The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-13

it was soon apparent that he was going
to Senior Micheis country residence
near Tlapa. The trip was a long one
more than fifteen miles--but the dog
rushed on at speed that tired the
horses.
At last the place was reached. But
instead of trying TO get through the
closed gates of the grounds the dog
ran to the lake shore. There he began
to sniff about, now and then stopping
to paw for moment in the sand. The
police officers watched him curiously
Finally he seemed to have found what
he was seeking. for with wonderful
fierceness he began digging. BY the
time the policemen came up to him
they were able TO see in the hole which
he had made, bit of cloth. Then
they relieved the dog from his work
and in a few moments had found the
headless body of the missing merch-
ant.
Everything pointed to La Beata as
the murderess, but the proof of her
guilt was lacking.
The ST. Bernad Detective.
But again proof was supplied by the
dog. Without hesitation he led the
way to the room which his master
usually occupied in the house. Once
there he went up to the bed and whin-
ed. Beneath the linen on the mattress
they found a great dark blotch which
in spite of the efforts made to clean
it away showed where blood had been
spilled.
Satisfied with this discovery the room
was sealed and a guard placed over
the house and grounds. Then the
officers, carrying the CHASTITY body with
them, drove to the city.
When La Beata was arrested she be-
trayed no surprise and was as cool as
she had been when she claimed that
her lover was only away on business
trip.
But the officers could get her to say
nothing of the crime or to tell what
had been done with the head which
had been cut from the body.
Third Degree for La Beata.
Again the dog showed them the miss
ing evidence. He was acting queerly
and was trying to dig up the tiled floor
ing of the open patio around which al
most all Mexican houses are built.
The officers secured tools and pried up
the heavy tiles at which the ST. Bern
ard was scratching. A few spadefuls
of earth removed brought to light the
missing head. But it had been fright
fully mutilated. The two eyes had
been dug out of their sockets and the
tongue had been cut off far back in
the throat.
The policemen took the horrible relic
to La Beata and showed it to her. The
woman screamed, thrust out her hands
as though to force the officers and the
CHASTITY head away from her and then
oil col. a IT,
placed under medical attendance while
the police searched the house for evil
dences of the crime.
They soon found 1t. In the woman s
trunk, which they forced open, they
discovered the eyes, the tongue and the
right hand of Senior Michel All had
been dried and were packed carefully
away in expensive jewel caskets which
had been given to the woman by the
man she had murdered.
In their failure TO find any evidence
against them the police were compelled
TO believe in the innocence of the SER
wants. Then they fell back upon the
theory which is undoubtedly the true
one. They say that La Beata loved to
madness the man to whom she had
given up her life. Hearing the stories
of his intended marriage she became
truly insane. She could not give him
up and she could not content herself
with second place in his affections.
So she planned to kill him so that even
though dead he might be hers only.
Her plan was carried out successfully.
During Holy Week, one of the greatest
holiday times in Mexico, she let all her
servants go to their old homes to join
in the annual celebrations. Then when
all their friends were so occupied that
they would give little attention to the
actions of herself and Senior Michel she
induced her lover to go with her to
their country home. There she killed
him, cut off the head and buried the
body in the sands of the lake shore
after she had taken the right hand as
horrible memento of the man she low
ed. After having carried out this
frightful deed she drove back to the
city, taking with her the head With
her own hands she cut out the eyes
and tongue and then buried the skull
beneath the tiles in the fiower-filled
patio. But during 1t all she forget the
great ST. Bernard which had been a
silent witness of her crime and which
had followed her about until it's at
tempts to dig up its masters body led
her to send it away.
"kilIed Him for Love-"
Il killed him because / loved him so
much.' she said. "and l kept his eyes
and tongue and hand because 1 could
not bear 10 part from him even when
he was dead. He was not going to
marry. / do not believe it. He never
would have left me. But loved him
so that 1 killed him so that he might
be always with me-"
She has not been brought to trial
and probably will not be, but after a
more careful examination will be sent
to an insane asylum. where she will
spend the rest of her days. Since she
has been confined in prison she has
been utterly careless of her fate and
has repeatedly asked for the horrid rel
les which she had so carefully presery-
ed.
Let me have him with me-" she
begs. please let me have him with
me-