The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-12-17

one of the more mysterious double
tragedies which has probably ever been
brought to the attention of the local
rolice was discovered yesterday at
Camp Mckinley when the decomposing
remains of Frank z. Bennett the fa
nous government scout were found
lying on his bunk with bullet wound
through the brain. Death had been
self inflicted and the suicide Of Bennett
u.s. beyond any question, due to the pre-
vious mysterious death on Wednesday
of Miss Clara Schneider, a domestic in
Paul Neumann's family.
1t is doubtful If the actual occurrences
attending the deaths of the two people
will ever be clearly solved for the police
allowed their opportunity to slip
through their fingers when Bennett,
probably fearing an interview by the
authorities regarding the death of the
woman to whom he was paying mark
ed attention, placed the muzzle of a
Colts revolver in his mouth and sent
his soul into eternity. The circum-
stances surrounding the two deaths go
to indicate that instead of meeting
death by her own act, Miss Schneider
was the victim of foul play.
SO far, Bennett is the only person
discovered who had any reason for
wishing her out of the way If he did
murder the woman, and there is very
strong reason for believing that she was
murders he did the deed because he
was unable to repay her the savings
which she had loaned him hoping no
doubt to be rid of her reproaches and
recriminations. After the woman died,
remorse or the fear of impending dis
covery induced him to take his own
life. Up to the time of their respective
! deaths both people seemed to be in the
best of spirits and the woman was
nlanning to return to her brother in the
state of Washington after the holidays.
hot to
due her untimely death and the myster-
ious suicide of Bennett is certain.
Bennett had been attentive to the
woman for months past. To some she
claimed to have met him in Seattle
while to other friends she said she be-
came acquainted with him here in Oc-
tober, 1898, shortly after her arrival in
Honolulu. Miss Schneider was always
very reticent about her male friends
and so far as can be learned Bennett
seems to have been the only one who
paid her any attention. Some time
last summer she told Miss Minnie Cum
mings that she had loaned some money
to man named Campbell or Campbell
| at a high rate of interest. Miss
| Cummings advised her to get the money
back which the woman did.
| Subsequently Miss Schneider said she
| had loaned $500 to a man who worked
| in the government stables. He was
! paying her per cent a month. That
| such an eXorbitant rate of interest was
beyond the ability of the borrower to
successfully pay. Miss Cummings fully
realized and she warned Miss Schneider
to get the money. Miss Schneider was
| also asked if the man had given her any
| security and she finally said that he
| had. When questioned closely by her
friend regarding the character of the
security she said it was real estate but
| changed the subject. Miss Schneider
10 hp1 oGlyn haV. 81,
marry him but she had refused. He had
also wanted her to come and keep
house for him. This, Miss Cummings
| advised her not to do. Subsequently
Miss Schneider loaned 800 more to her
admirer.
In addition to the cash savings the
woman had 10 shares of McBryde stock
which was held for her by Mr.. Tempe,
a tailor on Punchbowl street, Mrs. Ag-
nes Tempe was the most intimate
friend Miss Schneider had here. Mrs.
Tempe told Miss Schneider last Monday
that $50 was due on the sugar stock last
Saturday. Miss Schneider replied on
Tuesday that she would send the money
down the following day, and would go
to her friend in the government stables
to get the desired amount. Mrs. Tempe
understood that the man had promised
it to the woman. That the woman did
not get the money was evident from
subsequent events.
On Tuesday night the woman went
away from Mr.. Neumann's house about
9 o'clock. To the nurse girl she said
Good bye I hope I will see you again.
She had never before spoken in such
a way and much significance is attach
ed to her last words. Where Miss
Schneider went is not known now. 1t is
thought to meet her lover. In any
event she was discovered unconscious
in her room the next morning and died
III
noon. In her room was found a note
in Benefits handwriting, in which he
spoke of her not meeting him until af-
ter the rest were all asleep. There was
also a memorandum in the same hand
writing in which the items of $400 with
interest at Per cent a month were
enumerated.
Deputy Sheriff Chillingworth learned
that some man in the service of the
government stables had been paying at
tention to the woman and other infor-
nation caused the officer to believe
that money matters had some thing to
do with her death. Instead of investi-
eating and ferreting out what probably
may prove murder, the officer and his
deputies were busy with the seemingly
more important arrests of petty opium
; users and gamblers, and Wednesday
Thursday Friday, Saturday and Sun
day were allowed to elapse before any
attempt was made to locate Bennett
Finally when Mr. Chillingworth did 60
Ia question the scout It was to find thai
the man had answered the call OF
death.
Subsequent inquiry has developed the
fact beyond any shadow of n doubt
that when Miss Schneider bade good
bye to the nurse girl, 1t was to go tC
meet Bennett That the servant gir
also went to meet her death is also po
stive, although the evidence that she
met it at the hands OF Bennett has no
been secured, the circumstances beinl
merely corroboratiVe of such a theory.
The girl remained away until about
o'clock Wednesday morning. This fac
being attested by the Japanese yarC
boy. Shortly after o'clock the Japan
, ese who was sick happened to look II
, the direction Of her room and saw M
light there. At three o'clock he wal
again up and saw light in Mis-
Schneiders room. This light was burn
ing puntil 7 o'clock Wednesday morning
when the power was shut down. Thes
circumstances go to prove that the wo
man returned a bOuts 3 o'clock That Sh