullet in her head if she did. He
told me to take my brothers money and
give 1t to him, and he said that
he would see that my mother would
never come back to trouble me. About
o'clock he left, saying he was going to
Kansss City. The next Saturday even
ing, March %, at about 1910 o'clock
Benson came again, and met him at
the back gate. He told me that my
mother was going to New York, and
that was to go and live with him in
Kansas City. Then he said that my
brother would meet wiGI an accident,
and that my father would get his in
Burance money. After time Benson
promised my father would die, too, and
then he said would have all that was
left Benson made claims to be able
b prophecy future events.
That night Benson said my mother
was going away TO New York that
night or the next and that he would
meet her on Broadway when she went
lie urged me to take the $40 of my
brothers and if any one remarked that
the money was missing to say that it
had disappeared with my mother. Sun
day evening, March %, 1890, the night
of nv mothers disappearance, was
alone in the house. My father apd
children were out in the stable. The
$40 was money that had been saved
by nv brother and it waS kept in a
white bag in my bed. My mother
was in good spirits and in good
health that evening. She left
the house about $50 p. m, taking no
baggage of any kind She was accus-
toned to go out at night and would
stay late. She, too, professed to be a
fortune teller. The relations between
father and mother were peaceful The
whole family had lived together more
happily the year before mothers death
than ever before.
81 never saw mother alive again after
that night-that night 1 worried and
watched for mother. ] was not worried
when saw that it was 10 o'clock.
sat up the whole night waiting for
mother. Yes, l expected her to come
back when morning came. Father, no.
ticing that mother had not returned,
said that perhaps mother had stopped
over some place over night. That
morning, remembering what Benson
had told me of the money, took il
from the bed and locked it in my
drawer.
Monday night Benson came mp the
sidewalk to our house. Father wa:
not asleep, so took off my shoes anC
went in my stocking feet to meet him
1 said to him: Richard, my mother
disappeared at $50 Sunday; where i.
she?' He answered: L don't know
about your mother. Am her keeper
Give me,that money did finally give
him the money. lie took it, kissed me
and said goodby. took the money be
cause he told me to and gave it to hin
because l was afraid of him / wa!
afraid Of him because in March when
ut his request he said t.
me while 1 was wash
ing dishes: Mary, you are the twelfth
woman have had have had clever
before you, and il you don't do all
want you to will send you to -
along with them That's why I wa
afraid of him After giving Benson tn,
money went back to the house an,
to bed soon after, but slept little.
81 saw the remains of my mothe
when they were brought to our house
am certain as their identity. NJ,
mother wore an upper set of falst
teeth"
Being shown the plate already intro