The Philipsburg mail., 1899-04-21
LIKE LUETGERT CASE
CHICAGO POLICE RUN DOWN A
DEEP MYSTERY.
august Becker COnfessess to Hayfpr
Made Away" with His Spouse-Says
He Drowned Her-rhen Says He Killed
Her and Boiled the Body.

The Chicago police have anothe
Luetgart case on their hands. Th,
only difference is that in the latua
one the husband, August Becker, has
confessed to making away" with hi:
spouse, who was last seen alive to.
ward the end of January. Like Luet-
gart ne is sausage maker and has
an extensive plant in the stock yards
dlstrlct. There is also a second wo-
man IN the case. A few days after his
Wlfe's disappearance Becker married
pretty Mary Sutterlin. The dead
woman's body has not been recoy-
cred.
In his confession Becker states that
ne took her down town Jan. 27. After
gong to the cheap museums on the
Ievee' he bought her many drinks.
lie drank beer while she took whisky
and wine.
When she was in a dazed condition
ne persuaded her to go down to the
randolph street viaduct. In the face
OF the stiff winter breeze of the early
evening he led her out to the naval
militia boat house and pushed her over
the side of the pier into the lake. She
sank below the floating blocks of ice
without cry.
Anxious to be sure that Theresa
becker would never trouble him again,
ne remained moment to be certain
OF her death. Then, thinking of the
young girl he wanted to take the place
or the murdered woman as his wife.
he braced his nerves with liquor and
went home.
The next morning he drove calmly
TO the saloon of George Sutterlin, 45O1
Loomis street, and said he was free to
marry the daughter of the family, Ida.
aged II. Two weeks afterward they
were married
Some days later the next-door neigh
Dor, Mrs. Peter Manthey, told the police
that Mrs. Becker the first had been
AFRAID her husband would murder her
and had asked her to notify the police
II at any time she was missing
Becker was thereupon arrested and
remained cool and collected for sever
al days. Even at the time of his con-
fession he said he wanted to be
hanged; he hoped he would not be sent
to prison. He did it all for "little
lda." He killed Theresa so he could
be free to marry her. He confessed
because the suspense of the sweat
box was killing the girl, he thought.
before confession he made will, leay-
ing all his property, such as it is, to
Ida
Ida! Ida" he murmured, after he
had told all; "all for Idar'
Becker went with Inspector Mich |
olas Hunt from the Hyde Park police
station to the scene of the murder to
show where and how he killed his
wife. The lake was dragged for the
body, but without success.
The confession was started in the
office OF Capt. LAWN at the stock yards
station, and it took Becker three
hours to make it.
The confession follows:
Il, August Albert Frank Becker.
being duly sworn, make the following
statement under oath:
II live at 5017 Rockwell avenue. On
he afternoon of Jan. 27 l left nv
house with my wife about O'Clock.
We took a Halsted street car to Clark
md Harrison streets. We went to
lifferent saloons and had several
thinks. l had beer and she had whis-
~ and wine. We went over to State
treet and through theater 1 paid
lrst ten cents and after that ten cents
more. Then we went into another sa- ,
oon and had lunch. We stayed about ,
n hour. Then we went to the post- ,,
'ftice on the boulevard. .
I'VE then went straight down to the s
ridge (meaning Randolph street via :
uct). We went down a little ways y