Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-07-23
WHO GAVE HIM IT?
Jury Finds That Claus Behrens
Died Of Poison.
THAT LETTER TO HENRY BEHDT.

|
Grand Jary win Now Endeavor to
Ascsftain Who Administered the Fatal
Mixture Tho widows Position in the
Investigates a.d Developmsnts.
The coroner's jury in the inquisi-
ton as to the cause OF Claus Behrens'
death at Davenport, in whose stom-
ach, as related in yesterdays ARGUS.
Paris green was detected BY Chemist
Frank Nadler's analysis, returned
verdict last evening of death by
poison, but duplicating no one, the
duty Of apprehending the guilty per-
SON being left to the grand jury. As
stated heretofore. the poison admins
tered was Paris green.
The case attaches an unusual de.
gree of local interest in that Mrs
Behrens. who was accused before the
coroner's jury of being instrumental
in causing her husbands death,
lived from Dec. Is last-when she
claims she left her husband because
Of his abuse of her-until July s.
as housekeeper for Henry Bendt, the
South Rock Island gardener. Mrs.
Behrens is "a years of age and she
stated that che left her husband only
after he had abused her, and re-
turned in response to his repeated
entreaties. Bendt's son married
Behrens' daughter, and in his testi-
monJ before the coroner's jury yes
terday he stated that Mrs. Behrens
had kept house for him from Deem
Der until June last, and that they
had lived together as man and wife.
Bendt also produced the folio wing
letter. written in German, but which
had been translated and which he
had received after Mrs. Behrens had
left his abode and gone back to her
husband:
Loving Letter to Bendt.
Davenport, Iowa. July Is. 1897
Dear Henry: As l am lonesome for
you will have to write You a few
lines. With tearfal eyes and q
broken heart write you this letter.
Dearest Henry. take pity on ME
again. and l will do all can for you
and your children. 1t shall never
occur again. what happened before.
No l will fall upon my knees before
you. l canuot live without you.
must be with you aud about you.
Forgive. dearest Henry, what
have done, and it will BIZ all we'll
again. II you care as much for me as
l do for you. My thoughts are al
ways with you. Forgive me,
dearest Henry, where l have failed.
1t shall not occur again. In the
future We will live better life, aud
God will give US His blessing. Dear
Henry. do not hesitate any longer.
for l suffer much for your sake. You
know that l care very much for you
and think you will decide to- take
me with you again. Do this. dearest
Henry, aud send Meta. and let me
know. II will not take long. Then
will be with you again and then can
secure q divorce much sooner THAI if
l am living with him. Then l will
only need to say that l cannot get
song with him and live with him.
Dearest Henry, Saturday after
noon we will meet on the bridge at 2
O'Clock. If could see you before /
would much rather Go so. Good bye
dearest, and a kiss from your loving
Christine. Write soon. Address
1903 West Second street.
us that your letter?' asked DR..
McCortney, after the woman had
glanced it over.
"Oh. maybe it is, and may be it
isn't" she replied, "the name is mine.
anyway" Add that was all the in
formation the coroner succeeded in
getting on that point, though it
seemed several times that Mrs. Beh-
rens was about to own that it was
her letter.
What did you give your husband
before his death?" asked the coroner.
''Poison has been found in his stom-
ach and this jury wishes to know
ex city what you gave him."
The woman insisted that it was
nothing more than water and oat-
meal, and nothing could shake her
from the assertion.
The coroner stated his suspicion
that she had used some of Henry
Bendt's Paris green, which he used
on his potatoes, TO poison her hus-
band, but this she denied strenu-
ously. showing the first animation
which she had manifested at all.
why did you write such letter
as this?" asked Coroner McCortney,
referring to the letter. when you
we're married to another man."
Mrs. Behrens didn't know exactly
why, and didn't know either whether
she had written it, and she swore
she had taken none of the Paris green
across the river. She also denied
that when she was living in Rock
Island she wished her husband was
dead.
Bsndt Again Testjfies.
Henry Bendt was put upon the
stand q second time to answer a few
more questions which the coroner
wished to put. 1t developed that he
had had another letter from Mrs,
Behrens. but had lost it. According
to the testimony Mrs. Behrens had
come to his home Thursday NIGHT
and esid che o0plIni& 80