The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-06-12
THE sENsoN cAsE.


Mrs Mary RautzRhn. daughter OF the
murdered Mrs. Mettmaa 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 Vyrongdoings-
Mrs Rautzahn gave her age as %
years, a widow with two children She
told of her improper relations with
Benson, which was approved of by her
mother, and said;
Benson saw me Saturday night.
March IS, 1890. He came to my
fathers place by way of the back gate
L expected him and looked for him. He
usually came at about ten minutes past
10. He asked where my father was.
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 1
could go out went out and Benson,
after chatting awhile, asked me If
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 it to him, and he said that
he would see that my mother would
never come back to trouble me. About
1 o'clock he left, saying he was going to
Kansas 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 with an accident,
and that my father would get his in
surance money. After time Benson
promised my father would die, too, and
then he said I would have all that was
left Benson made claims to be able
to prOphesy 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
He 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 my mothers disappearance, was
alone in the house. My father and
children were out in the stabl The
$40 was money that had been saved
by my brother and it was kept in a
white bag In my bed. Ny mother
was in good spirits and in good
health that evening. She left
the house about $3.50 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
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 I worried and
watched for mother. I was not worried
when I saw that it was 10 o'clock.
sat up the whole night waiting for
mother. Yes, I 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, I took it
from the bed and locked it in my
drawer.
Monday night Benson came up the
sidewalk to our house Father was
not asleep, so took off my shoes and
went in my stocking feet to meet him
1 said to him; Richard, my mother
disappeared at $50 Sunday; where is
she% He answered: I don't know
about your mother Am her keeper?
Give me that money I did finally give
him the money. He took it, kissed me
and said gOOdby. I took the money be
cause he told me to and gave it to him
because was afraid OF him I was
afraid Of him because in March when
went to see him in Kansas City
at his request he said to
me while was wash
AHB NASAASSs mary you are the LWSlIEA
woman have had L have had eleven
before you, and if you don't do all
want you to I will send you to --
along with them That's why I was
afraid of him. After giving Benson the
money 7 went back to the house and
90 bed soon after, but slept little
The witness then identified the
various articles Of clothing found in
Benson's room as hers. Continuing,
she testified: In Kansas City he
called himself Richard Waldo. He in-
trOduced me as Mrs. Waldo. Those
black mustaches were his Benson
had three revOlvers that I knew of and
a saber. He said he kept them to
make use OF some day. I did not see
my mother killed and dismem bered. I
have no knowledge as to who did it.
She was not killed in our house. She
was not killed in our kitchen No, sir
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