Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-06-06
THE METTMAN CASE.
THE CASE ON TRIAL IN THE UNITED
STATES CIRCUIT COURT AT LEAvEN-
wORTH.-CHARLEs A. BENSON AND
MRS. MARY RAUTZAHN ON TRIAL
FOR THEIR LIVES.
A Brief History of The Case.

UoRdn ltS beSSlOn IN bnlS ClCy sO-uuy
Benson and Mrs. Rautzahn were In
dicted by the United States grand Jury
year ago for the murder OF Mrs. The
resa Metman in this city March %, 1890
The murder was done on bleak
Sunday night in a ravine in the desc
late common north of town, known as
the government reservation. The ole
woman had S400 and the motive wa
robbery. There may have been
another motive, but II there was, 1t is
still one OF the many mysteries con
nected with the deed.
Mrs. Mettman was shot through the
head, the body was quartered with q
saw and the dismembered fragments
were placed in agunny sack and thrown
into the Missouri river. A stone was
attached to the sack, but it let slip its
| 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 q month later one OF the wom-
ans legs that had been missing up to
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-
ceive ii.
John Mettman the murdered woman's
husband, was the first person arrested.
His story was straightforward. Mrs.
Mettman had felt her home Sunday az
ternoon to call on aneighbor. She had
left the neighbours house in the even
ing at s o'clock to return home. But
she never came back. AS the days
went by the old man, who continued to
20 steadily to and from his work as
water carrier at Fort Leaven-
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 TO
his son Henry and his stepdaughter
Mary Rautzahn, widow, who, with her
two children, lived with them.
Mettman put an advertisement in a
local newspaper the third day after his
wife's disappearance. They were not
generally known and it attracted little
attention or comment outside OF the
Mettman neighborhood. Then came
the discovery. Mettman was bound
over to court, but was subsequently re-
leased. The daughter was arrested
and 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
Mrs. Bartell at 81 Bluff 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
fled to New York and to Camden, n. ].
His letters went to him now as Arthur
Felton," A package containing jewelry
that Benson must have stolen from the
residence Of James Fl. 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," 1t was
short of sufficient postage and was torn
open by the weighing clerk, whowished
to get the owners address. This was a
strong clue. The Camden police were
notified. and decoy package was sent.
Deputy Sheriff Pickens of this city, net
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 off
the train here in the freight yards that
he would be mobbed. The crowd that
followed him to the county Jail was
impelled by curiosity, however, and not
by desire for vengeance.
The trial awakens 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.
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 o witness
who will arrive from Chicago tonight.
This witness is q shoemaker named
Schaffer, who lived in Kansas City at
the time Benson was there and atwhOse
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 Schaffer,
but that he can also prove that he stop
ned 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 Schaffer'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 oil
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.
iSYou think about right, she said.
Benson tells the same story that he
has stuck to all along. He intimates
that Mettman and Mrs. Rautzahn, II
- 5fd ,,of hfll Mrs Mailman kuOu